Opuntia Blog

Pedicactus simpsonii, image from Wikimedia

 
Pediocactus simpsonii is often called “mountain cactus” or “pincusion cactus. It is found at higher elevations in many parts of the West. I have seen it in Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. It is reported for the inland mountain areas of New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, and even South Dakota. 
The plants are usually not large, and are often single or in small clusters. Flowers may be yellow, pale yellow, pink, almost magenta, pale pink, or pale strawberry pink. The plants are very hardy and typically grow above 4,000 ft to 9,000 ft (or more. In winter the small plants can shrink to nearly ground level–and are thus protected from drying winds.  The plants are found with sagebrush, pinon pine, junipers, high grassy-dry areas, or even in gravel soils over rock. Additional information about P. simpsonii can be found at Cactus Art Nursery. 
Several varieties and/or subspecies have been described, but I can never figure out which plants are what. P. nigrispinus seems to be a valid taxon; it is found in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. At one time or another P. simpsonii was considered a type of Echinocactus and even a member of the genus Mammillaria. More information about Pediocactus can be found at the Flora of North America and at Benny’s Cactus Garden.

Pediocactus simpsonii, image from Wikimedia, click on image for original large file

Gymnocalycium bruchii flower

Gymnocalycium is represented by a number of cold-tolerant species, but only a few are known to be hardy to below zero F. Among these is G. bruchii, one of the few species that offsets easily. G. bruchii flowers are soft pink, or violet, or even nearly white.

Generally, Gymnocalycium are easy to cultivate, and G. bruchii is no exception. The plants bloom off and on during spring and summer and present no special difficulties. Like most globular cacti, Gymnocalycium don’t care for extended wetness or high humidity. G. bruchii should be hardy (if kept dry in winter) throughout most of USDA climate zone 6.

G. bruchii can be purchased from High Country Gardens or Mesa Garden. You can learn more about Gymnocalycium at the Genus Gymnocalycium.

Opuntia trichophora, north-central New Mexico, about 5,200 feet elevation

If you look in the seed catalog of SuccSeed Nursery, you can find some cacti from 3,000 or 4,000 meters in the Andes mountains. If you do the conversion, 4,000 meters is equal to abut 13,200 feet elevation, which is about 2 1/2 miles altitude.

Some of the Opuntia on this page were photographed by Daiv Freeman (CactiGuide.com) at about 10,500 feet in the White Mountains of California. Again, if you do the math, that is about 2 miles elevation. More commonly, cacti can often be found between 5,000 feet and 7,500 feet (1 mile to 1 1/2 miles high).

I think most cacti are found growing between sea level and several thousand feet, but there are a number of cold and dry areas of the New World where cacti can be found. The cacti may not be numerous or prolific, but they grow at amazing altitudes.

The various genera that include high-altitude cacti include Echinopsis, Opuntia, Rebutia, Lobivia, Pediocactus, Escobaria, Sclerocactus, Tephrocactus, and many more.

Delosperma basuticum, 'White Nugget'

I’ve looked around the Web, trying to find places to order various plants. I didn’t find many that offerred Delosperma basuticum ‘White Nugget’. But, I did find a couple of places, one of them is Laporte Avenue Nursery in Colorado. They offer a number of cold-hardy and unusual plants (many rock garden items).

They actually offer a variety of Delosperma plants, including one from Yemen (D. harazianum [currently unavailable]). The various Delosperma plants seem to cost $5.00, plus shipping and handling.

A quick check of their Web site showed they also offer Opuntia polyacantha, O. aurea, (listed as O. basilaris v. aurea), and some sedums. The Web site is well designed and easy to use.

Spiderwort with Opuntia polyacantha

Think of Nebraska when you think of cactus country. Opuntia fragilis is found in Nebraska, as well as Escobaria missouriensis. And for sure, you can find O. polyacantha. All three species are found well into Canada.

This image shows spiderwort (Tradescandia sp.) growing with Opuntia polyacantha in Nebraska. For more images of Cacatus Country in Nebraska, click here. The images were taken by Daiv Freeman at CactiGuide.com.

Othonna capensis

Othonna capensis is not an ice plant, but you could be forgiven for supposing it was. It has succulent little leaves that call an ice plant to mind, and both are from South Africa. And the cheery yellow flowers seem a bit ice plant-like.

However, O. capensis, also known as little pickles, is a member of the sunflower family. It is hardy into USDA climate zone 5 and loves a sunny spot.

You can buy O. capensis from Shoal Creek Succulents.

Echinocactus horizonthalonius

These big (grapefruit-sized) cacti were growing in the Big Bend region of Texas. They are Echinocactus horizonthalonius, a western relative of the Texas horse crippler cactus (Echinocactus texensis). E. horizonthalonius is also a relative of the Mojave Desert E. polycephalus.

E. horizonthalonius typically grows in limestone-derived soils with very good drainage.

Many forms of this cactus are hardy to USDA climate zone 6, but they resent over watering. E. horizonthalonius is common enough in far West Texas and south-central New Mexico.

Delosperma seedlings, true leaves showing on middle plant

A few weeks ago I reported that my hardy Delosperma seedlings had germinated. They’ve been pretty slow growing since they popped out of their seeds; I think they were making roots. But, now they are growing a bit more and some are showing their first true leaves.

The true leaves are emerging from between the 2 cotyledons, sticking straight up, sort of like bunny ears.

The plants are doing fine under the fluorescent lights. I continue to grow them at room temperature with about 14 hours of light per day.

Coryphanthus echinus, photographed in Big Bend region, Texas

Coryphanthus echinus is a globular cactus that seldom offsets; it has bright yellow flowers. Some plants may have areoles with a porrect central spine, whereas other areoles lack such a spine. The plants are generally easy to grow and have a reputation of being cold hardy (to USDA climate zone 6).

You can read more about C. echinus here. You can purchase C. echinus from High Country Gardens.

Agave lechuguilla, click on photo to see original image

The agaves in the photograph were growing in southern New Mexico, not far from Carlsbad Caverns. They grew with Opuntia valida, O. engelmannii, Echinocereus stramineus, and E. coccineus. They were numerous and happy in the June heat and dryness of a limestone rock shelf.

A. lechuguilla occurs from Texas into New Mexico and Mexico. Probably the northern forms (and higher altitude forms) are easily hardy to zero F if kept dry in winter (or perhaps frozen under snow). Plants from more southerly areas might only be hardy to 10 F or 15 F.

The plant is handsome but wicked, with leaf tips as sharp as any stilleto. When you reach for a pot of this plant be sure to reach slowly. If you miss the tip spines, the edge spines may get you.

Sempervivum 'Soft Line'

There seem to be at least 3,000 named types of Sempervivum cultivars, and perhaps 50 wild species. If you include Rosularia and Jovibarba, there are about 70-80 wild species to grow–surely not all of them are available in cultivation(?).

An email friend sent me a winter plant package, a cheer-you-up type of gift. It is a box full of wonderful plants but some of the best are sempervivums. The first plant I pulled out was ‘Soft Line’, and I had to look it  up on the Internet. There a an incredible number of Sempervivum photos on the Internet, and I was lucky to find my plant here (scroll down to ‘Soft Line’).

Sempervivums are great plants for those of us living in cold-winter areas. They survive a lot of cold and ice, and too much water. So, I suppose it must be cold and icy in the mountains where they come from in Europe.

You can learn more about Sempervivum here, and here. I have purchased Sempervivum hybrids and species (with great success) from Squaw Mountain Gardens, but there are other places to order them from.

Delosperma seedlings, various types, seedlings germinated 4-6 days earlier and are in 3-inch pots

I ordered Delosperma seeds from HardyPlants.com and from Mesa Garden. Both sets of seeds arrived quickly. The seeds from HardyPlants.com were more expensive but there were 50 or more per packet, whereas the Mesa Garden packets held 20- 30 seeds. However, Mesa Garden offered a broader selection of cold-hardy Delosperma seeds. Not many places sell Delosperma by mail, much less seeds.

The seeds were tiny, very tiny. It was difficult to count them because they were so small. I sprinkled the seeds over a mix that I use for many cacti and succulents: one-third top soil, one-third small perlite, one-third coarse sand (builders’ sand). I watered the seeds from below and set them under fluorescent lights (about 8-10 inches from the bulbs). I kept the seeds at room temperature.

I thought I saw tiny seedlings by Day 5, and on Day 6 I counted multiple seedlings. The seeds pots have been under lights for about 11 days now and the Delosperma seedlings are still at the cotyledon stage. But, they are growing a bit each day and seem happy–I’ve started to remove the saran wrap cover and expose the seedlings to 2-3 hours a day of not-so-humid atmosphere.

You can read more about Delosperma here, here, and here.

Manfreda leaves with purple-brown spots, probably M. maculosa

Manfreda virginica grows well in a rock garden, or in a regular garden if the soil drains well. The leaves are agave-like but softer and floppier. The plant is typically small, perhaps 8-15 inches across, but the bloom stalks may reach 2-3 ft. The flowers are green or yellow-green and attract humming birds (and maybe moths at night). The leaves of M. virginica are usually green and decidous, but may occassionally have purple-brown spots. Other species of Manfreda may have heavily spotted leaves.

M. virginica grows from the greater Houston area of Texas north to Missouri and over the southeastern states to Virginia. Texas has several other Manfreda species that are not as hardy as M. virginica, which can survive in USDA climate zone 6. Perhaps those isolates from the northern end of the species range (eg, Missouri) might be hardy into zone 5.

Manfreda species are easily grown from seed if the small plants have regular water. You can purchase seed from Reid Lewis Nursery or Easy Wildflowers. You can learn more about Manfreda here, and here.

Opuntia arenaria, photo by Dave Ferguson

This plant, peeking out of the sand here and there, is Opuntia arenaria. It is found in the USA in south-central New Mexico (Dona Ana County) and adjacent Texas. O. arenaria is related to O. polyacantha, and some botanists consider it to be a variety of O. polyacantha.

The plant is often found in sandy areas, especially where the sand has become semi-stabilized. The different segments of the plant are held together by rhizomes.

The plant has pretty yellow flowers and  is reported to be cold hardy into zone 6. You can purchase O. arenaria from Mesa Garden Nursery.

Austrocylindropuntia vestita, photo by Craig Howe

Austrocylindropuntia are opuntiads from South America with cylindrical stems. For many years these plants were classified as Opuntia, but modern taxonomy places them in their own genus (that is related to Opuntia).

Austrocylindropuntia vestita is from Bolivia or northern Argenina. It is not particularly cold-hardy, but it has bright red flowers that are charming. The plants that I have observed were not large (under 2-foot-tall), and they were much branched at the base.

Apparently Austrocylindropuntia vestitia as had several names over the years, including: Opuntia vestita, Opuntia heteromorpha, Austrocylindropuntia chuquisacana, Opuntia chuquisacana, and Cylindropuntia vestita.

Echinocereus engelmannii

Echinocereus engelmannii is a varied plant, with many described forms and variations. I’ve seen it growing in northern Arizona with black and white spines, and forms with almost all black spines near Palm Springs, California. There are tall (to 15 inches) plants growing in gravel gullies in Nevada and Arizona, and short stubby plants in Death Valley. Almost all forms share the flagrant, purple blooms that seem too large for the plant.

Almost all US forms of the species will take cold to zero or 10 F, and some will tolerate much colder weather (USDA climate zone 5b/6a).

The plant is often encountered in rocky or gravelly soils of the Mojave Desert, up to several thousand feet, but it is not restricted to the Mojave Desert.

You can read more about E. engelmannii here, and here. You can buy E. engelmannii from Mesa Garden (plants or seeds).

Two-tone flowers of Opuntia atrispina

Opuntia atrispina is not tall, but I consider it large; ie, larger than O. phaecantha (generally).

In the United States, O. atrispina is confined to an area east of the Pecos River, within about 50 miles of Del Rio, Texas. Judging from its geographic location, I imagine O. atrispina is hardy to zero F.

The plants have distinctive spines—gold or yellow or tan at the tips and dark brown (to brown-black) at the base). The flowers are copious and typically open yellow and turn salmon on day 2. The plants are distinctive with covered with flowers of two different colors.

You can learn more about O. atrispina here.

Opuntia atrispina with author (Joe Shaw)

Pterocactus bloom, image from Wikimedia

Pterocacus species are are cold-hardy opuntiads found in Argentina, in the cold western highlands or in the cold south. The plants typically have tuberous roots that assist as the plants survive the coldest weather (minus 10 F). The aerial shoots often fall off during the cold season and regrow during the growing season. No matter what happens to the top growth, the root remains permanent and enduring. The flowers are often surprisingly beautiful pastels of pink, cream, or yellow.

 At least nine species are reported:

• Pterocactus araucanus
• Pterocactus australis
• Pterocactus fischeri
• Pterocactus gonjianii
• Pterocactus hickenii
• Pterocactus kuntzei
• Pterocactus megliolii
• Pterocactus reticulatus
• Pterocactus valentinii

Propagation is by seed or cuttings. You can buy Pterocactus from Mesa Garden or from Miles’ to Go nurseries. You can learn more about Pterocactus here, and at the CactiGuide.

Pterocactus hickenii, image from Wikimedia

Opuntia humifusa, with lots of fruit, midwinder, Chantilly VA

Ticonderoga Farms sells Christmas trees, but they have much more than that. I went out to visit the folks at the farm so I could learn what winter-hardy cacti they grow (a lot!). But, I found out they grow Christmas trees, pines, junipers, bald cypresses, figs, bamboo, and much more. They have all sorts of activities throughout the year including a Halloween house, a fantastic set of children’s slides, and even animal feeding.

As far as cacti go, I saw Opuntia phaecantha, O. humifusa, O. polyacantha, O fragilis-like, O. macroriza, Cylindropuntia versicolor, C. imbricata, and C. whipplei. Additionally, there are numerous agaves and yuccas, and some echinocereus.

I don’t know how large the Ticonderoga Farms are, but I’d guess “very large.” You certainly need a vehicle to get around the place. And, they are building a new garden, a cactus display garden about 200 ft by 80 ft. No doubt the new garden will be landscaped with rock just like the rest of the place–the rock walls and cornices provide a lovely anchor for the Farms–holding the different sections together.

Opuntia echinocarpa, photo from Wikimedia

Opuntia echinocarpa (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa) is a Mojave Desert plant that grows at lower elevations (perhaps, 2,000 feet to 5,000 ft). In some places it is very common, almost as common as creosote bush (Larryea tridentata).

The flowers of O. echinocarpa are greenish, sometimes tinged with brown or russet; like many Cylindropuntia flowers they are not nearly as showy as other Opuntia flowers. The name “echinocarpa” means “spiny fruit,” and sure enough the fruits of this species are very spiny. Once I tried to collect a few seeds and I needed pliers just to break open the stiff fruits, but even though I used pliers I still got half-a-dozen sticks in my fingers and hands.

O. echinocarpa is more tolerant of too much water than O. basilaris, but neither plant enjoys much summer rain. And O. echinocarpa is probably hardy to -5 F (or perhaps zero F); maybe the plants from 5,000 feet are hardy another 10 degrees F.

You can read more about O. echinocarpa here, and here. You can buy seeds of O. echinocarpa from Mesa Garden.

Lewisia columbiana

Lewisias are cold-hardy plants native to North America, they grow in mountainous and rocky regions where drainage is excellent and soils are not fertile. So, while they have a reputation for being difficult, perhaps part of that reputation is because folks try to grow them in conditions that are “too nice.”

Lewisias are definitely plants for cold winter areas, even areas with dry summers, or sort of dry summers. They don’t need regular water because they are succulent in nature. I’ve seen them growing in the East (only once), but they prefer low humidity situations such as the mountainous regions of the West (their homland).

Lewisias have beautiful flowers, large in comparison to the size of the plant. The flowers come in whites, creams, pinks, hot pinks, reds, oranges, and apricots. They can bloom heavily in spring and then off and off throughout the summer.

You can read more about Lewisias here, and here. You can purchase Lewisia plants from Wild Ginger Nursery (I think)–but the Web site says you’ll need to check availability. If you are in England you can (apparently) buy Lewisia plants and seeds at Ashwood Nurseries.

Dydleya cymosa, cold-hardy rosette

Dudleya cymosa is a succulent rosette found in the mountains of California and Oregon. It grows from about 4,000 ft. to 7,500 ft. It’s blood-red or yellow-red flowers contrast nicely with the blue-gray leaves. Older plants can make a clump of rosettes a foot or two across.

D. cymosa is a great hummingbird plant, attracting the little fliers whenever it is in bloom. D. cymosa is surprisingly hardy, tolerating -10 F in some locations (especially where not overwatered and where drainage is good–as in a rock wall).

A number of subspecies of D. cymosa have been described by the Flora of North America. One form of the species is offered for sale by Arrowhead Perennials. The nursery describes the leaves as “glaucous silvery blue dusted with white powder.”

Chasmatophyllum musculinum, click for original image at Northern Nursery, photo by Martin Ravn Tversted

Chasmatophyllum musculinum is a super hardy member of the Mesembryanthemaceae (ice plant family). It survives in Denver (USDA climate zone 5), but it dies in spring wet weather in other zone 5 areas (eg, see Arrowhead Perennials note). One Web site reports that the species survives in Kansas without special protection (but presumably the plants have very good drainage).

The foliage is succulent and forms a mat, perhaps 1-2 inches tall and 6-12 inches wide. The cheerful yellow flowers are heaviest in Spring, and sporadic thereafter. The plant grows in full sun or light shade. Plants have survived Kansas winters without special protection.

The photo shows a plant grown in Denmark, at Northern Nursery. Photo by Martin Ravn Tversted.

For more information click here.

Delosperma ‘Mesa Verde’ has two names; it is also known as Delosperma ‘Kelaidis’. Apparently, ‘Kelaidis’ came up as a chance seedling in the Denver Botanic Garden, perhaps as a cross between D. cooperi and D. nubigenum. The seedling was popularized by Dr. Panayoti Kelaidis. Somehow it got two names; the ‘Kelaidis’ name is popular because Dr. Kelaidis did much work to popularize Delosperma plants in cold areas along with his overall rock garden work.

‘Kelaidis’ forms a green mat of succulent grown 2-5 inches tall, and has salmon pink flowers that have a metalic sheen. ‘Kelaidis’ is reported to be hardy in USDA hardiness zones 4-8. As a bloomer it seems to be a great plant, various sources suggest that it blooms off and on from late spring till fall. Though it does fine in many USA locations, Delosperma ‘Kelaidis’ is originally from Africa.

For more information click here, and here. Delosperma ‘Kelaidis’ is offered for sale by various vendors, including the Wyoming Plant Company.

Delosperma 'kelaidis' (Mesa Verde), click image to find vendor Web page