HERE’S a suggestion for all those fretting mothers standing on the doorstep waving their little cherubs off for their first term at university.

As well as providing them with a copious supply of clean socks (boys) or mascara (girls) – although I readily accept it could be the other way around – why not send him/her out into the big wide world with a little cactus to remember you by.

As far as students are concerned, this could have considerable merit. Firstly, it can sit on the windowsill of your digs, a constant reminder of the person who was always there with a sympathetic ear and beans on toast when you really needed them, and secondly it won’t take much looking after.

In fact, as Ian Thwaites, of Worcester Cactus Society, pointed out, cacti almost thrive on neglect, within reason. Hence it won’t come over all limp and useless if you forget to water it each week, which is highly likely after a Freshers’ Week of excess and then a month of recovery.

Indeed, watering every week is almost certainly overdoing it.

“Cacti don’t like getting their feet wet,” said Ian. “More are killed by overwatering than by underwatering. The best way is to give it a good watering and then let it dry out. Once a week in hot weather in the summer is plenty, otherwise once a fortnight. In the cool period between October to March, you don’t need to water at all.”

Which probably sounds like the ideal low-maintenance companion for a student. And while you can talk to your cactus about all sorts of problems from how come you are getting grief from your flatmate, who refuses to clean his/her tidemark off the bath, to the best way to deal with North Korea, you know they’re not going to argue back.

Cacti do have a lot going for them. Their sheer variety for a start. The greenhouses in Ian’s garden at Malvern are packed with an enormous array of plants, all different, but all the same. If you see what I mean.

Cacti can come in all shapes and sizes. Some so small they fit in the palm of your hand, others so tall they reach the sitting room ceiling. If you do contemplate sending a young member of the family off with one, Ian suggested you try the Rebutia variety, which costs only about £3 and can be bought via the internet and sent through the post.

“They are free flowering and very pretty,” he said. “Just the thing to brighten up a windowsill.” Of course, you could push the boat out and pay anything from £30 to £200 for a very rare species, but they are unlikely to be appreciated any more amid the social and alcoholic whirl of student life.

Cacti have had an enduring appeal over the years and this autumn, Worcester Cactus Society celebrates its diamond jubilee with an event in Whittington Village Hall on Tuesday, when a birthday cake made by one of the members will be cut.

The society was formed back in 1953 after a group of 24 fellow enthusiasts met at the Victoria Institute in Worcester and decided to put their hobby on a formal footing. “The object of the society, then as now, is to promote an interest in the study, culture and propagation of cacti and other succulent plants,” said secretary Neil Herapath.

“Ever since that first gathering, regular meetings have been held in the city, when experienced growers share their knowledge and plants and seeds can be bought or exchanged.

“For many years, too, an annual show was held in the city where entries were made in a wide variety of categories of cacti and other succulent plants to be judged by suitably qualified experts in their cultivation.

“We are a friendly group of people with an interest in these plants and continue to meet on the first Tuesday evening of each month at Whittington Village Hall at 7.30pm.

“The membership ranges from those with a few plants on the windowsill and modest knowledge to several enthusiasts who are always willing to share their considerable knowledge. Visitors are always more than welcome.”

Which might be worth pointing out if the intellectual offspring brings their new little friend back with them for the Christmas holidays. Visit the Cactus Society website at limax.co.uk/wcs.