Cold hardy cacti for zone 5a?

[hoteidoc]

You're definitely "preachin' to the choir" , so I've been forced to love Opuntia's far more that I every thought possible!

[jnewmark]

Yup, Opuntias do really well here, especially Humifusa. I routinely give away pads every year; if I didn't, they would take over my garden !

[SoilSifter]

I'm in zone 5a, too. I tried a couple pups of Agave parryi. I planted them against the house foundation on the south side of the house. Some people say planting by the foundation helps and others say that's baloney. Either way, I tried it. The pups died back to ground level. Right now they are slowly regrowing some leaves.

A plant research center in Aberdeen, Idaho tried a Cylindopuntia. It was probably an imbricata. It kinda grew OK but had a tendency to drop sections. I'm guessing the weight of wet snow during winter caused that. Aberdeen is in USDA zone 5b so it is slightly warmer.

Escobaria missouriensis can survive in 5a. Some clones will do better than others. E. missouriensis grows in a wide range of USDA zones.

I've had good luck with Pediocactus simpsonii.

[hoteidoc]

With moving to the "other end" of Keuka Lake with totally different soil type (very heavy clay -- yuck!), I've been forced to draw on all the wisdom of the Forum -- deep, coarse gravel, layered with smaller "road" gravel, covered with my "special" cactus "soil" blend. Right now I'm growing from seed virtually every Yucca, Agave, Echinocereus, Escobaria, Cylindropuntia & Opuntia that's rated 17 or 18 by Steve Brack @ Mesa Gardens. Have planted cuttings, pads, & plants of Yucca, Agave, Cylindro's, & Opuntia in the new C & H beds. We had 1 -18F night last Winter (coldest in 20 yrs) that probably would have wiped out many, but hoping for a more "routine" -5 or -6 of the previous 3 Winters. Will give follow up in April.