Quick hardy cactus list

John P Weiser · Post by **John P Weiser** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 3:51 pm

Cactaceae - Cactus Family
Coryphantha echinus
Coryphantha macromeris

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis
Cylindropuntia bigelovii
Cylindropuntia davisii
Cylindropuntia echinocarpa
Cylindropuntia imbricata var. arborescens
Cylindropuntia imbricata var. arborescens (white colored)
Cylindropuntia imbricata var. argentea
Cylindropuntia kleiniae
Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
Cylindropuntia ramosissima (non spined)
Cylindropuntia ramosissima (spined)
Clylindropuntia spinosior
Cylindropuntia viridiflora
Cylindropuntia whipplei (3 clones)

Echinocactus texensis

Echinocereus bonkerae
Echinocereus coccineus
Echinocereus dasyacanthus
Echinocereus kinneplianus var. krugerii
Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. armatus
Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. caespitosus
Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. caespitosus var. minor
Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. reichenbachii
Echinocereus mojavensis
Echinocereus triglochidiatus
Echinocereus triglochidiatus var inermis
Echinocereus viridiflorus
Echinocereus viridiflorus ssp. davisii
Echinocereus viridiflorus var. corellii
Echinocereus viridiflorus ssp. cylindricus

Escobaria minima
Escobaria missouriensis
Escobaria orcuttii
Escobaria vivipara var. arizonica
Escobaria vivipara var. bisbeeana
Escobaria vivipara var. neomexicana
Escobaria vivipara var rosea
Escobaria vivipara var. vivipara

Ferocactus hamatacanthus

Grusonia aggeria
Grusonia clavata (3 clones)
Grusonia pulchella (2 clones)
Grusonia stanleyi var.kunzei

Maihueniopsis darwinii
Maihueniopsis poepigii

Opuntia aciculata
Opuntia aurea (fusha)
Opuntia aurea (yellow)
Opuntia aff. aurea/basilaris (??)
Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris
Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris dwarf form
Opuntia basilaris var. heilii
Opuntia basilaris var. brachyclada
Opuntia basilaris var. ramosa
Opuntia fragilis (8 clones)
Opuntia fragilis var denuda (2 clones)
Opuntia humifusa (3 clones)
Opuntia littonalis var. vaseyi
Opuntia macrocentra
Opuntia macrocentra (dwarf form)
Opuntia macrorhiza (eastern form)
Opuntia polyacantha (peach colored)
Opuntia phaeacantha (large form)
Opuntia phaeacantha engelmannii
Opuntia phaeacantha englemannii (large clone)
Opuntia phaeacantha X basilaris hybrid “Snowball”
Opuntia polyacantha var erinacea
Opuntia polyacantha var. hystrucina
Opuntia polyacantha aff. nicholii
Opuntia polyacantha var. polyacantha
Opuntia polyacantha var. polyacantha “Rutila”
Opuntia polyacantha ursina/erinacea
Opuntia polyacantha Claude Barr hybrid selection
Opuntia polyacantha “Taylors Red”
Opuntia polyacantha “Red Gem”
Opuntia polyacantha X fragilis hybrid (clone one)
Opuntia polyacantha X fragilis hybrid (clone two)
Opuntia polyacantha X fragilis hybrid (clone three)

Pediocactus simpsonii (2 clones)

Sclerocactus parviflorus

That should about cover it I may have missed a couple
If the weather warms a little, there is a slim chance, I may end up with a hand full of flowers some time this spring.

I don't want to bore you but if you want to see picks of early spring companion plants that are in bloom right now let me know!!

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 4:04 pm

I for one would enjoy the companions as much as the cacti!

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 4:13 pm

Absolutely John! I'm a big fan of your pics. And that's a great list you have...I assume that is what you are growing?

peterb

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:09 pm

I don't want to bore you but if you want to see picks of early spring companion plants that are in bloom right now let me know!!

WHAT!

I will third the motion, lets see em.
As long as there is cacti in there somewhere, its all good.

Johnts71 · Post by **Johnts71** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:36 pm

Echinocactus grusonii cold hardy?

Andy_CT · Post by **Andy_CT** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 6:04 pm

That's quite the list!

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:29 pm

according to wikipedia:

"While easy to grow, these plants do have some basic requirements; an average minimum winter temperature of 12°C, good drainage with less watering in winter. Excess water in cool periods may lead to rot. Golden Barrels are hardy to about 15ºF (-8ºC) for brief periods.

I wouldnt exactly call them cold hardy. They do ok outside here in Arizona, but I dont think that they are cold hardy...
just an opinion...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinocactus_grusonii
(last edit) I have no idea what the HTML demons were doing, but I fixed it finally sorry for the messed up flow with the link, but it was easier that way)

Andy_CT · Post by **Andy_CT** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:59 pm

Johnts71 wrote:Echinocactus grusonii cold hardy?

Its not on the list I see

John P Weiser · Post by **John P Weiser** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:17 pm

Peter
I don't know if I grow them

. They are however the ones that have survived in my zone 7 garden.

John
The Grunsoii are not too hard with a dry winter. This last wet winter beat the Grusonia aggeria up badly. Lost over half the pads. All three of my Echinocactus texensis sailed through in great shape a few blemish spots but otherwise heathy.

Andy
It would be longer if I had my way.

Tony,Harriet,and Peter
I guess I could post a few.

If I must.

Ranunculus glaberrimus var. glaberrimus

Viola beckwithii

Fritillaria pudica

Allium parvum

Astragalus purshii

Astragalus gilviflorus

Phlox diffusa

Phlox stansburyi
These are all western American natives from dry environments. They can survive on as little as six inches of precipitation a year. The first three by going dormant in hot weather. The rest by conserving moisture loss due to leaves modified with, fuzz, wax, or reduced surface area.

Tony I know you have been squinting looking for cactus so, "Tony this one's for you buddy."

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:23 pm

THANKS!

All the plants are wonderful. Don't you just love Spring?

John P Weiser · Post by **John P Weiser** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:36 pm

John

I miss read your question.
The answer is no Echinocactus grusonii is not hardy. I have burned through a half dozen to come to that conclusion.
We all know hardness is relative. A good example would be my in-laws from San Diego. They are not hardy at all.

iann · Post by **iann** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:48 pm

How cold does it get in Sparks? E. grusonii here can survive -7C (20F) but it marks up pretty badly. I imagine it would mark less in Nevada at the same temperature but I don't think it can go a lot lower. I used to think the orange marks were down to humidity and condensation, but now think they are simple cold damage that just doesn't show up until spring.

I've had some surprise successes and failures this year. Echinocereus nivosus, Notocactus roseoluteus, and Coryphantha sulcata proved very hardy. Trichocereus bridgesii turned to mush. Ferocactus herrerae survived being accidentally left out at -7C (20F), but after spending the rest of the winter frost free it now has some orange marks including quite a serious one. Ferocactus histrix came through clean.

All the Tephrocactus and Eriosyce plants came through those temperatures and all the Escobarias, US Echinocereus, Glandulicactus, Maihuenia, and Pediocactus came through at -15C (5F).

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 12:04 am

Ian,
I would assume that it gets colder then it does here. What is the elevation in Sparks?

Iam at about 2500 give or take a lil and it seems to me that we are at about the -7C (20F) for our lowest low since I got my thermometer (which was 6 years ago I think). It seems the usual ave low is around 28F. But then again, I might be wrong, just my observations.

John P Weiser · Post by **John P Weiser** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 12:34 am

Iann & Peter
We are at 4500'(1372 meters) elevation. Our average lows from mid December though mid Febuary hover at about 10F(-12C)give or take, in the evenings. We do however, often dip down to zero(-18C) for extended periods. Form two days to a week.

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 4:13 am

John,
Thanks for clearing that up. Anything that I grow here for the most part probably couldnt take the below zero stuff for very long. Minus maybe the C. spinsior that I have..