Look sharp

These hard-to-handle jungle and desert cacti make the most eye-catching houseplants

- DIARMUID GAVIN

CACTI are very popular houseplants due to their distinctive appearance and ease of care. Their ability to store water in their thick stems allows them to survive in their natural habitat as well as in our centrally heated homes. There are many different kinds of cacti but they are best divided into two groups - desert and jungle.

Desert varieties hail from some of the driest places on the planet and have adapted to life in the sand. They have no leaves, just little spines that can catch tiny droplets of moisture from the air, protect the plant from predators and provide a little shade.