Can you identify this cactus?

January 11, 2016 6:37 PM

My partner desperately wants a cactus like this. It's the tentacle-like shape that he likes. Is this a particular variety of cactus, or just an unusually shaped... standard cactus? Thanks!
posted by torisaur to Science & Nature (5 answers total)

Best answer: That is a severely etoliated cactus. If you have a bigger, detailed photo of that specific specimen I might be able to narrow the species down but that cactus was not well grown (and poorly grown cacti are at much higher risk of rotting or insect/fungal diseases).
posted by vegartanipla at 6:46 PM on January 11, 2016 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Oh, and if your partner likes tentacle-shaped cacti and wants a healthy one, look into Rhipsalis species or maybe dragon fruit or other epiphytic cacti.
posted by vegartanipla at 6:51 PM on January 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Aw. There goes our vision of a sea of happy tentacle cacti :)

ETA: Thanks for the recommendations!
posted by torisaur at 6:51 PM on January 11, 2016

While not a cactus expert I love the look of what I know as Rat Tail Cactus, I don't know the scientific name. You get that tentacle look, I've always found them easy to grow & you get great flowers from them. They can almost look like a prickley jelly fish if you put them in a hanging basket so they might fill your cactus tentacle needs.
posted by wwax at 6:55 PM on January 11, 2016

There are lots of cacti/euphorbia that will form a tentacle like plant but you should only grow them if you can give them direct sun with a southern exposure. Most will dangle though rather than growing straight up and the ones that grow straight up won't indoors because they will grow towards the window.

My indoor recommendation is always haworthia - there are lots of different forms and some from sprawling tentacle like arrangements like Haworthia reinwardtii or Haworthia coarctata.

However I suspect the tapering form is what you are after and as has been pointed out that is product of low light and too much water and it will usually kill the plant eventually.
posted by srboisvert at 7:09 PM on January 11, 2016 [1 favorite]