Photo = Opuntia pyrocarpa
Introduction
There are many cacti native to South and Central Texas. They’re worth growing because they’re easy and tolerant of backyard and container conditions—even in humid climates. In habitat, they endure both torrential rains and long dry spells, so they’re built to handle too much water as well as too little. Most should tolerate the low end of USDA Zone 8.
The Cacti
There are several opuntiads, including:
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O. lindheimeri
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O. bentonii
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O. anahuacensis
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Opuntia pyrocarpa
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Opuntia macrorhiza (like?)
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Opuntia leptocarpa
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Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
There are also ball- and barrel-type cacti (none too large) that have grown successfully in Houston, Texas, and that originate in central or south Texas, including:
- Ariocarpus (more likely West Texas)
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Echinocereus pentalophus
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E. enneacanthus
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Mammillaria heyderi
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Mammillaria sphaerica (indestructible)
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Hamatocactus hamatacanthus/sinuatus (Ferocactus hamatacanthus?)
- Lophophora
Even Echinocereus (Wilcoxia) poselgeri from the Zapata area did fine in Houston, but it preferred to sit under eaves or in another spot where it didn’t get all the rain. I’ve seen Escobaria missouriensis, Escobaria vivipara, and Echinocactus texensis growing just east of La Grange, Texas—definitely not what you’d think of as cactus country.
You can even find two great agaves:
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A. americana
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A. lechuguilla
