Opuntia Blog

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.

Agave americana

Agave americana is not particularly cold hardy, but if you are lucky enough to live in an area where it grows you can appreciate its beauty. Most forms of the plant seem to be reliably hardy to 10 F or 15 F, but Plant Delights Nursery sells one form (ssp. protoamericana ‘Blue Steel’) that is reported to be hardy to below 10 F.

If you live in cold areas you can always grow A. americana as a pot plant; it takes to large containers and will sit quietly for months if you have a dry and cool place to overwinter it (as in a garage). The wonderful thing about A. americana is that it is seemingly impervious to too much water and rain, so it is sometimes seen in Southeast gardens.

Colors vary in A. americana, but most forms are blue-gray or blue-green. The big leaves and unusual color make this a handsome accent plant.

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.

Hesperaloe parviflora

Hesperaloe parviflora survives too much rain and too much shade; it tolerates scathing hot sun and not enough water. It is native to central Texas and parts of northern Mexico; so it is used to climate extremes. High Country Gardens reports that it has survived for 8 years in Santa Fe, New Mexico (USDA climate zone 5).

The leaves are green and wiry, and the red flowers are held high above the clump of leaves for weeks on end, bringing in the hummingbirds. H. parviflora is not a true yucca, but it is often called “red yucca” or “Texas red yucca.”

You can learn more about H. parviflora here and here. You can buy plants from High Country Gardens, and seeds from Reid Lewis Nursery.

Trichocereus huascha in bloom, click on photo to see original image at Flikr

Some folks will tell you that Tricocereus plants are nothing more than columnar Echinopsis, and that they should not be termed Trichocereus. However, there is so much information out there that describes Trichocereus that I’m happy to use the older (if perhaps obsolete) term.

Trichocereus huascha has cylindrical stems and it branches from the base; thus the plant is often composed of several stems arising 6-24 inches from the ground. The flowers are glorious red and happy appearing. The plant is not a shy bloomer and is an easy plant to grow.

T. huascha is found in northern Argentina in highlands where it experiences a fair bit of cold weather. Yucca Do Nursery sells the plant and claims it is hardy to USDA climate zone 8b (15 F). Mesa Garden Nursery sells seeds of T. huascha that are reportedly hardy to 10 F. Likely the latter plants will survive to the upper single digits (7 or 8 F?) or perhaps colder.

Flowers are variable in T. huascha; they may be yellow, red, or orange. They are nice funnel-shaped flowers that are large.

You can learn more about Trichocereus here, and here.

Echinopsis in flower, image from Wikimedia

Echinopsis is generally an easy genus; the plants are not too demanding as cacti and even tolerate a windowsill in some situations–blooming when the time is right. The plants have been grown in Europe for over 150 years and part of their popularity resides in their ease of culture, but part also derives from their huge flowers.

Eventually, the fascination spread across the sea and Harry Johnson from California created the Paramount hybrids, terrific plants with large flowers and lots of color. Later hobbyists in Germany and Czechoslovakia also created hybrids.

Mr. Bob Schick used the Paramount hybrids (and other influences) to create the Schick hybrids. Eventually the Huntington Botanical Gardens introduced (through the International Succulent Introductions) over 100 Echinopsis Schick hybrids.

You can learn more about Echinopsis here, and here. You can buy the Schick hybrids from Huntington Botanical Gardens, or you may buy other great Echinopsis plants from Miles’ to Go Nursery.

Austrocylindropuntia subulata, long leaves showing, click on photo for original large image at Flickr

Austrocylindropuntia subulata gows at high elevations in Peru and Ecuador, from 9,000 to 12,500 ft. Probably for this reason the plant has proven relatively cold hardy for me. It easily survived 16 F, and I think it would have taken 10 F in stride. Additionally, A. subulata was a stellar performer in Texas, even when it got year round rain.

A. subulata is reported to be a large plant in the wild, tree like. I never had a plant reach tree-like proportions, but I kept it in a relatively small 8″ pot and had to prune it back once year.

The interesting thing about A. subulata is that it holds its leaves a long time, and the leaves are large for an opuntiad. The leaves will drop if the plant is stressed for water. However; on winter I left the plant sitting in a sunny location that was sheltered from the rain, and the leaves on the top half of the plant stayed all winter.

The flowers are red orange, but my plant never flowered. Maybe I should have planted it in the ground and let it get tall.

You can read more about A. subulata here, and here.

False Echeveria, click photo to go to Web site for Quality Silk Plants

Sometimes you need a plant for a certain place in the house, a place that just isn’t suitable for a living plant. Have you considered fake cactus plants for decorating? Quality Silk Plants offers a few items that seem especially life like (at least the photos on the Web make them appear life like.

The company offers some dracena-like succulent plants, some hen-and-chicks type plants, opuntias, and columnar cacti. I wonder if anyone out there has tried out these plants? I think it is safe to say these plants are at least moderately cold hardy.

Quality Silk Plants states on their Web site,

“We have the most popular and unique selections of artificial cactus available on the market. Most of our fake cacti are suitable for indoor or outdoor use.”

Sansevieria cylindrica, click on image to visit Stokes Tropicals

Sansevieria cylindrica is a beautiful plant from Africa. It is not a permanent plant in the garden in most parts of the USA because it is frost tender. However, it does well in a flower pot and the long beautiful leaves can reach 2-foot-long; thus, it is an attractive garden plant in summer (in the shade) and a great house plant in winter.

Sansevieria cylindrica is as easy to grow as your grandmother’s Sansevieria, but it is more exotic looking because of the cylindrical leaves with their pointed tips. It is sometimes called “African spear” plant, or the skyline plant. These plants survive being rootbound, too much shade, and long droughts. They survive the hot dry air of winter apartments and the damp summers of Houston.

Sansevieria cylindrica is offered for sale by Stokes Tropicals. For more information click here.

Yucca pallida is found in limited areas of north-central Texas. It is a pretty plant with blue-green leaves that have a waxy look. Y. pallida does not grow tall; instead it is a short yucca that makes a blue-gray 2-foot-tall, round or spherical accent in a garden (or, it will grow nicely in a container).

The leaves of Y. pallida twist a bit and arch gracefully, making the whole plant interesting upon inspection. It is a carefree plant that enjoys good drainage. It is probably hardy to about -10 F.

Y. pallida is not often grown–I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s not used more often because folks are unfamilar with it, pretty though it is. Though not a super fast grower, it grows well enough that 3- or 4-year old plants make a “statement.” You can purchase Y. pallida seeds from Reid Lewis Seeds.  When I lived In Texas I did find it growing wild, and sometimes it was offered for sale at various nurseries.

Yucca pallida

It is not hard to find Opuntia phaecantha in the American Southwest; the problem is that there are things that look like it that will confuse you. However, the good news is that almost any imposter is as hardy as O. phaecantha. Additionally, if planted with good drainage, O. phaeacantha and the similar plants will tolerate a fair bit of spring and summer rain.

O. phaecantha flowers are typically yellow, but they may have yellow centers. The imposters might be O. tortispina, O. dulcis, or perhaps O. gilvescens. Just plant them where they’ll get lots of sun and “stand back.”

Opuntia phaecantha, New Mexico

Opuntia pusilla, garden plant

Opuntia pusilla (some refer to it as O. drummondii) is found along the Atlantic Coast of the USA and the Gulf Coast panhandle of Florida. It has been reported from Texas but I’ve never seen it there (but there is a lot of coast to search).

In the sand dunes O. pusilla has a hard look, a desert look. In the garden, in rich soil and with frequent water, it grows like a weed and becomes rich green and luxuriant. A single cladode grows quickly to crowd over the sides of an 8-inch-diamater pot in a year or two. The cladodes easily break apart and soon different pots are growing their own O. pusilla. I wonder if O. pusilla is an invasive species in some habitats.

The spines are amazingly vicious, perhaps expected from a big cactus but not so from the “look” of O. pusilla. Perhaps part of their nastiness is that the plant grows a nice safe-looking spinach-green. Also, the spines seem straight and without guile, but actually they have a wonderful assortment of barbs that prevent dislodging.

The flowers of O. pusilla are small for an Opuntia, but they are cheerful enough. They are a nice canary yellow; I’ve never seen any with a hint of red or pink.

I don’t know the extent of O. pusilla cold hardiness, but they can be expected to take zero F easily, even with snow and rain. The plant also enjoys water, growing fast in the summer if it has lots of water.

Opuntia pusilla, click image for original Web site (southeasternplants.com)

Opuntia stricta pops up in many places along the Eastern Gulf Coast of the USA. It is

Opuntia stricta, Florida

generally thought to be native to Florida and adjacent states, but garden plants have been spotted in central Mississippi, in Houston, TX and even Dallas, TX.

The plants are not known as particularly cold-hardy, but they sure do tolerate wetness and endless rain. Hobby plants have thrived in compost (not rocky soil) in the Houston area, even in 2004 when rainfall reached 70 inches. As long as it was warm the plants just kept growing, and in the cold months they just shrugged off the wetness. 

In drier years, O. stricta grew in hot weather if it was watered. Without water the plant just glistened in the sun–ever the happy camper, but it did wilt if not watered enough. North of Houston the plant survived 17 F without any fuss; perhaps it will survive to 10 F, especially if germplasm is from northern areas. Overall, the plant is easy to grow, but it’s cold hardiness is unclear.

Opuntia stricta, garden plant, north of Houston, TX