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Cultivation Articles Home			Cold Hardy Cacti

Opuntia macrocentra Photo: Bill Williams

Cold Hardy Cacti & Succulents Written – June 17, 2009 This is a list of cacti & succulents that can survive outside in cold climates, known as *Cold Hardy Plants*. Many great plants can be grown outside in the northern climate zones, probably a lot more than you think. Being a SoCal nursery, we do not get snow or freezing temps. We have gotten a very few nights down to 28F, but on average 40-50F are the winter lows. So this list was compiled from various website searches, word of mouth, our northern growing friends and some personal experience. Low temperature ratings are given when known however, caution should always be taken when the temps reach the lowest range. To find out what USDA hardiness zone you live in click here for a USDA zone map. This is certainly not a complete list of cold hardy plants and will be updated as new information arrives. If you have any of this information to offer, please contact us.

Ferocactus cylindraceus Barstow, CA Photo: Buck Hemenway Opuntia polyacantha v. erinacea Barstow, CA Photo: Buck Hemenway Cylindropuntia ramosissima Barstow, CA Photo: Buck Hemenway Opuntia fragilis Connecticut, USA Photo: Andy Opuntia macrocentra + Sempervivum Kansas City, KS Photo: Bill Williams	1. Cold Hardy Cacti Coryphantha macromeris - down to +10F C. echinus - zone 6 C. compacta - zone 7 C. sulcata - zone 5 C. recurvata - zone 7 Cylindropuntia arbuscula - light frost for short periods - down to 20F - zone 9b C. whipplei - average resistance to moisture and rain - good cold resistance (-26C, -15F) C. imbricata - good cold resistance (-29C, -20F) - good moisture and rain resistance C. davisii - down to 20F - zone 5 C. leptocaulis - zone 5 - reports of down to -4F (-20C) C. munzii - light snow coverings - zone 7a C. multigeniculata - light snow coverings - zone 6 C. kleiniae - zone 5 - reports of down to -4F (-20C) C. ramosissima - light snow coverings -zone 6 C. spinosior - very frost hardy - down to 10F (-12C) C. viridiflora - very cold hardy - can withstand being snow covered for extended periods - down to -4F (-20C) C. verschaffeltii - down to 10F Echinocactus horizonthalonius var. moelleri - down to 10F E. texensis - zone 6 Echinocereus coccineus E. bonkerae - zone 7a E. dasyacanthus - down to 10F E. chloranthus - very frost hardy - reports of down to -4F (-20C) E. engelmannii (and some varieties/subspecies) - zone 6 E. fendleri (and varieties/subspecies) - zone 6 E. melenacanthus - very good cold resistance E. nicholii E. pectinatus - down to 20F E. reichenbachii (and varieties/subspecies) - zone 5 E. rigidissimus (and varieties) - zone 7 E. russanthus - zone 5b E. stramineus E. triglochidiatus (and varieties/subspecies) - very good cold and average moisture resistance (reports of -34C, -30F) E. viridiflorus (and varieties/subspecies) - good cold resistance (at least -25C, -13F) - resistant to moisture and rain - zones 4-7 E. X lloydii - light snow coverings - zone 6 Epithelantha micromeris - zone 6 Escobaria albicolumnaria - light snow coverings - zone 7 E. chihuahuaensis - light snow coverings - zone 7 E. leei - zone 4 E. minima - down to 20F E. missouriensis - one of the most hardy cacti E. orcutti (and v. koenigii) - zone 5 E. sneedii - zone 4 E. vivipara - very good cold resistance Ferocactus hamatacanthus - most hardy of all Ferocactus species - said to go down to 0F (-18C) - zone 6 F. cylindraceus v. lecontei - this variety grows in higher elevations (2500ft+) - down to 20F F. wislizeni - down to 20F Grusonia clavata - zone 5 - reports of down to -4F (-20C) G. pulchella - good cold resistance (at least -30C, -20F) - snow covered - zone 6 Gymnocalycium bruchii - down to 20F (can handle lower temps for short periods if dry) - zone 6-7 G. calochlorum v. proliferum - light snow coverings - zone 6-7 G. gibbosum v. nigrum - light snow coverings - zone 6-7 Mammillaria heyderi v. burllingtoniana - light snow coverings - zone 6-7 Maihueniopsis darwinii (Tephrocactus) - zone 4 M. poepegii - zone 5 Opuntia aurea (O. basilaris v. aurea) - very hardy - zone 5 O. aciculata - light snow coverings - down to 0F (-18C) - zone 7a O. basilaris - average resistance to moisture and rain - good cold resistance (-29C, -20F) O. basilaris v. brachyclada - zone 5 O. humifusa (=O. compressa) - resistant to moisture and rain - very good cold resistance (at least -34C, -30F) O. cymochila O. debreczyi (O. fragilis v. denuda) - zone 3 O. engelmannii (and some varieties) - down to 5F O. erinacea (O. polyacantha v. erinacea) - good cold resistance (-29C, -20F) - poor resistance to moisture and rain - var. columbiana is the northern most species O. elata - light frost for short periods - down to 20F - zone 9b O. fragilis (and almost all is varieties, subspecies and hybrids) - average moisture resistance but rain is not a problem - very good cold resistance (-34C, -30F), rumors about -60C, -75F O. gilvescens - snow covered - zone 6 O. heacockii - zone 3 O. leucotricha - light frost for short periods - down to 20F - zone 9b O. lindheimerii - light frost for short periods - down to 20F - zone 9b O. mackensenii - snow covered - zone 6 O. microdasys - light frost for short periods - down to 20F - zone 9b O. violacea - sensitive to moisture and rain - reports of surviving from -40C, -45F O. macrocentra - zone 6 O. macrorhiza - resistant to moisture and rain - very good cold resistance (-34C, -30F) O. phaeacantha - resistant to moisture and rain - good cold resistance (-29C, -20F) O. phaeacantha var. camanchica - resistant to moisture and rain - good cold resistance (-29C, -20F) O. phaeacantha var. major - resistant to moisture and rain - good cold resistance (-29C, -20F) O. polyacantha - average resistance to moisture and rain - very good cold resistance (-34C, -30F) O. polyacantha x fragilis - very good resistance to moisture and rain - very good cold resistance (-34C, -30F) O. pottsii - snow covered - zone 6 O. pusilla - reports of down to -4F (-20C) O. rhodantha - snow covered - zone 6 O. rufida - down to 20F O. scheeri - light snowfall - down to 0F (-18C) - zone 7a O. santa-rita - down to 10F Pediocactus nigrispinus - good cold resistance (at least -30C, -20F) P. simpsonii - good cold resistance - average resistance to moisture and rain - snow covered Sclerocactus spp. - average moisture resistance - good cold resistance Tephrocactus articulatus - down to 10F Thelocactus setispinus - zone 8 T. bicolor v. flavidispina - Northern most variety of the specie - zone 7 T. rinconensis - down to 20F Trichocereus pachanoi can survive to +10 F (for short durations)
	2. Cold Hardy Succulents Agave havardiana - average cold resistance (-20C, -4F) A. colorata - down to 20F A. lechuguilla - average cold resistance (-20C, -4F) A. neomexicana - to +05F A. polyantheflora - zone 6 A. parryi - average cold resistance (-20C, -4F), maybe even -30C, -20F - better resistance to rain than most Agaves A. tomeyana - average cold resistance (-15C, 5F) A. utahensis (and varieties/subspecies) - average cold resistance (-20C, -4F), maybe even -29C, -20F - zone 5 Yucca baccata - down to 20F Y. faxoniana - down to 20F Y. neomexicana - zone 4 Y. pallida - zone 5 Sedum acre S. album S. anacamperos S. bupleuroides S. cauticolum S. dasyphyllum S. divergens S. kamtschaticum f. variegata S. lanseolatum S. minimum S. oreganum var. procumbens S. pachyclados S. reflexum S. spathulifolium S. spurium S. tartarinowii S. telephium - all reported to be very frost hardy, often snow covered - down to -4F (-20C) Sempervivum allionii S. arachnoideum S. ballsii S. calcareum S. dzhavachischvilii S. kosanii S. mamoreum S. montanum S. pseudoornatum S. reginae-amaliae S. rubrifolium S. schnittspahnii S. settilum rubrifolium S. vicentei S. violaceum - all reported to be very frost hardy, often snow covered - down to -4F (-20C)
Contact Jen and Darryl Email: CCN@coronacactus.com Mammillaria guelzowiana		Escobaria chihuahuaensis ssp. hendricksonii

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