Do you live in a climate where there is usually frost but you really want to have some cold resistant cacti? If so, you are in luck, because even though they are plants that are used to living in hot climates, the reality is that in deserts at night the temperature drops very quickly, so everything that lives in them They must know how to adapt to these conditions.
So to have an idyllic garden or patio in areas where winter produces some frosts it is also possible to have some cacti. Here you have our selection.
Genus Ferocactus
TheFerocactusAlso called as Biznaga, they are globular plants with very long spines - about 5-7cm -, up to 1cm wide and curved. They inhabit the deserts of California and Baja California, some areas of Arizona, southern Nevada and Mexico, so in general they withstand frosts well up to the -4ºC.
Since most of this genus withstands light frosts, it is usually recommended whole, but the truth is that some species endure much longer than others. Also keep in mind that if they are not kept completely dry during frost, they are very likely to rot. This is the approximate cold resistance of the most common:
Ferocactus gracilis (-2ºC)
Ferocactus glaucescens (It is not recommended to expose it to frost, but it can last up to -2ºC)
Ferocactus pilosus (It is not recommended to expose it to frost, but it can hold up to -3ºC)
Ferocactus emoryi (-6ºC)
Ferocactus rectispinus (-3ºC)
Ferocactus robustus (-6ºC)
Ferocactus macrodiscus (It is not recommended to expose it to frost, but it can hold up to -2ºC)
Echinopsis are cacti that can be globular or columnar. Their spines are more or less long, between 1 and 3cm depending on the species. And they have flowers ... not beautiful, the following, as you can see in the image. Living in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay, within this genus we can find interesting plants to have in climates with medium frosts of up to -8ºC. These are cacti you can always buy and trust to survive the winters, so they are worth acknowledging. These are some of the most common:
Echinopsis subdenudata (-7ºC)
Echinopsis oxygona (-6ºC)
Echinopsis leucantha (-12ºC)
Echinopsis chamacereus (-8ºC)
Echinopsis (Lobivia) cinnabarin (-12ºC)
Genus Trichocereus
Saint Peter (Trichocereus macrogonus subsp. pachanoi / Echinopsis pachanoi)
Today, although it is an accepted genus, most of its species have moved to the genus echinopsis. Here we are going to talk about both echinopsis columnar that formerly belonged to this genus, such as those now considered Trichocereus. The entire Trichocereeae tribe is under review and species are being changed from one genera to another. In the hobby, columnar Echinopsis is often called Trichocereus and the old names are preferred, since the new ones change them as soon as you learn them.
They inhabit western South America, from Ecuador to central Chile, mainly in the Andes. They look similar to echinopsis, with the same flowers and fruits, but they tend to be finer. If we include all the echinopsis columnar, the differences are that they are much taller and less branched than the rest of echinopsis, and they usually have fibers that come out of the areolas from a certain height to protect them from the sun. Since they tend to grow at high altitudes, they are highly resistant to cold, but they take heat worse and need more water than other cacti. Besides that, they are one of the faster growing cactus.
Trichocereus pachanoi (According to Plants of the World Online, today it should be considered a subspecies of Trichocereus macrogonus, although years ago the name was changed to Echinopsis pachanoi) (-12ºC)
The oreocereus are generally columnar cacti that reach about 3m Tall. They are very decorative, as their stems are covered with fibers as a consequence of the climate of the Andes, which is where they originate.
Almost all species withstand frosts of up to -15ºC, but only if they are kept completely dry. If they are exposed to strong frosts with the substrate wet, they rot very easily. The most common, along with the temperatures that can withstand with the wet substrate are:
Oreocereus trollii (-5ºC)
Oreocereus celsianus (-10ºC)
Cleistocactus strausii
In the genus Cleistocactus there are many cacti that withstand temperatures close to -5ºC, but the most used is Cleistocactus strausii. This species is undoubtedly the cold resistant cactus that is most sought after in cold and humid climates. Withstands temperatures below -10ºC, even being on wet substrate.
It is a columnar cactus up to 3m high with very thin stems (rarely more than 10cm thick), completely covered with white fibers and small yellowish spines of up to 2cm. It grows moderately fast and produces a large number of suckers, so it quickly acquires a good size. Its flowers are tubular and red, not very large, and never fully open.
Opuntia
Opuntia ficus-indica Large size
They are very typical cacti, but also curious, forming flattened stems that lose their apex after reaching their size. Many also have typical spines, tiny spines (called glochids) that detach on contact and cause irritation. They are one of the few cacti with leaves, although they only have them while the stems are growing. Some species grow to be large trees and others barely rise 10cm from the ground. The fruit of some species is consumed (mainly that of Opuntia ficus-indica) and is called prickly pear in parts of Latin America and prickly pear in Spain. Some species are considered invasive in Spain, but as their names are misplaced in the Catalog, the ban is ignored.
The most resistant to cold can withstand temperatures below -40ºC, but the most cultivated have a hard time with -10ºC. It must be borne in mind that it is a huge genus, with species distributed throughout the Americas, so its resistance to cold varies greatly. These are the most common:
Opuntia polyacantha (-15 to -45ºC, depending on the clone)
Cylindropuntia
Cylindropuntia tunicata
Like the Opuntia, grow by segments, but in this case cylindrical. Some species only lose the apex on the lateral branches, having continuous growth on the main stem. Some grow seedlings up to 3 or 4 meters high, while others do not exceed half a meter. They are one of the fastest growing cacti and usually have large harpoon-shaped spines (up to about 5cm) with which they are stuck in the animals to transport them to another place. For that reason are considered invasive species . and its possession, transport, sale, etc. is illegal.
Even so, it is interesting to know that they are very resistant to cold cacti, although because they inhabit from central North America to southern Mexico, going down the eastern islands to northern South America, their resistance to cold varies greatly. . Those that can be found feral in Spain are:
Cylindropuntia fulgida (-10ºC)
Cylindropuntia tunicata (-20ºC)
Cylindropuntia rosea (-15ºC)
Cylindropuntia imbricata (-28ºC)
Cylindropuntia spinosior (-20ºC)
Echinocereus
Image - Wikimedia / Michael Wolf
This genus is made up of small but very striking cacti, both for their large brightly colored flowers and for their shape or coloring of the thorns. There are numerous species and their area of distribution covers almost the entire west coast and central United States and much of Mexico. For this reason, here we find some of the most cold-resistant medium-sized cacti. However, those that are usually commercialized are native to Mexico and therefore not very resistant. Even so, it is one of the genres that are a safe bet if your temperatures do not drop below the -5ºC. The most common and the most resistant are:
Echinocereus rigidissimus (-12ºC)
Echinocereus pentalophus (-5ºC)
Echinocereus subinermis (-2ºC)
Echinocereus triglochidiatus (-25ºC)
Echinocereus dasyacanthus (-10ºC)
Echinocereus reichenbachii (-30ºC)
Echinocereus viridiflorus (-20ºC)
broom
viviparous escobaria
These are small cacti that inhabit from Canada to Mexico, passing through the entire central United States. As you can guess, coming from Canada, we find species that are the most cold-resistant cacti. They look similar to Mammillaria, but with larger flowers. They are usually completely covered with small thorns that prevent snow from reaching the stem. It is not difficult to see them for sale, but they are the typical plants that we overlook. The most resistant to cold are:
viviparous escobaria (-15 to -45ºC, depending on the place of origin)
broom missouriensis (-35ºC)
So, you just have to choose the one you like the most to enjoy a 'piece' of desert in your home.
If you are interested in knowing which are fast-growing cacti, click here:
