68 Cactus Landscaping Ideas That Will Inspire You

Landscaping with cactus and succulents evokes a unique style. There are so many different colors, textures, shapes, and sizes in the cactus and succulent world. Use this to your advantage in designing your landscape. Full sun and good drainage are necessary for this landscape.

Place rocks of different sizes in your landscape to create the perfect environment for these plants. Companion plants will bring out the natural beauty of your cacti and succulents. It's not necessary to plant your cactus or succulent a certain width apart; it's up to you to create the look you want.

Check out the photos below to gather some cactus and succulent landscaping ideas!

1. High Volume and Size

A serene desert scene at dusk with tall, slender saguaro cacti and flowering barrel cacti amid smaller succulents, under a sky painted with sunset hues and scattered clouds ar 3:4

Big and bold is quite the look. If you have the space in your plantable area, try using high volume plants to fill in space and create a show of color and texture. It certainly demands the attention of the eye.

2. Tropical Succulents

A vibrant tropical garden path flanked by lush agaves, flowering aloe plants with red and pink blooms, and tall, slender trees, all amidst a variety of textured greenery ar 3:4

Succulents and tropical plants are a beautiful way to liven up a space. Planting multiples of each variety helps fill in the space and make it look more dramatic.

3. Intrigue with Cactus Shape

An oasis-like landscape features tall cacti and prickly pear bushes in the foreground with a backdrop of swaying palm trees against a clear blue sky, complementing the white architecture of a resort ar 3:4

Since cacti come in so many shapes, it's easy to use their unique attributes to bring character to any region. This cactus resembles a candelabra, adding even more intrigue to the area in which it was planted.

4. Succulents in a Moss Garden

Planting succulents into a bed of moss softens their features and illuminates their vibrant colors. The moss also helps to keep the succulents watered due to their ability to retain a lot of water. The succulents get enough water and won't rot.

5. Diversity in Succulent Planters

Variation of flower pots with succulents in garden

With how much diversity succulents offer, it's a fun addition to plant them into a variety of different planters to bring forth even more variety. If you have a short wall along your house or garden, try adding some potted succulents to the top of it.

6. Mini Cacti

A detailed view of a succulent garden, where various cacti with spikes and bright colors are interspersed with smooth, rounded river stones under soft lighting ar 3:4

If you have a small area where you can plant, place a handful of mini cacti in the area. Small but mighty.

7. Deep Texture and Color with the Bunny Ear

The Bunny Ear cactus has beautiful, deep green hues that are speckled by small, white spines. This cactus is sure to enhance any landscape.

8. Size and Number

A desert landscape under a blue sky with wispy clouds, showcasing a towering saguaro cactus, a dense clump of prickly pear cacti, and a lush, feathery tree with orange foliage ar 3:4

If you have large trees or plants, feature a cluster of large cactus next to it.

9. Succulent and Cactus Combination

A succulent garden path adorned with large agave plants, spiny cacti, and clusters of bright red and yellow flowers, framed by smooth white pebbles and a central rugged stone ar 3:4

These two hardy plants will play off each other's colors and textures for a stunning display.

10. Pops of Color

An overhead view of small, vibrant red and orange cacti with yellow tips, potted in black soil, creating a colorful pattern ar 3:4

The Ruby Ball cactus adds a stunning pop of color that will have you in disbelief. It's amazing that colors like this express themselves in nature. They only require deep watering every once in a while then become very drought tolerant.

11. Barrel Cactus in a Bed of Succulents

A lush and colorful desert garden, with striking blue fan palms, vibrant orange and pink flowering cacti, and a foreground of yellow blooms, all thriving under a bright, clear sky ar 3:4

Succulent plants fill in the space nicely in between your landscape features.

12. Seashell Planters

Succulents with varied hues, including red and green, planted in a decorative, shell-shaped pot on a wooden surface ar 3:4

Succulents look incredible and are showcased very well in planters. Seashell planters such as this one give the plants a coastal vibe.

13. Overflowing Succulent Planters

An arrangement of succulents in a pot, featuring large rosette-shaped echeverias, surrounded by smaller green succulents, with delicate pink-tipped trailing plants spilling over the edge ar 3:4

Giant succulents look amazing and serve as an excellent centerpiece. Plant smaller succulents around it and other spilling plants to create beautiful texture.

14. Desert Landscape

A desert garden scene with golden barrel cacti and spiky yuccas in sandy soil, complemented by tall, slender cacti and a tree with red blooms in the background, under a clear blue sky ar 3:4

Bring in some large boulders to help produce the natural topography of these plants.

15. Base of a Windmill

The barrel cactus is an excellent addition to any region.

16. Cactus Garden

The short height of the Agave (looks like an artichoke) and the Barrel Cactus are a great complement to the tall Saguaro cactus.

17. Color Variety

A vibrant succulent garden with towering orange aloe blooms, amidst a variety of green and purple succulents scattered across a red gravel bed, with palm trunks in the soft-focus background ar 3:4

You won't have a shortage of color in your desert landscape with your use of succulents. Red lava rock helps pull out these natural colors, too.

18. Luscious Greens

A diverse succulent bed with bright green yucca leaves, a large silvery-blue agave, and lime-green feathery plants, contrasting against dark soil and grey pebbles ar 3:4

The shades of green of your different plants pack a punch.

19. Garden Accents

An enchanting assortment of succulents and flowers, featuring deep red aeoniums, a pale blue echeveria, and bright yellow daisies, all nestled in colorful pots with a decorative turtle figurine on top ar 3:4

A great way to supplement the beauty of your garden plants is by adding garden features, such as colorful planters and garden animal statues. Placing items such as those in your garden helps tell a story.

20. Lush Succulents for Erosion Control

A lush succulent garden slopes with various large agaves and an abundance of green and red-tipped succulents, interspersed with delicate ground cover, creating a tapestry of textures and colors ar 3:4

Planting beautiful, luscious succulents such as these will enhance your landscape while also helping to prevent erosion. Because of their drought tolerance, succulents are perfect for low-maintenance and low-water regions.

21. Saguaro Cactus and its Complements

Staging of cactus in rock garden on blue sky background

Talk about designing a striking desert landscape! Incorporate lots of colors, textures, and sizes to produce a truly eye-catching landscape.

22. Spacious Desert Scape

A desert garden scene with towering saguaro cacti and robust barrel cacti surrounded by vibrant red flowering shrubs under a clear blue sky ar 3:4

Evenly spacing out your plants provides symmetry in the landscape.

23. Planter Succulents

A terracotta pot overflows with a variety of succulents, including rosette-shaped echeverias and sedums, displaying a rich palette of green, blue, and purple tones with some pebbles scattered on the soil ar 3:4

Build a mini landscape by planting succulents in a large pot.

24. Lined Walkway or Driveway

A winding pathway through a sunlit garden with towering palms and yuccas, casting dramatic shadows across the walkway, inviting a peaceful stroll amidst the desert flora ar 3:4

If you have a wide path or driveway, use the space to your advantage. Lining areas such as these have been a classic look for a long time.

25. Cactus Forest

A tranquil desert landscape with a variety of cacti, including towering saguaros and organ pipe cacti, overlooking a serene pond with water lilies, set against a backdrop of distant mountains under a clear blue sky ar 3:4

The height of this group of cacti gives them an appearance like a forest, stretching toward the sky.

26. Base of Mountain Display

A landscaped desert garden path meanders through an array of cacti, including tall saguaros and blooming agaves, bordered by rocks and with lush greenery and palm trees in the background ar 3:4

If you don't want to fully landscape an entire area, consider using a combination of crushed gravel, river rocks (to be used as a wash in the rainy season), and grass for a section of your yard. This design is low maintenance, but beautiful.

27. Saguaro Region

A striking desert landscape displays a tall saguaro cactus with multiple arms, flanked by golden barrel cacti and a prickly pear, against a backdrop of a tree with yellow blossoms under a hazy sky ar 3:4

The Saguaro cactus is a loved cactus, so let it be the center of attention in your landscape. Its shape is one of the most recognizable, so use complementary plants to surround it and help make it the focal point.

28. Patterned Landscape

A meticulously designed garden bed features a large agave centerpiece surrounded by geometric patterns of white and pink flowers, contrasting with lush green shrubbery and succulents, bordered by a neatly trimmed hedge ar 3:4

Combining many different plants and elements is dazzling. Designs like this one utilize all sorts of plants: shrubs, florals, grass, succulents, and cacti. This space is zen-inspired because of its consistent pattern.

29. Rock Garden Features

An aerial view of a garden with large, star-shaped agave plants at the intersections of gravel pathways, accented by clusters of white flowering shrubs and various greenery ar 3:4

Create garden beds with varying heights. Add different colors of crushed gravel to each one. Then, position plants of various types into each space. Pay careful attention to produce harmony with all the colors that you choose.

30. Greenhouse Thrivers

Inside a greenhouse, a variety of cacti and tropical plants reach towards the translucent ceiling panels, with a tree trunk prominently displayed in the foreground adorned with climbing foliage ar 3:4

If you have a greenhouse, why not place your succulent plants inside it? This setup definitely has a unique aesthetic.

31. Rock Garden and Pathways

It's amazing how plants and natural elements can form intricate and intriguing patterns. You'll have a jaw-dropping effect when you design your space like this one. Clean lines and defined spaces.

Here's a post on the types of edging for gardens.

32. Cactus Diversity

A diverse cactus garden, with an array of shapes and sizes, from tall columnar cacti to spherical barrel cacti and flat prickly pears, thriving in a sandy landscape with scattered rocks and a weeping willow in the background ar 3:4

There are countless varieties of cactus available for purchase. Choose from a profuse selection in order to create a stunning landscape.

33. Rock Garden

In a desert garden, various cacti and succulents including pointed agave plants and spherical cacti are arranged among pebbles and rocks, creating a textured and diverse xeriscape ar 3:4

The white gravel rocks create a stark contrast to the vibrant green hues of these succulents and cacti.

34. Desert Mountain Landscape

Tall saguaro cacti and prickly pears dot a rocky hillside under a clear blue sky, showcasing the rugged beauty of a desert landscape ar 3:4

Use the topography to your advantage whenever you design your landscape. Take advantage of the natural slopes and rocks of your area. With space like this, you can enjoy it from all different angles.

35. Coastal Beauties

Exotic cactus garden in a village ar 3:4

What better way to complement your coastal view than by a garden full of cacti and succulents? Stunning view after stunning view!

36. Abundance of Barrel Cacti

A group of large, spherical, yellow-spined cacti clustered on dark pebble soil, basking under bright sunlight ar 3:4

Interestingly, the barrel cactus grows leaning toward the southwest. This striking cactus adds a bunch of rich texture to your landscape.

37. A Perfect Desert Home Landscape

A southwestern-style home with a terracotta roof is complemented by a desert landscaped yard, featuring a tall saguaro, variegated yuccas, and flowering red shrubs under a vibrant blue sky ar 3:4

The perfect way to complement your southwest-inspired home is through its landscape elements. Using cacti and other drought-tolerant trees, shrubs, and plants is the best option for these regions. The long, slender Ocotillo is intriguing with its collection of spiny stems - use this as a featured element in your landscape.

38. Small but Mighty Succulents

A golden barrel cactus takes center stage among a variety of succulents, including agave and echeveria, all thriving in a sandy desert garden with sun-dappled lighting ar 3:4

Much like camels, succulents store water within themselves, making them very water-efficient. This feature also contributes to giving them their dense, robust appearance.

39. Drought Tolerant Plants

In this desert garden, a variety of cacti and succulents, including the prominent golden barrel cactus, yucca, and agave plants, are interspersed with rocks, showcasing their different textures and forms ar 3:4

Drought tolerance is key in your cactus and succulent landscape. Strategically place drought tolerant plants in areas that don't have efficient irrigation. Use the varying sizes to your design advantage.

40. Complementary Hues

A vibrant desert landscape flourishes with a variety of cacti, including tall saguaros, blue agaves, and purple prickly pears, complemented by colorful flowers and set against a backdrop of gentle hills under a clear sky ar 3:4

Making use of complementary hues brings out the full texture and look of your plants.

41. Beauties for Side Gardens

A diverse cactus garden with tall columnar cacti and sprawling ones against a stone wall and under a curved architectural feature ar 3:4

Giant Saguaro cacti and Prickly Pears add depth and character to surrounding buildings.

42. Vibrant Succulents and Blooms

A lush vertical garden with a variety of plants including vibrant red and orange flowers, large pastel-hued dahlias, and rosette-shaped succulents, all set against a textured white wall and arranged in white rectangular planters ar 3:4

Check out the gorgeous array of multi-colored blooms and succulent foliage. Incorporate different types of plants for a powerful display.

43. Interesting Shapes and Colors

A tapestry of succulents with a stunning array of shapes and colors, featuring prominent, large rosettes in shades of green, purple, and blue, with smaller, intricately layered succulents filling the spaces in between ar 3:4

Succulents of the Chick and Hen variety easily reproduce, so you can quickly fill your landscape with their variety.

44. All Different Sizes

The hues and patterns of these succulents almost look fake because of their crisp beauty. A few plants like these will be a great addition to any garden.

45. A Succulent to Fit your Vision

Enjoy long-lasting color and texture when you choose to landscape with succulents. The succulent family is full of color and diversity!

46. Low Maintenance Plants

A serene desert garden pathway flanked by an assortment of cacti, including tall, slender organ pipe cacti, golden barrel cacti with their rounded forms, and various columnar cacti, all under a clear blue sky ar 3:4

In a desert landscape, you can plant a plethora of different plants to create an interesting display. All types of colors and textures are breathtaking.

47. Line your Walkway

A winding stone pathway through a desert garden, lined with a diverse array of cacti and succulents including tall, blue-green agaves and spiky, spherical golden barrel cacti, set against a backdrop of lush greenery under a bright sky ar 3:4

Help maintain a well-manicured landscape by placing a walkway through it.

48. Mixed Elements

An assortment of potted succulents and cacti with varied textures and forms, ranging from spiny to smooth and rosette-shaped, in terracotta pots amidst rocks on a granular soil ground ar 3:4

Viewers won't get bored whenever you plant a wide variety of cacti and succulents, along with small garden decorations.

49. Xeriscaping

A suburban home with a xeriscaped front yard featuring a large blue agave plant as the centerpiece, surrounded by smaller succulents and cacti set in a bed of red gravel, under a clear sky ar 3:4

Xeriscaping is a landscape design that requires little to no irrigation and is very easy to maintain. Take advantage of your native, drought-resistant plants.

50. Dynamic Desert Designs

A cactus-lined path with rounded, spiky specimens on either side, leading through a garden with varied desert flora ar 3:4

Use the natural movements of your planted cactus to your advantage. The way that they naturally warp will look like a piece of art.

51. Spreading Cactus

A cluster of round cacti with bright pink blooms takes center stage among a sandy terrain dotted with various green succulents and tall, slender cacti, accented by scattered boulders ar 3:4

The spreading capability of this cactus allows it to take up more space in our landscape.

52. Desert Pathway

A meandering dirt path leads through a diverse desert garden filled with a variety of cacti, including tall columnar cacti and spherical golden barrel cacti, complemented by rocks and desert flora under a sunny sky ar 3:4

If you create a path wide enough, you can enjoy viewing your cactus landscape via bike ride. Giving the path-flowing movement will encourage spectators to continue down it.

53. Desert Beds

A vibrant cactus garden with a variety of species, such as tall saguaros and spiny barrel cacti, unfolds along a winding path with a backdrop of a red and orange hued volcanic hill under a blue sky with wispy clouds ar 3:4

A display such as this one will require minimal maintenance and watering. It will supplement the surrounding region.

54. Desert Landscaping Ideas

A desert landscape featuring spherical cacti in the foreground and tall, slender cacti amid yuccas under a blue sky ar 3:4

Plant shorter and taller varieties next to each other in order to create a complementary look.

55. Complement your Topography

A mound of pincushion cacti with delicate pink blossoms, set against a landscape with palm trees and a clear sky ar 3:4

A sweeping hill is a perfect place to plant your cactus. Their shallow root systems will thrive in this environment.

56. Lose the Lawn

A vibrant cactus garden with diverse species, including tall green cacti with yellow fruit and barrel cacti with pink flowers ar 3:4

Lose the grass and embrace the gravel! Gravel is key for the success of your cactus landscape.

57. Color is Key

A rich collection of cacti basking in sunlight, featuring tall, slender cacti, large round barrel cacti with golden spines, and smaller cacti with budding pink flowers, all set amidst a rocky terrain ar 3:4

It's amazing how much color a cactus can provide, given how little water it requires. Combine different cactus varieties to enjoy an amazing show of color and texture.

58. Southwestern Flair

A close-up of a vibrant cactus garden shows a cluster of barrel cacti with radiant yellow and white spines among a bed of small brown stones, with tall green cacti and prickly pear cacti in the background ar 3:4

Evoke the Southwestern feeling with gorgeous, bright cacti.

59. Potted Micro Gardens

A terracotta pot cradles a collection of succulents with varied textures, from spiky to smooth, surrounded by a bed of polished white pebbles, with a backdrop of lush green plants with variegated leaves ar 3:4

Combine a collection of potted succulents and mini cacti into one space or container to manufacture a dramatic effect.

60. The Wonders of Cacti

A lush cactus garden with an array of barrel and columnar cacti, featuring dense spines, set against a backdrop of a green pergola and palm trees ar 3:4

The versatility of the cactus makes it possible for it to be incorporated into your landscape nearly anywhere.

61. Raised Beds

An evening scene captures golden light illuminating a group of spherical, spiny cacti and tall, slender ones, with an adobe wall and a small, arched alcove in the background, giving the plants a warm, glowing appearance ar 3:4

Raised beds are an excellent option for showing off your cactus landscape. It's a sure way to emphasize the interesting shapes that each plant can form. Install a light fixture above the bed for added enhancement.

62. Take Creative Liberty

A diverse desert garden featuring an array of cacti and succulents, including tall, green columnar cacti, spiky barrel cacti, and broad-leafed agaves, with a backdrop of lush, feather-like shrubs, all nestled among a rocky ground ar 3:4

Use your creative liberty whenever you plant your preferred cacti and succulents. Utilize every nook and cranny in your landscape and fill it with beautiful plants. Using the natural elements that are already in the space will help enhance the look.

63. Eye-catching Shapes and Textures

An overhead view of a desert landscape showcases a variety of cacti and succulents with striking yellow spines and green fleshy leaves, interspersed with smooth stones on sandy soil ar 3:4

Allow your cacti and succulents to spread on their own to induce a natural flow and appearance in the landscape.

64. Bougainvillea Blooms

Partner a prickly pear cactus with the vibrant blooms of a Bougainvillea plant. The textures of these two plants will look wonderful in your landscape.

65. Desert Hues

A succulent garden with clusters of pale green plants spread over rocky soil, interspersed with round, spiny cacti ar 3:4

The hues of this succulent plant complement the desert landscape. Though they blend in with the landscape, it's a beautiful addition.

66. Fill in your Wide Open Spaces

A desert garden landscape showcases a variety of cacti, including barrel and agave, with tall palm trees rising in the background, complementing a stucco villa under a clear blue sky ar 3:4

If you have a vast space to fill, consider using large cacti to take up space. Enjoy the stretch of land without over-planting it.

67. Bold Statements

A vibrant cactus garden with golden barrel cacti in the foreground and a variety of tall, slim columnar cacti, complemented by lush green trees in the background under a clear blue sky ar 3:4

If you feel overwhelmed with knowing how many and which plants to plant, you can never go wrong with using larger cacti. Together, they'll make a striking centerpiece.

68. Poolside Perfection in a Desert Oasis

An oasis-like setting with a clear blue swimming pool reflecting tall palm trees and desert mountains, flanked by various cacti and agaves, under a bright blue sky ar 3:4

Create a poolside oasis when you utilize cacti and succulents in your landscape. You'll feel transported into another world surrounded by plants like these!

2 Comments

Brian Dressler

January 6, 2024 / 12:40 pm Reply

Absolutely gorgeous perfect just what I was looking for because with God‘s help I am going to buy a large farm here in Antioquia Columbia and I’m going to put Glamping right now. The farm has lots of pine trees and things that aren’t really that good looking and I want to plant tall, palms, short palms, and mixing all the succulents and cacti and the rockscape like you have these pictures. Thank you so much for allowing us to see this at no charge, I’m already an interior designer, which makes me kind of an exterior designer also but I was concerned about losing all the grass and things that are retaining the water from eroding down the hill because it’s a very steep backyard and this helped me because I saw a lot of good examples of how succulents and spreading cacti can do the same thing that the ugly grass and the corn growing And just the weediness or whatever and it’s wonderful because it’s spring time here 52° at night 76° every day all year round so I’m going to have a ball. Thank you so much I appreciate that if you would like to look at some of my graphic art design, you can go here I put my art on American mah-jongg sets.
Rachel Romano

September 30, 2024 / 11:52 pm Reply

Love all the photos!