How Do Cacti Get Water? Know How Your Cactus Plants Survive!

Life in the desert can be pretty tough, be it for any plants or animals.

A cactus is a member of the Cactaceae plant family. They are one of the coolest plants on earth and the ultimate boss of the desert with their cool adaptations and crazy tricks hid up their stem.

The cactus plant is a succulent type of plant. They belong to the extremely dry areas of the earth. Various species of cacti are found in various desert parts of the world, like in America, Australia, or African deserts and many more, though they were originally native to America.

There are also some species of cacti that are found in humid, rainforest-like areas. Cactuses do their photosynthesis in their stem only as most of them lack leaves.

They also produce flowers that look very colorful and beautiful in the blank canvas of the desert. The color of the flowers ranges from white to yellow or red. The flowers are usually pollinated by birds and insects, such as bees.

Did you know that the Saguaro cactus, which is a cactus species native to the North American Sonoran Desert of California, and Arizona and also found in some parts of Mexican Deserts, is the biggest cactus in the whole world?

Its growth rate can be up to 40-60 ft (12-18 m) tall and its weights vary between 3200-4800 lb (1451-2177 kg), after full hydration.

If you like this article about how your cactus plants survive, then make sure to check out our other articles on how do water slides workandfun facts about water.

How do cacti store water?

Cacti survive by storing water in their stems and branches. A cactus does its photosynthesis through its stems and branches because all of its leaves have been turned into spines through adaptation.

During that evolution, the cactus stem went through various modifications that gave the cacti more water-storing capabilities. The inside of a cactus is divided into two sections; the inner cells for water-storing and the outer layer with chloroplasts for photosynthesis.

(Photosynthesis is a process in which a plant collects carbon dioxide from the air and then with the help of sunlight and water, turns it into food and oxygen.)

The outer layer absorbs carbon dioxide and the inner succulent layers stores water in several water-storage cells. These cells have thin, flexible walls that can contract or shrink rapidly for the ease of transferring the water in and out of the cells quickly.

Cacti are primarily desert plants. It has a very long chain of root systems that go deep into arid regions in search of water. And once it collects those groundwaters through its roots, then it is time to store them. The stems of cacti are actually where 90% of the plant's water is stored. 

The cacti's waxy skin on the stems helps a lot in storing water for the cacti. In the dry desert environment, cacti survive by locking their watertight in their thick and waxy skin and not allowing any water to evaporate.

A cactus can live for almost two years without any water in the desert. A saguaro cactus, which is the world's biggest cactus, can soak up and store rainwater up to 200 gal (757 l) in a good downpour.

Adaptations Of Cacti To Store Water

Water loss for any cactus plant is its main issue. To not lose such precious water, cactuses have literally turned their leaves into spines.

So it would not lose water unnecessarily anymore. Cactuses are the ultimate definition of the 'improvise, adapt, and overcome' mentality in the plant world. In those hostile, dry, arid regions cacti have not only survived but thrived, by some marvelous adaptation done in their bodies.

The waxy outer layer of a cactus plant stem protect the water inside from evaporating during the daytime desert heat. Cacti stems color ranges from deep green to brownish green, due to high amounts of chlorophyll in them.

The leaf of a cactus has also evolved to be spines to conserve water in the desert area, where it does not rain very much. Those prickly spines also come in handy in keeping animals of many kinds at bay.

Cacti get their water from digging deep in the soil with its strong and lengthy roots. Cacti also collect water at night. Nighttime dews, air moisture, fogs, and any other water condensation in their surroundings are their secondary source of water supply.

How does a cactus absorb water?

Although most cacti are found in desert areas, there are a few types of cacti that can be found in rainforest areas too.

Watering these different types of cacti without knowing their background can seem challenging to anyone new to the plant-parenting world, but doing a quick google search or asking the local greenhouse about the type of your cacti can be very helpful.

Desert-cacti should always be slowly watered from the ground level. Spray-watering or misting the plant is not advisable, because in their natural habitat, aka the desert, they don't get their water from the air-moisture around them.

Deep watering the cactus's soil one day per week is enough.

On the flip side, you can spray or mist water all over a rain forest-cacti, because their main source of water is the moisture around them. They also have really shallow root systems compared to desert cacti.

Cacti are very low-maintenance plants for humans. You should always keep them in a bright, sunny, and airy area and water them in moderation, for example, once a week. On the other hand, cactus rot is very common to new plant parents. It is caused by none other than over-watering.

Cacti can conserve their water for a long time. They survive with literally no water for months in the desert. The average life span of a cactus is almost ten years or more.

Roots Of Cacti

Cacti are made up of thick, juicy, and waxy-skinned stems. The root system of cacti is very unique and interesting.

Due to adaptation, they have really strong root systems that go in deep in the ground in search of water. They have widespread and various types of roots for very different purposes.

Cactus roots are long and they grow to be almost 3 ft (91.44 cm) deep into the ground. Cactus roots also grow laterally, which means that most of the roots, branch off from the primary root in search of water in every possible direction.

Most cacti have some short-length roots that are close to the ground as well. When it rains, those roots quickly absorb water from the surface before they evaporate in the desert heat.

Do you want to drink water from your cactus? Because cactus water is safe to drink in moderation if you ever get lost in a desert or just want to try something new at home.

Here is a fun way on how to drink cactus water. First, cut any of the branches from your cactus. Then, carefully cut out all the thorns and peel off its skin and scoop the meat into a bowl.

After that, wrap the meat in a clean cloth, and wring it directly over your mouth. For a safer option, you can boil the extracted gooey cactus pulp with hot water and then drink it.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how do cacti get water, know how your cactus plants survive, then why not take a look at ancient Egypt for kids, ancient world facts for curious kids or 17 curious Gettysburg facts that will amaze you?