large upright cacti for Northern NM?

17 years ago

All you cactus growers in the Albuquerque area...

I'm looking for a large (preferably cylindrical if possible) cactus hardy enough to plant outdoors in a sheltered spot with a fast-draining medium. I'm in zone 6, but would be willing to experiment with anything that grows fairly well in zone 7 Albuquerque.

I've considered the following so far:

- Claret Cup 'White Sands' (I've seen some grow to around two feet tall, but I'd like to do better than that if possible)

- AZ Barrel (seem to do OK here, not crazy about the look)

- Various Chollas (obviously the biggest truly hardy cacti, but not exactly the style I'm looking for).

Are these the only possibilities? I'd love to know if I'm overlooking something that might be interesting. Maybe some erect growing species of hardy prickly pear? What about the hardiness of South American cylindrical species? Also, the non-cactus Ocotillo... any info on its success in Albuquerque?

Thanks so much for any help,

Chris

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Comments (3)

cactus_dude
17 years ago
Well that's kind of a tough one because larger cacti tend to not do so well in chillier climates. Where in NM are you located? You'll notice that the cacti native to colder areas, especially with a higher elevation, tend to be fairly small (Escobaria, Coryphantha, etc.) All of the plants you metioned seem to do very well here in ABQ. But if you're in the Taos area or someplace similar, I don't think ocotillo or any of the larger barrel cacti would survive. The White Sands Claret Cup would probably do pretty well, but might not get as tall as those in southern NM.

Have you considered using yuccas? There are some yuccas that grow pretty tall that are also very cold hardy. I've seen Yucca faxoniana, Yucca elata (Soaptree Yucca) and Yucca thompsoniana (Thompson's Yucca) in a few Santa Fe locations. All of these yuccas grow trunks. Y. faxoniana and Y. elata are pretty common in ABQ. Another tree-type yucca that is very cold hardy is Y. aloifolia (Spanish Bayonet). Oh, and Y. brevifolia (Joshua Tree) does great in ABQ too.

Good luck.

cd
chris_sciarretta
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks cactus dude!

I was worried about the cold and large cacti, but thought I'd ask anyway. I'm in Santa Fe, and I've seen the many beautiful trunked yuccas around... I especially like Y. elata and Y. faxoniana. Do you know of a place in Albuquerque where I could get these (say at two or three feet tall) for a reasonable price? Oh, and I would absolutely love to have a Joshua Tree, even a tiny one without branches, but I haven't seen them for sale here in Santa Fe (I've seen the others plenty, but they're always very pricey).

If you're ever in Santa Fe, the following are a few plants you might want to check out that will probably surprise you with their hardiness or size (if you haven't seen them already):
- AZ Barrel Cactus (in yard of Tropic of Capricorn at Southeast edge of town along Old Las Vegas Highway)
- White Sands Claret Cup (several very large ones at Santa Fe Greenhouses/High Country Gardens display garden on Rufina St., lots of cool succulents)
- Unknown Agave (right side of Camino Carlos Rey two blocks north of Zia)... this plant is big and beautiful, and definitely not one of the usually considered hardy agaves, such as A. havardiana or A. parryi.
- Huge Yellow Bird of Paradise (Osage St. between Cerrillos and Agua Fria).

Well, thanks again, and enjoy your gardening...

Chris
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cactus_dude
17 years ago
Thanks Chris. Next time I'm up there I'll have to check out the plants you mentioned.

I wish I knew of a place that sold Y. elata and Y. faxoniana that are around the size you're looking for. I know Osuna Nursery sells larger yuccas, but usually with a pretty hefty price tag. Joshua Trees seem especially hard to find in the nursery trade. I think The Cactus Man Nursery on Osuna near Broadway sells all of these yuccas, but they're all pretty large and pricey, but it may be worth a visit next time your down here. He also sells a lot of hardy landscape cacti.

Best regards-
cd

large upright cacti for Northern NM?

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large upright cacti for Northern NM?

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