Mamillaria meiacantha hardiness question

[Tom2643]

Hey everyone -

I was looking at High Country Garden's website and they had a cactus I hadn't seen before, Mamillaria meiacantha listed as zone 4 hardy. Does anyone have any experience with this or think it's even close to accurate? I'm thinking about giving it a shot.

[peterb]

Hi Tom- Mammillaria meiacantha ranges from southern forms such as bullingtoniana (probably not so hardy) to forms from north central NM. I think the meiacantha HCG sells is from seed collected in Mora County, very cold area. Worth a shot; it probably would work.

peterb

[Tom2643]

Thanks!

[iann]

I think zone 4 might be stretching it. In particular I think Minnesota zone 4 is going to kill this plant pretty quickly. Some clones certainly good down to -10F, probably -20F, but that's for short periods in ideal conditions. Think Santa Fe cold, not Great Lakes cold

[Tom2643]

I'm always willing to experiment so I bought it anyways. You never know until you try! I'm sure it will end up like 99% of the various Echinocereus I try and emerge from the winter as a lovely little patch of green goo in the rocks, but it might end up being that one E. triglochiadatus that has overwintered for several winters now! But I'm not really getting my hopes up. I'll have to let you know how it does next spring!

[hikingman473]

Regarding the zone 4 Mamillaria meiacantha collection sold by High Country Gardens. The seed for these plants comes from the species most northerly location, an area of rocky mesas and grasslands located in Mora Co., NM. The High Country seed plants originally grew at an elevation of 7,500 ft.

I found this population some years ago on my family ranch in Mora Co. This is a brutally cold, short season area of the northeastern Great Plains of NM. Arctic fronts sweep down the east side of the Rockies and can drop the temperatures to -30F. The plants are found growing in volcanic cobble mixed with clay soil and are wedged between the rocks where cattle and elk hooves won't damage them. They often winter under a blanket of dry Rocky Mountain snow which provides some winter insulation. When protected from winter moisture, it's zone 4 hardy.
David

[Tom2643]

Cool! I did end up trying this one, it survived winter just fine but melted about halfway through the spring. One day I might try it again, maybe try making a little crevice type spot for it to grow.