Holiday Cactus Lot Offers a Spiny Spin on Christmas Trees

Not in the market for a fir, but rather a plant with a little desert cachet? Head for Culver City.

What to Know

  • Dec. 7-9, Dec. 14-16, Dec. 21-23
  • Beneath the Metro station in Culver City
  • The new Milk Bar truck will be there, and other goodies to enjoy

Christmas trees are almost always depicted as hailing from the fir family. After all, they've got that foresty vibe, and dark green needles, and a particular loamy scent.

But many people who celebrate the season go a different route with their sparkly centerpiece. Arizona revelers have decorated their share of tumbleweeds, while palm trees, in beach communities, often rock a tangle of bright bulbs.

Enter the cactus, which, like its plant-tastic cousin the needle-laden fir, has a green-ish hue, and a vertical character, and stands majestically in a solid pot.

Unlike a fir, however, there are spines, which can add to the dramatic appeal, and a larger variety of shapes, and, yes, the need for less H2O.

If this all speaks to you, this year, you're in luck, dear cacti lovers, for a Holiday Cactus Lot is popping up under the Metro station in Culver City over three December weekends. 

The dates are Dec. 7-9, Dec. 14-16, and Dec. 21-23.

The Scene

Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.

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And stopping by during the desert-stylish to-do? The recently debuted Milk Bar truck, Art of Tea (which will be serving complimentary sips), and "festive furnishings from Venice's Bend Goods."

One thing to note? The cacti, which hail from Ponderosa Cactus in Highland Park, will not be as big as a saguaro or organ pipe. 

We mean... Could you fit a saguaro in your den? Could anyone? Let's leave the saguaros to the Sonoran Desert, and admire them there.

The cacti at the Holiday Cactus Lot are, in fact, smaller than a traditional Christmas tree, but so stunning, and unusual, in terms of holiday flora, that they'll add a certain aura to most any room, one has to imagine.

PLATFORM has teamed up with Ponderosa Cactus for this offbeat and beautiful take on the most treeful time a year, a true treat for those drawn to the desert and to caring for a majestic plant that will live on long after the holidays wrap.

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