When winter puts a snow cap on cacti, astonished looks over the garden fence are inevitable. The question arises whether mother nature actually has frost-resistant cacti in her portfolio. Get to know hardy cactus species and varieties with tips for overwintering outdoors.
Prickly pear cacti are very hardy
These cacti survive freezing temperatures - a selection
In order to discover frost-resistant cacti, we look at distribution areas with comparable weather conditions in winter. In South America, these are primarily the Andes. Hardy cactus species have also settled in the North American mountains and in Canada. The focus is on the following 3 cactus genera and their species:
Opuntia (Prickly Pear)
- Opuntia fragilis 'Frankfurt': small, yellow flowers, hardy to - 20 degrees Celsius
- Opuntia hystricina 'Hagen': medium-sized, purple flowers, hardy to - 32 degrees Celsius
- Opuntia macrorhiza 'Apricot': medium-sized, apricot-colored flowers, hardy to - 22 degrees Celsius
- Opuntia engelmannii: 50 to 100 cm tall, yellow flowers, hardy to - 22 degrees Celsius
- Cylindropuntia imbricata: 100 to 200 cm tall, richly branched, purple flowers, hardy to - 25 degrees Celsius
Echinocereus (Hedgehog pillar cactus)
- Echinocereus baileyi: small, light purple flowers, hardy to - 32 degrees Celsius
- Echinocereus Reichenbachii 'Atascosa': medium-sized, pink flowers, hardy to - 32 degrees Celsius
- Echinocereus triglochidiatus ssp. mojavensis: richly branched at the base, cherry red flowers, hardy to - 32 degrees Celsius
Escorbaria (ball cactus)
- Escobaria tuberculosa: 5 cm in diameter,
- Escobaria vivipara forma: 5-6 cm in diameter, violet flowers, hardy to - 25 degrees Celsius
- Escobaria vivipara v. neomexicana: 4-5 cm in diameter, violet-pink flowers, hardy to -15 degrees Celsius
If you are on the lookout for frost-resistant rarities, the genus Gymnocalycium (hump cactus) becomes the center of interest. Among the more than 50 species there are about 7 to 10 hardy gems. With a height of 10 to 20 cm, bizarrely shaped, bumpy ribs, these cacti inspire with beautiful yellow flowers in May and June. Temperatures of up to -32 degrees Celsius are tolerated in winter.
Tips for wintering
In Central Europe, permanent wetness is the biggest problem for your prickly survivors. If the location is not under a canopy, solve the problem with a superstructure as a rain shelter. Translucent greenhouse film (€15.90) or plexiglass panes keep snow and rain out. Two open sides ensure vital air circulation.
As part of the preparation for the hardships of winter, please reduce the water supply from August and stop completely from September. The outdoor cacti no longer receive fertilizer from August either. If the plants shrivel up during the winter, this process is part of the ingenious survival strategy of hardy cacti.
tips
The ideal location for hardy cacti is sunny, lean and sandy-gravelly. The exotic plants can be wonderfully integrated into the planting plan for your rock garden or gravel bed. Where the soil does not meet the requirements, mix in inorganic materials when planting, such as fine-grain grit, quartz sand (€15.85) or expanded clay.(€19.73)