New to AZ & I don't have a clue

LadyV · Post by **LadyV** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 11:01 pm

We have recently moved to "Northern" Arizona, Winslow, so it does get cold here. I want to make a cactus garden but really just studying up on Cactus (have always loved them) Which plants are winter hardy for my area?

Thank you

Mr Monopoly · Post by **Mr Monopoly** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 12:42 am

It depends...when you say it gets cold do you mean like "frost" cold?

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 1:57 am

Northern AZ is going to get a lot colder then central AZ. I live on the boundry between the high desert and the low desert. We have Saguaros here, but I don't think they would grow up there in Winslow. You might be able to grow some Escobaria and some forms of Cylindropuntia, and Opuntia plus some I have probably forgotten.

(at the top of this section there is a list made by John P. Weiser that lists all the cold hardy species that he grows in Nevada you might want to look at his list!)

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:07 am

Hi! Winslow is a *great* place to grow all sorts of cold hardy cacti. Lots of sun, nice hot summers with cool nights, freezing cold winters. While there aren't that many cacti that are native to your general area (Sclerocactus whipplei, Cylindropuntia whipplei, Escobaria vivipara arizonica, Opuntia polyacantha erinacea, Opuntia phaeacantha; over in Holbrook, Pediocactus peeblesianus, which you should be able to grow well in Winslow if you can find any for sale), there are a great many that can survive your winters.

Take a look at High Country Gardens http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catal ... ucculents/

and Cold Hardy Cactus
http://coldhardycactus.com/

For some ideas of what you could grow. A fairly reliable guide to the cold hardiness of various plants is the Mesa Garden catalog http://www.mesagarden.com/, which uses a number coding system for items that can take harder frosts. You are interested in anything they label an 18, or perhaps 17.

Have fun! Send photos.

peterb

LadyV · Post by **LadyV** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:14 pm

Thank you SO much......I'm excited!!!!!!

A. Dean Stock · Post by **A. Dean Stock** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 5:13 am

There are native Arizona Opuntia species that are very cold hardy and would do well in your area. Some of the best would be O.macrorhiza (Arizona form); O. pinkavae and O. aurea. Hybrids between the latter two are very nice if you can find them. O. phaeacantha would also do well as would any of the varieties of O. polyacantha.
Dean