Stats

Lifespan

10-20+ yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Tropical rainforest

Range

South America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Spines

Status

Vulnerable

About

The Easter Cactus, native to the arid regions of southern Mexico and Central America, is a unique cactus species that can live for decades by storing water in its thick, fleshy stems. It is well known for its ability to bloom in the spring, but only once every few years, and it does so by releasing thousands of tiny, bright red flowers from its branches.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Caryophyllales

Family

Cactaceae

Genus

Rhipsalidopsis

Species

Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri