Auckland woman amuses Kiwi house plant lovers with penis-shaped limp cactus

  • 17/05/2021
The imp cactus.
The imp cactus. Photo credit: Facebook/ Indoor Plants NZ

A Warkworth woman who was seeking advice on how to care for her house plant has drawn amusing comments from house plant lovers about the limp cactus' shape.

The woman posted photos of her small cactus plant to the Facebook group Indoor Plants NZ on Saturday which showed it hanging limp to the side.

"He used to stick straight up [but] now is collapsing. Gets morning to mid-afternoon sunlight, occasionally give him a splash of water when looking too dry... any suggestions?"

However, many of the commenters couldn't get past the shape of the cactus which appeared to resemble a limp penis.

"Chuck a sheet over it and it'll be sure to rise in the morning!" one commenter recommended.

"Mine did this! Bit of a pep talk and some reassurance that... it is normal, it does happen to every cactus, and it's not a big deal," another offered.

"Happens with age…. I've been told," one said.

But other commenters were more helpful, suggesting it could be a peanut cactus, which is known to hang or trail.

In an update to social media, the Warkworth woman confirmed she was "letting him do his own thing now and just drop down".

Houseplants have become increasingly popular in recent years with some going for record prices on TradeMe and others selling out quickly at local stores.