Recommendations for Cold Hardy Small Cactus in Rock Wall

[Fairview]

In the process of building a rock garden. Thinking of interplanting a few E. Triglochidiatus between the agaves. Would E. reichenbachii do well in-between the rocks? I also have them elsewhere in the landscape also.

Any other recommendations would be appreciated, cacti or other. Needs to stay small and have similar hardiness as triglochidiatus and reichenbachii that have done well in my N Texas winters.

Thanks

And the Nolina will be relocated.

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[jnewmark]

I’ve had great success with E.Loydii in zone 6A.

[Fairview]

I’ve had great success with E.Loydii in zone 6A.

Thanks, those are nice. Did a search and everyone is nis.

[abborean]

Echinocactus texensis does good here but most of the plant needs to be down in some rocks. Here any dirt covering the base would rot them. The damned fire ants have done that for me a couple times resulting in death to the cactus. Have had some success with triglochidiatus and reichenbachii here also in straight rocks. Here is 8A SE NC not dissimilar to your climate I suspect.

[Fairview]

Echinocactus texensis does good here but most of the plant needs to be down in some rocks. Here any dirt covering the base would rot them. The damned fire ants have done that for me a couple times resulting in death to the cactus. Have had some success with triglochidiatus and reichenbachii here also in straight rocks. Here is 8A SE NC not dissimilar to your climate I suspect.

I've been looking at E texensis but it looks wicked to work around.

[abborean]

The spines are very stiff and not so pointy. The plant can be handled easily with leather garden gloves. If it's planted in straight rock there will be no need to weed.

[jnewmark]

Good source for cold hardy cactus, and other succulents.


https://coldhardycactus.com/collections/all

[Gee.S]

Lots of nice Thelocactus in the world. Too tender for your part of TX?

[Fairview]

Good source for cold hardy cactus, and other succulents.


https://coldhardycactus.com/collections/all

First place I looked. Unfortunately NIS.

Lots of nice Thelocactus in the world. Too tender for your part of TX?

The most cold hardy I could find was setispinus listed by ethical desert. I have also found that some of the hardiness information to be more than slightly exaggerated imo. With what seems to be an annual polar blast dropping temps into low teens/single digits it's a challenge to find nice cacti that aren't Optunia.

[jnewmark]

Good source for cold hardy cactus, and other succulents.


https://coldhardycactus.com/collections/all

First place I looked. Unfortunately NIS.

Lots of nice Thelocactus in the world. Too tender for your part of TX?

The most cold hardy I could find was setispinus listed by ethical desert. I have also found that some of the hardiness information to be more than slightly exaggerated imo. With what seems to be an annual polar blast dropping temps into low teens/single digits it's a challenge to find nice cacti that aren't Optunia.

If by "NIS" you mean not in stock, there are plenty of other cold hardy selections. Pretty much every Echinocereus I have tried from there has stood up to 6A Winters, if protected in Winter from excessive moisture.

[Gee.S]

Lots of nice Thelocactus in the world. Too tender for your part of TX?

The most cold hardy I could find was setispinus listed by ethical desert. I have also found that some of the hardiness information to be more than slightly exaggerated imo. With what seems to be an annual polar blast dropping temps into low teens/single digits it's a challenge to find nice cacti that aren't Optunia.

I wouldn't trust any supposed "information" from Ethical Desert. Decent grower, but an absolute tool. I'm not sure most claret cups could manage single digits. Pelecyphora (Escobaria) vivipara maybe? Tho I have that in my low desert yard.

[Paul S]

I have a couple of old booklets, going back to the late 90s when the internet had just happened, written for cold USA zones. Might be worth looking out for them if you don't know about them.

Growing Winter Hardy Cacti in Cold Wet Climates by John Spain.
Where The Hardy Cactus Grow by David Sierer.

plus a couple of more recent books

Cacti and Succulents for Cold Climates by Leo J Chance
High and Dry - Gardening with Cold Hardy Dryland Plants by Robert Nold. Not just cacti in this one.

Both written by guys with decades of growing experience. Might be useful, might not.

[abborean]

I remember David Sierer from the hardy cactus group. It was an email group. All those guys were great sources of first hand information. Am pretty sure that Tim Beehan the yucca grower in Massachusetts was on that list also. Agaveville is way more complete in information but this is a different time.

[Gafoto]

Lots of nice Thelocactus in the world. Too tender for your part of TX?

The most cold hardy I could find was setispinus listed by ethical desert. I have also found that some of the hardiness information to be more than slightly exaggerated imo. With what seems to be an annual polar blast dropping temps into low teens/single digits it's a challenge to find nice cacti that aren't Optunia.

I wouldn't trust any supposed "information" from Ethical Desert. Decent grower, but an absolute tool. I'm not sure most claret cups could manage single digits. Pelecyphora (Escobaria) vivipara maybe? Tho I have that in my low desert yard.

Echinocereus mojavensis is basically invincible. It grows along the Wasatch mountains where it gets single digits most winters in addition to being covered in snow and ice for days at a time. Echinocereus viridiflorus is another one that doesn’t care about cold and wet. They grow in southern Wyoming where they get even worse conditions. I have both of these species growing on north facing areas for years.

I would guess lots of other Echinocereus will survive in this type of bed, like reichenbachii ssp. perbellus and triglochodiatus and coccineus.

Escobaria missouriensis and vivipara should do well.

[Gee.S]

The most cold hardy I could find was setispinus listed by ethical desert. I have also found that some of the hardiness information to be more than slightly exaggerated imo. With what seems to be an annual polar blast dropping temps into low teens/single digits it's a challenge to find nice cacti that aren't Optunia.

I wouldn't trust any supposed "information" from Ethical Desert. Decent grower, but an absolute tool. I'm not sure most claret cups could manage single digits. Pelecyphora (Escobaria) vivipara maybe? Tho I have that in my low desert yard.

Echinocereus mojavensis is basically invincible. It grows along the Wasatch mountains where it gets single digits most winters in addition to being covered in snow and ice for days at a time. Echinocereus viridiflorus is another one that doesn’t care about cold and wet. They grow in southern Wyoming where they get even worse conditions. I have both of these species growing on north facing areas for years.

I would guess lots of other Echinocereus will survive in this type of bed, like reichenbachii ssp. perbellus and triglochodiatus and coccineus.

Escobaria missouriensis and vivipara should do well.

Yeah, come to think of it I recall Echinocereus growing along the eastern slopes of the CO Rockies back in the day, tho I didn't know what they were at the time. Not sure how they would manage summers in TX tho.