Cold-Hardy Cacti for the Mountain West

Not just houseplants, these textured, blooming perennials will bring a taste of the desert to your garden

For the last several old age , succulents have been all the furore for both the garden and the home . And what ’s not to know about succulents ? They are generally water - wise , have minimal pests , have interesting kind and structure , and are overall easy - care plant . There is a unexampled trend taking shape in the Mountain West : the improver of stout cacti to garden . While limited aid can be ask due to their bristly spine , their stunning flowers and interesting modeled pattern more than make up for the periodic poke .

At theGardens on Spring Creek , where I serve as the executive film director , we recently added a cactus garden as part of our new Undaunted Garden , design and maintained by Lauren Springer , an internationally known landscape painting couturier and plantswoman who calls Fort Collins menage . Lauren ’s plan is for the cactus garden to become the enceinte public collection of fearless cacti in the United States . Planted just last year , this garden is well on its agency to being a showpiece of these awing plants .

You might be wondering , what is a brave cactus ? It depends on where you live . In this case , “ hardy ” is defined by the geographical zone you subsist in , so be sure to experience your USDA Hardiness Zone and a plant ’s specific zone to ensure it will tolerate the insensate winter temperatures in your expanse .

Cacti prefer well - drained soil , which can be baffling in our grave Henry Clay soils . Planting in berm and adding coarse guts and some compost will help . In our cactus garden , which is on the south - facing incline of a large berm , scoria ( humble lava sway ) was tilled into the soil to assist better drainage even more . It seems to have worked , because the newly plant cacti are thriving .

It should be no surprisal that cacti need full Lord’s Day ( hence the south - face slope referenced above ) . Depending upon the variety , they may need some additional weewee in their first year after planting . Once established , less to no water system is want . They also do not call for winter lachrymation , broadly speaking preferring to be juiceless during the cold months . Mulch with rock mulch , using a smaller type such as pea plant get to to preserve moisture in the soil while keeping plant crowns dry . There are many types of stout cacti to pick out from . Some of my favorite let in these .

Tree cholla

Cylindropuntia imbricata , zone 6–11

Chollas are simply stunning , so much so that I buy one at this year ’s industrial plant sale for my rock garden . Tree cholla has more of a tree - anatomy shape , uprise 3 to 5 feet marvellous and wide . It can grow larger farther to the south . In spring it is covered with 3 - to-4 - inch - tall Battle of Magenta flowers followed by bright yellowish fruits . institute these cacti can be challenging , as they have limb covered in spine about 1 in long , so utilize alloy tongs , which work wonders . That ’s a tip I learned from Lauren and our horticulture squad at Spring Creek .

Silver cholla

Cylindropuntia whipplei‘Snow Leopard ’ , Zones 5–10

This cholla is similar to tree diagram cholla except it has yellow blossom . It is hardy ( to Zone 5 ) and is cover in silver backbone , which attend peculiarly lovely in the evening when the cactus come out to glow in the setting sun .

‘Coombe’s Winter Glow’ golden prickly pear

Opuntiaaurea‘Coombe ’s Winter Glow ’ , geographical zone 5 - 10

This golden bristled pear has blue - green pads up to 6 column inch in diameter that are mostly spineless , although there may be a few spike along the top edges . This species hybridize well , and with its spineless pads , has been used to create many fresh species in the trade . It can get up to 2 feet marvellous and spreads up to 4 feet across . It is called prosperous for its bright yellow flowers that bloom in mid- to late spring . While this cultivar has yellow flowers , it crossbreed very easily and its offspring may have pinkish or apricot blossom .

Bailey’s hedgehog cactus

Echinocereus reichenbachiissp.baileyi , zone 4–10

This hedgehog cactus grows to about 8 inches tall and 3.5 inches in diam . A clopping cactus , it can have multiple stems from its alkali . This modest cactus packs a punch , with its bright magenta bloom with yellow stamens in mid to later fountain . This mintage has a adorable fragrance .

Lee’s spiny star cactus

Escobaria leei , Zones 4–9

This diminutive cactus is perfect for trough or use in container with other low - water succulents . It ’s a rarified cactus that also clumps with many humble head enshroud in midget , tightly woven spines . Its pale pinko to coral - colored flowers have yellow centers , and it blossom in previous spring .

For more information about and source of hardy cacti in our area , look to theColorado Cactus and Succulent Society . And be sure to inflict the cactus at the newUndaunted Gardenat the Gardens on Spring Creek next clock time you visit Colorado . It is stunning .

— Michelle Provaznik is executive conductor of the Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins , Colorado .

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