What Does It Mean If Someone Gives You a Cactus?

Everybody knows that flowers have symbolic meaning. Red roses, for example, symbolize romantic love, while yellow roses symbolize friendship. Even though they’re the same type of flower, they impart two very different meanings because of their color difference!

That’s why it’s important to know what kind of message a plant (or cactus) sends before you give it to someone. Could you imagine screwing up by giving your significant other or secret crush yellow roses on Valentine’s Day? Yikes! (Talk about the friend zone).

Just like flowers, cacti and succulents have their own symbolic meaning that you should know about. Today we’re going to share with you what it means if someone gives you a cactus, and what you’re saying to your loved ones when you give them this prickly succulent!

They Think You’re Strong

Cacti are strong, enduring, and tough. They’ve survived and found a way to grow in barren desert wastelands that get very little rain. Isn’t that amazing?

That’s why the cactus has come to represent endurance, tenacity and strength in the face of adversity—they survive even when it seems impossible.

If someone gives you cacti plants, they think you’re a resilient fighter. They’ve seen everything that you’ve gone through and they think that you’re a tough, strong survivor. 

Someone who can bounce back from the toughest of times.

If you’re currently going through a tough time, someone may give you a cactus to let you know that you got this! Sometimes we all forget our inner strength and feel a little defeated. But hopefully, that cactus on your shelf will serve as a reminder that you can handle whatever life throws at you!

They Care About You

Native American cultures believe that the cactus represents warmth, protection, and motherly love.

Because cacti plants can survive in harsh conditions, they’ve become a symbol of unconditional, maternal love. A mother’s love is strong and enduring just like a cactus!

Cacti plants further symbolize maternal love and care because they have medicinal qualities. Native Americans used their pulp and juice to treat wounds and digestive ailments. That’s the reason why they’ve become associated with motherly protection and TLC.

So if someone gives this plant to you, it means that they love you and care about you. What a beautiful gift! If they give you plants in these LOVE succulent and cacti planters, they get bonus points!

They Want to Protect You

Someone who gives you a cactus also wants to protect you. In Feng Shui, if you put this succulent on your terrace or windowsill, it is believed that it will protect you from negative energy and misfortune. Any bad juju that enters your home will be bounced right back out by the spikes of this cactus! Sounds like a good plant to have on hand, right?

Just remember NOT to put your new cactus near the entrance of your home—if you do, it will actually have the opposite effect and attract negativity! According to Feng Shui and it’s theory behind good energy.

If you’d like to read more about plant Feng Shui and how it can help or hurt your home’s energy balance, check out this great read, Easy Ways to Create a Home that FEELS as Good as it Looks.

They May be Attracted to You

In the West, cacti symbolize strength in the face of adversity and maternal love. Whereas receiving a flowering cactus from someone in Japan is actually a sign that they’re attracted to you!

Assigning meaning to flowers is an ancient art in Japan called Hanakotoba. Hanakotoba isn’t as popular today, but it used to be taken pretty seriously. Presenting flowers to someone wasn’t something you did lightly. Every flower had meaning and sent a clear, wordless message.

In this tradition of Hanakotoba, the cactus is associated with lust, so if you give it to somebody, you’re essentially giving them a love letter!

Most people don’t know that cacti signal attraction, though, so don’t read into it and feel embarrassed if you receive a cactus from a good friend!

ALSO READ:

• Everything You Didn’t Know About the Star Cactus—Astrophytum Asterias
• DIY Fairy Garden Ideas (Easy & Convenient)
• 3 Popular Large Succulents You Didn’t Have & Know About
• All you need to know about the Brain Cactus
• Cereus Cactus

Now that you know what giving a cactus to someone means, will you still give them as gifts?

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the differences of succulents and cacti too, there’s a lot of opinions about what makes them different but we think we nailed it down to a science.

If you’d like this read you’re going to love our full in-depth ebooks! With so many of our succulent lovers asking for more, we listened and can’t wait to share it with you here! With our very detailed ebooks, you’ll get more information than these short articles, some ebooks are 30+ pages, perfect for a weekend read.

Thanks for reading with us, if you have any questions at all maybe one of our members can help answer if for you at Succulent City Plant Lounge.

ABOUT ME

Richard Miller

Salute everyone. It's Richard, the author of this Succulent & Xeriscaping blog. I am a traveler and a nature lover looking for a connection with the wild green. In my journey, I found a love for succulents and xeriscaping. What attracts me is the long-lasting & unique beauty of every plant I have the chance to see with my own eyes. Welcome to my little blog and let's enjoy a good time together!

Contact me: richard.succulentcity@gmail.com