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Beautiful Blooms

REDA & CO/GETTY IMAGES

A cactus is a flowering plant. This means it can bloom when it reaches maturity. Some cactuses can take 70 years or longer to begin blooming. Others sprout flowers only under special conditions and care. Most cactuses bloom in the spring. More rain means more flowers.

Hybrid torch cactus

ED RESCHKE—GETTY IMAGES

Fishhook barrel cactus

CRAIG K LORENZ—GETTY IMAGES

Cactus blooms can be beautiful. Flowers on the prickly plants are big and brightly colored. On some cactuses, flowers are a rare sight. That’s because some plants blossom for only a few hours or a single day. Others bloom only at night. Those plants are pollinated by bats or moths.