CHENNAI : The cactus is one of the most fascinating plants, yet also the most misunderstood. Many would think twice before gifting a cactus or even getting one inside their homes, lest it should bring with its thorns, a thorny fate. After being treated with suspicion for long, it is slowly making inroads into plant stores. Was it always the black sheep of the plant world? Are we finally seeing a time of its renaissance? Here’s taking a look.
JUDGED BY ITS THORNS
Millennia ago, the cactus shrunk its leaves into spines to avoid transpiration losses in severely dry climes, which also protects it against desert herbivores. It figured a way to store water in its fleshy stems. This ecological wonder ought to have been the poster child of survival. Instead, many people judge it by its prickly looks, associating it with the lifelessness of a desert, when it is in fact a sign of life against odds. Only now is it becoming something of a trend to gift a cactus to someone going through a tough time, as a symbol of hope and resilience.
HISTORY OF REVERENCE
It wasn’t always that we were biased against the cactus. Cultures that lived in proximity to them were probably most aware of their life-giving aspects. The Aztecs revered the cactus as the Tree of Life with rain gods dwelling below it, an allusion to its moisture-retaining properties. In Japanese tradition, cactus flowers, a rare sight in craving deserts, stand for expressing desire to a loved one. Closer home, the Assamese worship a cactus called Bwrai Bathow in their Bathow puja.
CACTUS LOVE
Lately, cacti are making a comeback to plant stores. Resilient and low-maintenance, they make perfect companion plants for a generation with not much of a green thumb. Most popular among them are the mini cacti, which, to young and unprejudiced eyes, look cute rather than unholy. A lot of them tend to have a ‘character’, like the Saguoro cactus with ‘arms’— the inspiration behind the cactus emoji on your phones. Prada was quick to capitalise on this newfound cactophilia among the young, plastering hip cactus graphics on bags, shirts and dresses.
CHRISTMAS PLANT?
In the west, this holiday season is also witnessing a quirky trend of decorating little cactus-heads with Santa caps. Some see it as an eco-friendly alternative to Christmas trees, with cactus thorns making convenient hangers for little knick-knacks. And why not? Christmas plants traditionally serve as reminders of the return of greenery after a dormant winter. In that sense, what better Christmas plant than the forever green cactus?(The author is co-founder of greenopia.co)
CAREFUL AROUND CACTUS
Some rookie mistakes to avoid
■ Not giving them enough sunlight — window sills are usually great.
■ Make sure the soil drains well — they hate sitting in water.
■ Avoid misting them, water the soil when the top layer feels dry.
Image courtesy: greenopia.co