cactus

/ˈkæktəs/noun

A plant belonging to a family of spiny, water-storing succulents native to the Americas and adapted to hot, dry regions.

Example sentences

“The only plant on her desk is a small cactus that rarely needs watering.”
“The giant cactus outside our hotel in Arizona was taller than the roof.”

Both plurals are accepted: "cacti" keeps the Latin, "cactuses" follows normal English. Cacti is more common in print.

Related words

mushroomThe soft, fleshy part of a fungus that grows above the ground or on rotting wood, often shaped like a small umbrella.sunflowerA tall plant of the genus Helianthus with a large round flower head ringed by yellow petals.pineconeThe cone-shaped part of a pine tree that holds its seeds.wildflowerA flowering plant that grows on its own in the wild rather than being planted.harvestThe time or activity of gathering crops once they are ripe.sproutA new shoot growing from a seed or from another part of a plant.