In the snow in the UK

Discuss hardy cacti grown outside all year.
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esp_imaging
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In the snow in the UK

Post by esp_imaging »

We've had heavy snowfall in central England, and I have a few plants outside. I assume they won't be too troubled by the weather, but we'll see.
I had a lot of plants in this stand over the summer, raised up to help prevent slug attack, and covered with perspex over the autumn:
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It's now only got a handful of plants remaining, including a rather battered Echinopsis oygona:
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An Acanthocalycium violaceum:
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and Sedum sediforme - other Sedums are completely covered in snow:
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There are a few more plants at the front of the house, fairly sheltered. This is a covered-up Aloe aristata:
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The Cordyline isn't really a succulent, but it shares a pot with more Sedum sediforme:
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A small diverse collection of Cacti & Succulents
Based in the UK
http://www.edwardshaw.co.uk/cacti
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stefan m.
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Re: In the snow in the UK

Post by stefan m. »

Echinopsis and Cordyline are ~-10C" hardy... So as long as they are not exposed to extreme humidity and cold, youll be fine. I do know some of these plants meet the borderline hardiness limit in the UK, but ultimately you will still be forced to move inside them should the temperature drop bellow said limit. I am hearing various weather forecasts that say some kind of cold wave is approaching europe from the west... So i hope you are ready to act if needed .
Also another cordyline grower yay..
esp_imaging
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Re: In the snow in the UK

Post by esp_imaging »

The humidity is forecast to be in the range 83-100% continuously for several days - it's often high in the winter.
Temperatures may stay at -4 for 12 hours over the next couple of days, so I think I'll bring the cacti into shelter, as they will be a little damp if the snow melts beforehand.
A small diverse collection of Cacti & Succulents
Based in the UK
http://www.edwardshaw.co.uk/cacti
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Grimm
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Location: Lincolnshire, England

Re: In the snow in the UK

Post by Grimm »

I have a Cordyline australis (cabbage palm) that I found growing in my gravel about 10 years ago. They're semi-naturalised in this area of the UK and often turn up growing out of cracks in people's driveways etc - there's even one growing in someone's chimney!!!

Mine is now 8ft tall to the tips of its leaves, and when I transplanted it a few years ago its root was between 1ft and 2ft long (as long as the stem at the time) - problem is that they can't stand a harsh winter as Stephan.m says. Our bad winter of 2010 killed off the stems of most local plants. Although they mostly grew back from the roots, I'm still worried about mine :(

Note: some people seem to consider it a succulent, I'm not sure if the other Cordyline are the same.
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stefan m.
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Re: In the snow in the UK

Post by stefan m. »

Not to turn this into a debate topic. But its a tropical plant living in semi arid conditions. So unfortunately not.
Only succulents in the group(tree-wise, not technically a group) are beaucarnea,nolina, Dracaeana draco group, desert yucca.
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