Cactus Coloring Pages
Make free printable cactus coloring pages from 13 pictures we drew ourselves: saguaro with two arms, saguaro in bloom, young saguaro with no arms, old saguaro with five arms, saguaro with ripe fruit, prickly pear cactus, prickly pear in flower, round cactus in a pot, three cacti on a shelf, desert cactus garden, saguaro under the moon, two saguaros, big simple cactus. The saguaros follow the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum’s description: a thick ribbed stem with bundles of stiff spines, one to five arms that grow from well above the ground and turn upward, white flowers and a fruit that splits to show red flesh. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension notes that saguaro flowers grow on the tips of the arms or the main trunk and that some saguaros never grow arms, and that prickly pear pads are joined to each other with flowers on their edges, so the pictures show both. They are our own cacti, not any named, cartoon or game cactus, with no faces, and nothing carries words, brand or product names or logos. Print one big picture on a page, a grid of four or six small ones, a desert scene with saguaros and a prickly pear under clouds and a sun, a fold-in-half card, or a cactus mandala with small cacti round the edge and a new pattern at the press of a button. Plain cacti to decorate prints 1, 2, 4 or 6 saguaros with no ribs or spines, so children can draw their own; one fills a 186 mm square on US Letter. Type a child’s name for a name page, or paste a class list to get the same picture for everyone with each name at the top. Choose simple, medium or detailed lines, never thinner than 0.5 mm. Download one multi-page PDF for US Letter or A4, a 300 DPI PNG of every page, or an SVG. No sign-up, no watermark.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Names stay in your browser; the PDF, PNG and SVG are made on your device.
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Runs in your browser with our own code; names and words never leave your device, and nothing is saved. Every picture is our own drawing, black lines on white, with no film, book or cartoon characters, mascots, brands or logos. The cactus pictures are our own drawings of desert cacti: tall saguaros with ribs, spine clusters and arms that turn upward (one young saguaro with none, one old one with five), white saguaro flowers on the tips and a ripe fruit on top, prickly pears with flat round pads and flowers on the pad edges, and round cacti in pots: two arms, in bloom, young, old, ripe fruit, prickly pear, prickly pear in flower, in a pot, three on a shelf, a desert garden, under the moon, two saguaros and a big simple cactus. They are not any named, cartoon or game cactus and have no faces. Nothing carries words, brand or product names or logos. The plain cactus has no ribs or spines, for drawing your own. The designs are our own drawings: you may use them and anything you make with them, including things you sell, with no credit needed. The lettering fonts keep their own open licenses.
How to make and print cactus coloring pages
- Choose what to make: one big picture, several small pictures, the cacti in the desert scene, plain cacti to decorate, the lettering poster, a name page, a class set, a card, a mandala, or a whole pack.
- Pick the picture, or tick the ones you want for a grid or pack.
- Choose the lines: simple for little ones, medium, or detailed for older children and adults.
- Add a title, change the poster words, type a name or paste your class list, and pick the lettering.
- Choose US Letter or A4 and download the PDF, or a PNG of every page.
- Print on plain paper at 100% (Actual size).
What you can use it for
- Desert and plant topics at school: the saguaro, the prickly pear and the desert garden
- Life of a plant: the young saguaro, the old one with five arms, the flowers and the fruit
- Houseplant lovers: the cactus in a pot and the three on a shelf
- Class sets with each child’s name
- Toddlers: the big simple cactus and the saguaro with two arms with simple lines
- Detailed lines and the mandala for older children and adults
The 13 cactus pictures
| Picture | Shapes to color: simple | Medium | Detailed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saguaro with two arms | 5 | 22 | 79 |
| Saguaro in bloom | 12 | 24 | 80 |
| Young saguaro with no arms | 5 | 30 | 111 |
| Old saguaro with five arms | 7 | 19 | 80 |
| Saguaro with ripe fruit | 5 | 22 | 71 |
| Prickly pear cactus | 6 | 53 | 104 |
| Prickly pear in flower | 13 | 56 | 111 |
| Round cactus in a pot | 6 | 14 | 30 |
| Three cacti on a shelf | 17 | 59 | 133 |
| Desert cactus garden | 11 | 61 | 168 |
| Saguaro under the moon | 8 | 19 | 76 |
| Two saguaros | 7 | 30 | 131 |
| Big simple cactus | 4 | 12 | 75 |
Shapes are the closed outlines the tool draws for each picture at each level, counted by the tool. Simple keeps the cactus (trunk, arms, pads, flowers, pots) and the sand, shelf, sun and moon; Medium and Detailed add the smaller lines, such as the ribs, the spine clusters, the pot stripe and the ripples in the sand.
Plain cacti to decorate
| Cacti per page | Each fits (US Letter) | Each fits (A4) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 186 mm square | 181 mm square |
| 2 | 120 mm square | 129 mm square |
| 4 | 89 mm square | 86 mm square |
| 6 | 77 mm square | 83 mm square |
Sizes are for the page with No title chosen; a title at the top makes them a little smaller. Each plain cactus is a saguaro with no ribs or spines (3 shapes: trunk and two arms), so the pattern is up to you.
Simple to detailed lines
| Lines | Outlines | Small details | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | 1.8 mm | 1.4 mm | Toddlers, chunky crayons, big markers |
| Medium | 1.1 mm | 0.8 mm | Most children, colored pencils |
| Detailed | 0.75 mm | 0.5 mm | Older children and adults, fine pens and pencils |
Line widths are measured at print size. The thinnest line on any page is 0.5 mm, so every shape stays open to color.
What you can make
| Page | What prints |
|---|---|
| One big picture | One picture filling the page, with an optional title at the top and an optional frame |
| Several small pictures | Four or six pictures on one page, each in its own box |
| Cacti in the desert | Two saguaros and a prickly pear on desert sand, under clouds and a sun; Medium and Detailed add the smaller lines |
| Plain cacti to decorate | 1, 2, 4 or 6 plain cacti, to draw your own ribs, spines and flowers |
| Lettering poster | Two lines of big hollow letters to color (“Desert” and “Bloom” or your own words) above three pictures |
| Name page | Words such as “Colored by” and a name in large hollow letters, with three pictures |
| Class set | The same picture for every child, each page with one child’s name at the top (up to 40 names) |
| Fold-in-half card | Picture and title on the front, a small picture on the back: 139.7 × 215.9 mm (5.5 × 8.5 in) from US Letter, 148.5 × 210 mm (A5) from A4 |
| Cactus mandala | A symmetric pattern with small cacti round the edge; every pattern number gives a new design |
| Whole pack | Your ticked pictures, one per page, plus the scene, the poster, three mandalas and a name page if you choose |
Titles you can choose: Hello Cactus, Desert Days, Happy Birthday, Best Friends, Stay Sharp, or your own words. Lettering styles: Fredoka, Baloo 2, Sniglet, Cherry Bomb One.
Coloring ideas
- Green saguaros with white flowers and yellow centres.
- Blue-green prickly pear pads with yellow or orange flowers.
- Terracotta pots and a sandy yellow desert under a blue sky.
Printing tips
- Every page keeps a 12.7 mm (half inch) margin from the paper edge, on US Letter and A4.
- Plain paper is fine for crayons and pencils; use thicker paper or card for markers or paint.
- Print one page first and check it before printing a whole pack or class set.
- Choose Detailed lines only with fine pens or sharp pencils, and Simple lines with chunky crayons.
More things to make
- Turn a photo of a desert trip into line art to color: Photo to Coloring Page.
- Draw your own symmetric patterns: Mandala Maker.
- A paper mask to color as a desert animal: Mask Template.
- A word puzzle to go with the pages: Word Search Maker.
More free printables
More to make for desert fans?
Line art from your own photos, mandalas to draw, masks, bookmarks and word searches: free tools that run in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark.
See all free tools →Frequently asked questions
Are these cactus coloring pages free?
Yes. Every page is free to make, download and print, with no sign-up and no watermark. All the pictures are our own drawings.
Which cactus pictures are there?
13: saguaro with two arms, saguaro in bloom, young saguaro with no arms, old saguaro with five arms, saguaro with ripe fruit, prickly pear cactus, prickly pear in flower, round cactus in a pot, three cacti on a shelf, desert cactus garden, saguaro under the moon, two saguaros, big simple cactus. On top of those there is a desert scene, plain cacti to decorate, a mandala, a lettering poster and name pages.
Why does one saguaro have no arms?
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension notes that saguaro branches usually appear well up the trunk as the cactus ages, but some never grow arms. The young saguaro here has none, and the old saguaro has five, the most the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum gives as usual.
Where do the saguaro flowers grow?
On the tips of the arms or the main trunk, as University of Arizona Cooperative Extension describes them. The Campus Arboretum says the flowers are white, open at night in early summer, and the fruit later splits to show red flesh.
Which colors should I use?
Green for the stems and pads, white flowers with yellow centres on the saguaro, and yellow, orange or red flowers on the prickly pear, the colours University of Arizona Cooperative Extension lists for Engelmann prickly pear, with sandy yellow ground and a blue sky.
Which cactus pages suit toddlers and preschoolers?
Choose Simple lines: big shapes with thick outlines. The big simple cactus and the saguaro with two arms have the fewest shapes, as the table shows.
Can I make a page for every child in my class?
Yes. Choose Class set, pick a picture and paste the names, one per line, up to 40. Each child gets the same picture with their own name in hollow letters at the top, all in one PDF.
Are there cactus coloring pages for adults?
Yes. Choose Cactus mandala with Detailed lines: each pattern number gives a different symmetric design. Choose 16 repeats for the most intricate pattern.
Can I sell what I make with these pages?
Yes. The pictures are our own drawings, and the note under the tool sets out how you may use them, including for things you sell.
How do I print the coloring pages?
Download the PDF and print it on plain paper. Choose 100% or Actual size to keep the margins and sizes as drawn; Fit to page also works if your printer cuts off the edges.
Is anything uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Names and words are not sent anywhere, and nothing is saved when you close the page.