Cactus is often associated with hot and dry desert areas. It is true that most cacti love drought, but also at higher elevations where temperatures dip well below freezing. If you want to add a cactus to your desert lands, choose species that tolerate low winter temperatures where you live if you don’t want to risk losing them. Caring for a cactus in the winter is much easier with the right plant.
Cold Hardy Pear Cactus Opuntia
Prickly pear cactus are among the most diverse species of cacti, and they grow anywhere from sea level up to 10,000 feet in elevation. Obviously, it is not unusual to see them covered in snow. The hardest species include:
- Beavertail Pear rough magenta beautiful flowers.
- The field pyre has crimson yellow or pink flowers. dried fruit as opposed to other rough pear species.
- The prickly brown pear has yellow flowers and thick, juicy fruits.
Cold Hardy Ferocactus Cactus
- Arizona barrel is found at elevations up to 5600 feet. Arizona first round the barrel, finally elongate. It is sometimes mistaken for a sahuaro. Arizona barrel has golden, red or yellow flowers, grows to a height of about 8 feet.
- California barrel is another tough barrel cactus. It grows up to 10 feet tall, thriving anywhere from 200 feet to 5,000 feet in elevation. The spines are very thick; you cannot see the flesh between them. The flowers are pale red to yellow.
- The Texas barrel cactus is small only reaching 1 foot tall. Thorns are pleasant; twisting everything in a way that creates a twisted look. Don’t panic if the green summer color turns purple in winter. This is normal. The Texas barrel is hard from 30 to 5 thousand feet in elevation.
Let your Cactus be used in the winter; Is it necessary?
Cacti do not need supplemental water during the winter as long as the winter rains are normal. If, however, they do not receive the winter rains, it is a good idea to wet them deeply, especially if a dry winter follows a dry summer. Do not water to the roots of the plants. Water absorbing roots are all around the plant ways, and they extend at least 2 to 3 times. Cactus water to a depth of 3 feet. It is enough to water once a month in winter, until it rains several days in a row.
Protecting the soft Cactus from Frost
Frost protection is not necessary if you have chosen a hardy cactus for landscaping. If you have exotic, tender cold species, you must protect them from frost.
Columnar cacti, those in the Cereus family, are especially susceptible to cold damage. Cover these plants with sun protection or frost protection covers. Do not wrap the plant, because this does not work. You must make your tent high and secure on the ground. This is because you are trying to catch the rising heat only, so as not to transfer the coldness to the skin. Always remove the covers during the day, especially if the sun is shining, so you can take more heat if someone else is predicted to be cold.
Edition: Hibernica, Maria F., Hydrangea in the desert, University of Arizona Press, 2000.
Fischer, Pierre C., 70 Common Cacti of the South, South African Gardens and Monuments Association, 1989
Stanley Schuler editor, Cacti and Succulents, Simon and Schuster, 1985, Inc.
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