8 Places to Feed Your Cactus Craze
We are mystified by most of the things that go viral these days, from avocado toast and Stranger Things to unicorn hair. But one trend we totally ‘get’ is the Internet’s love for all things cacti—the plants themselves, of course, but also the paraphernalia. Why? There’s just something about the prickly specimans that transports us to dreamy desert locales as close to home as Arizona and Texas, and as far away as Spain and Monaco. In case you were wondering just how cactus crazy we really are, we’ve rounded up a list of places around the world to get your xerophytic fix, from museums and nurseries to boutique stores and dedicated gardens.
Moorten Botanical Garden, Palm Springs
This Palm Springs greenhouse is only an acre is size but contains more than 3,000 species of cacti and other desert-adapted plants. Also on offer: colored rocks, sparkling crystals, pioneer and mining relics, and tortoises. It wouldn’t be Palm Springs without a little kitsch!
Photos courtesy of Kaktus København
Kaktus København, Copenhagen
A local Danish grower, affectionately nicknamed “Cactus Man,” sources the 150-plus different species of cacti and succulents on display at this trendy concept store in Copenhagen. The shop also sells gorgeous handmade pottery perfect for showcasing your new botanical in.
Exotic Garden of Monaco
This dramatic garden is built into the side of a cliff overlooking the sparkling bay of Monaco. Besides the gorgeous coastal scenery, the garden’s big draw is the maturity of the more than 1,000 specimans on display, many of which came from a collection which was started in 1895.
Photos by Andy J. Scott
Cactus Store, Los Angeles
You’ll be blown away by the sheer amount of inventory at this tiny Echo Park storefront known informally as “the Cactus Store”—a 200-square foot spot with 450-plus rare and exotic cacti in terra-cotta pots. Heed our warning and don’t try to go on the weekend: the store is extremely popular among Instagram-taking millennials.
Getty Center Cactus Garden
The Richard Meier-designed Getty Center is an architectural wonder housing spectacular works of art ranging from 19th-century America photography and pre-20th century European paintings to modern sculpture. After browsing the art, be sure to make your way to the museum’s cactus garden at the South Promontory, which looks out over the city sprawl and 405 freeway. The garden is maintained by 32 full-time employees, which should give you an idea of just how stunning and impeccably maintained it is.
Photos by Jon Devo
Prick, London
Prick is London’s first boutique exclusively dedicated to cacti and other succulents. This is a must-stop for the cactus collector; the store offers an array of cactus sizes in all sorts of geometric forms.
Photos by Miguel de Guzmán & Rocío Romero, Imagen Subliminal
Desert City, Madrid
This cactus garden, the largest in all of Europe, was transformed from a former industrial wasteland into a biotechnology nursey by a local firm GarciaGerman Arquitectos. Conceived as an initiative to educate the public about the ecological and aesthetic benefits of xerophytes (that is, plants that require little water to survive), it is 54,000 square feet of experimental botanical gardens offering more than 400 xerophytic species.
Photos courtesy of CACT Lanzarote
Jardín de Cactus, Lanzarote
What makes Jardín de Cactus special is its surreal, volcanic landscape of red rocks, black soil, and ash monoliths—an otherworldly setting against which 1,100 species of vividly-hued cacti pop. After getting your ‘Gram, stop for a drink at the garden’s stunning bar and café.
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