Most popular cactus sold?

[LateBloomer]

What do you believe is the most popular (widespread) cactus sp in cultivation? I would assume some sort of mammillaria since they are quite easy and widely sold or maybe opuntia? Mass sowing from seed, easy of cultivation, and size all matter... I'm talking about pure numbers

lady finger cactus maybe?

[Aeonium2003]

I think it would be one of the brightly colored "moon cacti". Probably because people find the odd looking cacti very ornamental and attractive.

[LateBloomer]

I think it would be one of the brightly colored "moon cacti". Probably because people find the odd looking cacti very ornamental and attractive.

thats right forgot about that one... astrophytum is gaining popularity but still rare in big box stores.

[Glorioustache]

Opuntia microdasys, Chamaecereus silvestrii and Echinopsis oxygona. Sold everywhere

[Mrs.Green]

Interesting question. My first thought; widespread were? In the world or or in the US, Europe or Asia? I would belive that popularity differs, from country to country? Climate would also have something to say I would guess. If you can grow your cacti in the garden, all year round without difficulties, it gives you a lot more room so to speak . Growing a Saguaro indoors in a northern climate, wouldn’t from my point of view at least, be very interesting.

[DaveW]

Things also vary with time. Plants once popular go out of favour and nurserymen stop propagating them. Obviously for the casual plant market nurserymen propagate stuff that can either easily be grown from offsets, or seed grown Cerei that make a large saleable plant quickly. Also the most attractive forms such as Notocactus uebelmannianus = Parodia werneri, the purple flowered form rather that the yellow flowered v. flaviflorus. Both were equally obtainable when first introduced, but you have a job finding the yellow flowered form now in the UK simply through lack of commercial propagation since the purple form sold better.

Things like Chamaecereus silvestrii (Echinopsis chamaecereus) would have been one of the commonest plants when I started in the 1960's due to offsets being easily obtainable. Also Mamillaria bocasana. To the uninitiated plant market Opuntia's look like the most typical cacti so sell well, but tend to get turfed out of collections later due to glochids etc.

For the casual plant market size does matter, since a common quickly growing plant sells for the same price in Garden Centres or stores as does a rarer slower growing one, unless visually far more attractive. Big is beautiful when it comes to the uninitiated purchasers, since it equals "more bang for your buck"!

Also most cacti are sold without flowers unless they are stuck on. So smaller plants like Rebutia that would flower at a reasonable size get passed over for bigger Opuntia's or Cerei the buyer will probably never flower.

[LateBloomer]

Things also vary with time. Plants once popular go out of favour and nurserymen stop propagating them. Obviously for the casual plant market nurserymen propagate stuff that can either easily be grown from offsets, or seed grown Cerei that make a large saleable plant quickly. Also the most attractive forms such as Notocactus uebelmannianus = Parodia werneri, the purple flowered form rather that the yellow flowered v. flaviflorus. Both were equally obtainable when first introduced, but you have a job finding the yellow flowered form now in the UK simply through lack of commercial propagation since the purple form sold better.

Things like Chamaecereus silvestrii (Echinopsis chamaecereus) would have been one of the commonest plants when I started in the 1960's due to offsets being easily obtainable. Also Mamillaria bocasana. To the uninitiated plant market Opuntia's look like the most typical cacti so sell well, but tend to get turfed out of collections later due to glochids etc.

For the casual plant market size does matter, since a common quickly growing plant sells for the same price in Garden Centres or stores as does a rarer slower growing one, unless visually far more attractive. Big is beautiful when it comes to the uninitiated purchasers, since it equals "more bang for your buck"!

Also most cacti are sold without flowers unless they are stuck on. So smaller plants like Rebutia that would flower at a reasonable size get passed over for bigger Opuntia's or Cerei the buyer will probably never flower.

thanks for the well written response...

This is more a global popularity I'm asking... @Mrs.Green
I'm sure that in certain countries even certain regions in those countries it may very.

[eulaspiegel]

Another species I see being sold in every store that sells cacti is Echinocactus grusonii, mostly in relatively small sizes.

[luddhus]

The various "Holiday cacti" (Schlumbergera/Rhipsalidopsis) are fairly common, i guess?

[ohugal]

Another species I see being sold in every store that sells cacti is Echinocactus grusonii, mostly in relatively small sizes.

Can concur. I've had one for many years before I even knew what a cactus was. It came from Ikea most likely. They don't seem to sell them anymore. Browsing through their website I see M. bocasana, E. oxygona and several Opuntia for sale. Also (suprisingly?) an Epiphyllum.

[Mrs.Green]

The various "Holiday cacti" (Schlumbergera/Rhipsalidopsis) are fairly common, i guess?

Seeing the amount of especially ‘Christmas cacti’( Schumbergera) offered in any grocery store around christmas and close behind in numbers Rhipsalidopsis before easter, I would guess they are pretty high on the list.

Another interesting question would be; how many of the cacti sold are bought by people who have a real interest in the plant, and not just sees it as a living ornament? Who will be tossed out as soon as it doesn’t look so good after a while or the home decorating trend shifts?

[One Windowsill]

The various "Holiday cacti" (Schlumbergera/Rhipsalidopsis) are fairly common, i guess?

Seeing the amount of especially ‘Christmas cacti’( Schumbergera) offered in any grocery store around christmas and close behind in numbers Rhipsalidopsis before easter, I would guess they are pretty high on the list.

Another interesting question would be; how many of the cacti sold are bought by people who have a real interest in the plant, and not just sees it as a living ornament? Who will be tossed out as soon as it doesn’t look so good after a while or the home decorating trend shifts?

This would have been my guess. Certainly the most common cactus houseplant as, though some are sold, vast numbers more are given to friends, family and vague acquaintances. So easy to grow in any home, so easy to propagate and so rewarding with the flowers.

The most common other succulent would be trickier, especially as so many more have become available. Perhaps Aloe vera?

[DaveW]

Many cacti are sold as said as the equivalent of "cut flowers" to be binned when the interest is past, hence the stuck on flowers and faces as gimmicks to sell them. Collectors are a dead loss to this trade since once they have a specimen of that species they are not in the market for another, so no repeat sale next year for that species.

The same applies with Christmas bulbs. After flowering few bother to set them in their yards or gardens to flower again the next year, but simply bin them, buying them in flower again the following year.

I did read years ago the Dutch propagate thousands of flowering Mammillaria zielmanniana as gifts for one holiday and obviously if most did not go into the bin or dumpster before long, the next year there would be no repeat sales.

[Mrs.Green]

One Windowsill; Aloe vera is a good guess but I would belive that the ‘Cowboy cactus’ ( Euphorbia trigona) as I often sees it named as, is high on the list?

[One Windowsill]

One Windowsill; Aloe vera is a good guess but I would belive that the ‘Cowboy cactus’ ( Euphorbia trigona) as I often sees it named as, is high on the list?

One to burn the skin and the other to heal it?