How to Identify Cactus With White Flowers

Cactus plants are native to the Americas and grow throughout the western and southwestern United States, as far north as Utah and Idaho. The plant has adapted to survive in rough, inhospitable terrain with poor soil and little water and is leafless, with swollen stems and spines. Over 2,000 species exist. All of them produce blossoms and fruit, but only two--saguaro and organ pipe cactus--produce white flowers. Cacti make attractive (if thorny) landscape plants in warm, dry climates and provide habitats and food for birds and wildlife. Grow miniature varieties as houseplants.

Cactus Flowers Bloom?

Many cactus plants have a sculptural quality to them. Bloom colors range from dazzling white to everything but true blue and black. You'll often see several colors in the same flower. After resting all winter and experiencing spring rain, many cactus bloom in the spring months. Even if rains are sparse, cactus draw upon their stored water to flower, but not as abundantly. Cactus that flower in summer's heat are generally substantial specimens that have stored a significant amount of water. The saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), which reaches 30 to 50 feet tall, flowers in mid-May to mid-June when temperatures in its native Sonoran Desert regularly surpass 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant features many waxy-petaled flowers that encircle branch ends. It produces yellow blooms. This cactus needs frost protection in USDA zone 9 and is hardy in zones 10 and 11. Night blooming cereus (Hylocereus undatus) displays another large moth-pollinated white flower. The familiar Christmas cactus announces its season of bloom through its common name.