It happens all the time in the animal kingdom. We swoon at the site of squirmy pot-bellied puppies, adorable little kittens and fuzzy doe-eyed baby seals. Sure, if you’re cute and fluffy everyone loves you; but what about the less attractive and even downright scary looking creatures? You know the ones that slither and crawl or dress in scales instead of the preferred coat of soft, downy fur. Nope, there are no telethons or fundraisers to save one of these creepy crawlers. 

And so, I guess it’s pretty much the same story in the plant world. Everyone loves a pretty potted daisy or colorful bouquets of tulips. Even the rose, despite its prickly thorns, has managed to become the symbol of love and adoration. But there’s one plant that continues to fight for our love: the tenacious little cactus. This underappreciated member of the plant world often gets a bad rap for its rugged outward appearance. 

But perhaps all the cactus needs is a bit of understanding. They can’t help their rough and tumble exterior. Just consider where they come from. In their neighborhood, you’ve got to be tough to survive. Competition is fierce, water is scarce, and there’s no escaping the sun’s blazing hot glare. What water there is, you’ve got to work hard to find and fight to hold on to. Who wouldn’t develop a thick skin and sharp spines when there’s always some thirsty predator lurking around, just waiting to use you as a living drinking fountain? Yeah, this would make anyone a touch grumpy. And yet, despite all of these challenges the cactus endures and even flourishes. That’s a pretty impressive accomplishment.  

This plant’s spunkiness should propel it to the top of everyone’s list of favorites. Next time you’re in the market of a great gift idea for gardening challenged friends or family, consider the humble cactus. They are readily available at most plant or home improvement retailer. All it requires is a sunny spot to hang out and a drink of water every now and then. That’s not much to ask for, right? So come on, give them a chance. And under the right conditions, you might even be reward with a gorgeous flower or two. If you still aren’t convinced that a cactus is the plant for you, than one of the many varieties of succulents may be the way to go. You get the same low-maintenance plant without the prickly thorns.

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