Hardy Tropicals UK

Good Picture Dave, cheers!
Cathy.

If you google a bit you can find plenty of pictures of winterhardy Opuntias in their natural habitad.
Also look for places like Medicine Hat in Alberta where I get an O. polyacantha from. Minus 30 and lower is not uncommon there in winter. The most northerly Opuntia, O. fragillis grows at 58 latitude north in Canada. Its also found near Vancouver. The pads where spread in the furr of bizons.B

Dave Brown wrote:

Alexander wrote: Most hardy Opuntias go in a flat position when winter arrives, in spring they go more upright again.

Alexander

That reminds me of something turtile said, when talking about the Opuntia humifusa. It was very cold in March 2007, and he said the Opuntia was still laying on it's side, or something like that.

Excellent link Phil

My Opuntia ficus (prickly pear) is still out unprotected and looks ok. It is half under the canopy of the Montezuma pine. The sun shines under there in winter.

The Opuntia ficus is to the right of the pic. The Cylindropuntia (foreground) that is less under the canopy has also been out as is, It looks a bit yellow but hopefully will green up when some warmth returns

Mine went all winkly and a different colour in my dry bed that turned out to be not so dry after all, to much wet for it I feel, never mind may try again later possably:
Nick

Nick wrote:Mine went all winkly and a different colour in my dry bed that turned out to be not so dry after all, to much wet for it I feel, never mind may try again later possably:
Nick

Too much information Nick

Seriously though, some Opuntia go wrinkly in winter. I have O. potsii which goes wrinkly and lays flat in October then rehydrates in mid spring

Have just seen this so appologies for the delay in replying Dave you can cut the pad up into as many pieces as you want,as long as each piece contains an areole(where the spines come out from the pad).You can even cut a circle out of the middle and root that if you want It would probably be best for each piece to contain two or three areoles as you run the chance of only one shrivalling to nothing. Also allow several days for the pieces to callous over.If you have any left over I would also be interested in one as they are a little difficult to come by.

Stuart.

Cactusman, I would not say no to one, would it grow and be alright in sand with a small amount of peat mixed in?
Nick

Don't ask me Nick,it's not my plant.

Stuart.

thanks for putting me right Stuart.
Nick

I think Nick's on the Ale early again

Not ale, just brain is not awake yet due to nights
Nick

hi all im about a year late but i just bought a Opuntia ficus indica and am a bit confused at how hardy it is some say it will take -9.5 but some say its not hardy will i be able to plant it outside with or without protection or have to bring it in if anyones out there any help would be great as i have spent all day trying to find out

My information is that it is not hardy in our climate. While it will take considerable sub-zero temperatures it will only do so if absolutely dry; and when a cactus wants it dry, it really means dry!

I could well be wrong, but I would guess that those that find it hardy do not have O. ficus indica but another species, as there are many quite similar looking opuntias that are known as prickly pear cactus confusion is easy.

My suggestion, and I intend to try this too this year, is to take a cutting to try out overwinter, keeping the parent plant safe in the dry.

The following opunitas are generally agreed to be tolerant of cold and wet, there are not doubt more:

acicularis
arenacea
basilaris
bigelovii
compressa
cyclodes
cymochila
englemannii
erinacea
fragilis
gilvescens
humifusa
imbricata
mackensii
macrocentra
macrorhiza
phaeacantha
polycantha
pulcella
rufida
sandiana
sanguinicula
santa-rita
shearii
tardospina
umifusca
violaceae
whillplei

I have some peanut cacti (Echinopsis chamaecereus) in a pot on my front step - they have survived the last two killer winters in North London without any protection apart from a wall behind them.

They do have a reddish tinge but seem otherwise unaffected.

This is an Opuntia something, all I know is that it seems to enjoy living in our garden in Huddersfield! It is raised from the lawn using the cheapest compost from our local garden centre and covered in a thin layer of pea shingle. It is still going mad after 5 years of West Yorkshire weather! (and it needs pruning again)

Hello Ian and welcome to the forum!

I'm going to be very cheeky now ask ask if I can have a pad or two of that prickly pear! If it can survive in Huddersfield then it will survive in Wakefield!

(I have lots of things to swap with if your interested)

Look fantastic and flowers well too I see.

What else do you grow.