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All cacti listed here will appreciate good drainage and even gritty or gravelly soil in climates
with wet winters. In drier, desert climates they can be grown on a wider range of soils. Cacti will
respond to watering and feeding during their active growth period in late spring or early summer.
Choose from among the following exciting plants to add to your succulent or rock garden!
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Opuntia (includes Cylindropuntia) - PRICKLY PEAR and CHOLLA
Not really an Irish name, "Opuntia" actually refers to a large and diverse group of cacti including some of the most familiar types, and a great number of cold-hardy species. Native throughout much of North America (and drier regions of South America) these plants are an important part of our native flora, yet are often passed off as weird or peculiar by gardeners. This is really a shame since they are easy and fun to grow in the right place, and have fabulous texture with beautiful spines and flowers. And it is no surprise that they don't require a lot of water.
The Opuntias of North America consist of two basic forms: those with thick, rounded pads (or occasionally small, cylindrical pads). Together with the hardy Agaves and Yuccas, these cacti form the backbone of any desert garden or xeric bed. Most enthusiasts prefer to incorporate both cholla and prickly pear types into their garden. The South American Opuntoids get much more complex, with many genera defying categorization into either of the basic North American forms.
In the garden Opuntias generally perform best with full sun and splendid drainage in the Pacific Northwest. A top dressing of rocks or gravel isn't a bad idea either. However in hotter climates you can get away with more shade, and in drier climates you can get away with heavier soil for many types. Although they make great container plants for the spines, flower production is usually much better if the plants are in the ground.
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This special cactus is restricted in its distribution to the Pacific Northwest, including central and eastern Washington, central Idaho, and northeast Oregon. The spiny pads are brittle like those of O. fragilis, but are larger and pale green with long, white spines. A variable plant, it may form large mats that sprawl over the ground, or little compact plants with only a few pads. Flower color is usually yellow which fades to pink as the flowers age, though there is some variation. Hardy to -30°F or below.
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Opuntia columbiana [Hells Canyon] SBH#### |
$12 |
This special cactus is restricted in its distribution to the Pacific Northwest, including central and eastern Washington, central Idaho, and northeast Oregon. The spiny pads are brittle like those of O. fragilis, but are larger and pale green with long, white spines. A variable plant, it may form large mats that sprawl over the ground, or little compact plants with only a few pads. Flower color is usually yellow which fades to pink as the flowers age, though there is some variation. This form is one of Sean Hogan's collections from Wallowa County, Oregon, selected for its exceptional vigor and ease of growth, and superior flowers. We thank him for sharing it from his legendary collection of exciting plants. Hardy to at least -30°F
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Opuntia columbiana [Snake River small pads] IB72 |
$12 |
This special cactus is restricted in its distribution to the Pacific Northwest, including central and eastern Washington, central Idaho, and northeast Oregon. The spiny pads are brittle like those of O. fragilis, but are larger and pale green with long, white spines. A variable plant, it may form large mats that sprawl over the ground, or little compact plants with only a few pads. Flower color is usually yellow which fades to pink as the flowers age, though there is some variation. This collection from Whitman Co, Washington is one of many wonderful forms of native cacti found in our state. This one has exceptionally dense spination and is more compact in its habit than nearby forms, though still spreading out to 3' or so with a great many pads. Yellow flowers can be expected on established plants. Hardy to at least -30°F.
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Opuntia fragilis - BRITTLE PRICKLY-PEAR |
$8 |
This Opuntia very fragilis, in fact, it has got to be the fragilis Opuntia ever. It's as fragilis anything. But it's still an appealing and very special cactus. It's as cute as a really spiny button, with its round little pads and spines ranging in color from fiery orange to white. Big yellow flowers are sometimes seen in late spring. The pads detach easily from one another, which is an important part of the way this species distributes itself - it is said to latch onto the fur of passing animals which later drop the pads somewhere else. It is native over a very large area of the West, and it's very hardy, most forms tolerating -30°F or even much lower temperatures.
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Opuntia fragilis IB77 [Sequim] - BRITTLE PRICKLY-PEAR |
$12 |
The only cactus native to western Washington, this diminutive cactus is not just a curiosity but also a great ornamental plant. It forms an attractive low mound of rounded spiny pads usually to about 6" tall and eventually up to 3' across if allowed. Yellow flowers appear in June, although it doesn't always flower every year, even in the wild. It looks great in a rock garden or cactus garden or as a small-scale groundcover in gravelly or sandy areas. It will appreciate full sun and a space free of competition from other plants. It should be propagated and cultivated more, as this particular form is nearly extinct in the wild. Hardy to at least -20°F, perhaps much lower.
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Opuntia fragilis [Whidbey Island] - BRITTLE PRICKLY-PEAR |
$12 |
This Opuntia very fragilis, in fact, it has got to be the fragilis Opuntia ever. It's as fragilis anything. But it's still an appealing and very special cactus. It's as cute as a really spiny button, with its round little pads and spines ranging in color from fiery orange to white. Big yellow flowers are sometimes seen in late spring. The pads detach easily from one another, which is an important part of the way this species distributes itself - it is said to latch onto the fur of passing animals which later drop the pads somewhere else. It is native over a very large area of the West, and it's very hardy, most forms tolerating -30°F or even much lower temperatures. This form comes from Whidbey Island, where it is now reduced to one very small population in the wild. Hardy to at least -20°F.
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Like a giant green prickly tinkertoy, this medium-sized cholla will reach about 4' over time with numerous branches. Having much narrower stems than O. imbricata, with fewer, longer spines, one could think of it as a giant form of O. leptocaulis. Most collectors of hardy cacti would not be without this plant, since it is rather unique in form. I haven't seen the flowers of this form yet, but purple is likely. As our plants come from a garden in the Yakima area of central Washington, it is certainly hardy to at least -20°F, perhaps much lower.
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This hardy little cactus from the Intermountain West (especially Utah) has rounded pads looking vaguely like a giant form of O. fragilis. It may reach about 8" tall and 2' wide, producing beautiful large, purple flowers with numerous petals. It requires full sun and excellent drainage, and is hardy to at least -25°F.
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Oreocereus celsianus - OLD MAN CACTUS |
$9 |
Here's one of those annoying plants that can live through amazing extremes of cold if it is kept dry, but still doesn't seem to grow outside in the Pacific Northwest, or at least not without a lot of help. Beginning as a column of white hair with spines sticking out (it's pretty cool even when little), it may eventually offset to form large clumps. Native to the highlands of Bolivia, it may endure temperatures down to about 0°F if kept COMPLETELY dry. The wetter your winters are, the less frost is tolerated. Some summer water is appreciated.
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