How to Get Cactus in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Cacti generate naturally in desert and badlands biomes (twice as common in deserts), growing only on sand and red sand. Break the bottom block to drop the whole column, replant on sand, and it grows a block every ~18 minutes with no water or light needed.

What you need

Sand or red sand to plant on
Empty space around each cactus
A furnace (green dye)
Nothing else: no water or light needed

Step by step

Head to a desert: cacti generate scattered across desert biomes, and about half as often in badlands (never on the terracotta plateaus, since they need sand).
Break the bottom block: the whole column collapses and drops as items. Watch out: touching a cactus deals half a heart of damage, and items dropped on a cactus are destroyed.
Replant on sand: cactus only grows on sand and red sand, with empty space around each block. It needs no water and no light, so it can grow underground as long as it has sand.
Grow it: a cactus adds a block every 16 random ticks (~18 minutes on average), up to 3 blocks. Bone meal does NOT work on cactus in either edition.
Buy it if you must: wandering traders sell 1 cactus for 3 emeralds, and potted cacti decorate some desert village houses.
Uses: smelt cactus into green dye, breed camels with it, compost it (50% chance per cactus), or build mob-killing traps and cactus flower farms (10-25% flower chance since 1.21.5).

Java vs Bedrock

Essentially identical in both editions: same growth rate, same 3-block limit, and bone meal never works. Wandering traders drop a cactus when killed while offering one only in Bedrock. Cactus flowers (added in 1.21.5) behave the same in both.

Versions: Cacti were added in Java Alpha v1.0.6 and began growing in v1.0.14. Cactus green (now green dye) arrived in Beta 1.2, and cactus flowers in 1.21.5 (Spring to Life).

Frequently asked questions

Where do cacti spawn in Minecraft?

In desert and badlands biomes, about twice as common in deserts. They only generate and grow on sand and red sand, so you'll never see them on the terracotta badlands plateaus.

Why won't my cactus grow?

Cactus stops at 3 blocks tall, needs empty space in every cardinal direction at each level, and ignores bone meal. Growth averages 18 minutes per block but varies widely, so be patient.

How do you make green dye in Minecraft?

Smelt a cactus in a furnace with any fuel: 1 cactus = 1 green dye. A small cactus farm gives unlimited green dye for wool, glass, concrete and banners.

Do cacti destroy items in Minecraft?

Yes: any dropped item that touches a cactus block is destroyed, which is why cacti are used in item-destroyer trash systems, and why you should harvest them carefully.