A fabulous and freaky plant which we will forever be in love with. Cleistocactus is a genus of flowering cacti native to the mountainous regions of South America. There are many species which grow upwards, creating fluffy towers which feel somewhat anthropomorphic, and some which crawl along the floor before growing upwards. But the most wonderful of them all (and perhaps the hardest to get a hold of) is the trailing variety - the Monkey Tail Cactus.

The Monkey Tail is endemic to Bolivia, but we sourced ours from just down the road, where they've been grown from seed by the wonderful folks at Southfield Nurseries. There, they are given consistent bright light, lots of warmth and a heavy watering when the soil is completely dry. We recommend, when caring for them in your home, replicate this, but boost the light to give your Cleisto direct sun for at least 3-4 hours a day. Where they grow natively, they are used to a little bit of humidity, but don't worry about sticking this in a drier spot in your home. Feed in the Spring and Summer, and repot roughly every 2 years. 

If you love collecting cacti then this is obviously a must have plant. However, this is one of those really special plants that everyone should have a go at growing. If you typically don't love the spiky ones, we dare you to give this a go and not fall in love with it!