Origin and distribution factors of cactus

   most people are familiar with the species of cactus, but they don't know much about its origin. In fact, most of the cacti are native to America. It is widely distributed in North and South America, from Canada to Patagonia in Argentina. They have gradually adapted to different climate and soil types. Cacti have become a local scene in some areas, while in others they grow only on rocks or stony slopes.

The picture shows the Mexican cactus tree.

   first of all, climatic conditions are the most important factor that determines whether cactus can grow in a large area. The most intuitive description of local climatic conditions is the botanist Walter's climatic zone distribution chart. Walter and Ritter (

The climatic conditions of several major places of origin of cactus were compared in the world climate chart.

   these climate charts record monthly temperature and precipitation in a curve. Through the trend of the two curves, one can clearly see the change between the early dry season and the wet season. The annual average temperature and annual precipitation are not very important, because the distribution of temperature and precipitation varies greatly from month to month. On the contrary, the timing of frost can indicate the severity of the living environment in winter, so it is very important. Similarly, the measured absolute low temperature is also an important parameter.

In order to make a clear comparison between the climate map of the Southern Hemisphere and this one,    also places the warmest seasons in the middle of the chart, so the beginning of the month in the climate map of the Southern Hemisphere is not January, but July.

Many of the cactus cultivated by    cactus enthusiasts come from very different climatic zones. As long as people provide them with living conditions roughly similar to their place of origin, the vast majority of them can grow strong, because the vast majority of cacti come from one of the following six climates. However, it is difficult to cultivate the species that cannot be included in the six major climate types, such as the lithophytic species of North America.

   in the next article, the author will give a brief introduction to the vegetation and climatic conditions of several major cactus origin. The climate of the country of origin should be of great inspiration to the growers. However, as the soils vary greatly from place to place, we are not going to repeat them here.

   recommended articles:

Detailed explanation of leaves and roots of    cactus

Formation of Young Stem of    Cactus

External structure and morphology of    cactus

An outline of the evolution of    "living fossil" cactus

The reproduction mode of    cactus