By Loree BohlWith their good looks and easy

care, succulents have been riding a wave of popularity for years now. Just try to remember the last time you opened a magazine for the home gar-dener and didn’t see them featured.

While some folks say their time in the spotlight is near the end, most rec-ognize these hard-working and water-conserving plants will always have a place in nurseries and gardens.

By their very definition, succulents store water for use in dry periods, which would appear to rule them out for being cold hardy. One imagines the plants turning to ice or mush when temperatures drop below freezing, but in actuality, that’s not always the case.

Cold-hardy cactiMany succulents hail from cold

regions that receive ample rainfall,

while others are able to adapt to wetter climes, if given adequate drainage.

All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. What makes a cactus distinctive is its areoles, the small bumps from which spines emerge.

The stereotypical image of a cactus garden conjures up a dusty scene in the desert Southwest. Yet, there are cacti native to almost every one of the con-tiguous U.S. states — with the excep-tion of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont — and northward into Canada.

Ron McKitrick of Hillside Desert Botanical Gardens has been experi-menting with various cactus species in his Yakima, Washington, garden for more than 25 years.

He didn’t listen to the early nay-sayers who claimed, “You can’t grow that in Washington.” As a result, he’s discovered numerous species that are reliably hardy in an area where

From tiny sedums to towering yuccas, cold-hardy cacti and succulents can fit every size garden

So cold-hardy, they’re hot

Aptly-named Delosperma floribundum ‘Starburst’ can definitely add a “burst” of color to the garden. This species of succulent is commonly known as cold-hardy ice plant. Photo courtesy of LittLe Prince of oregon nursery

july 2014 ▲ DIGGER 19

winter lows can fall below zero. Among his success stories are sev-

eral Echinocereus, including the ruby-flowered Echinocereus triglochidiatus (USDA Zone 7a), which was in full glory when I visited on a rainy spring day. (It should be noted average annual precipitation in the area is only 8.75 inches.)

For a less conspicuous cactus, there is a cold-hardy ground cover, Maihuenia poeppigii (USDA Zone 6a). This mat-forming cactus grows well in McKitrick’s xeric garden and would do so just as favorably in winter-wet Portland, Oregon. Native to the high altitudes of Chile, it will eventually spread to 3 feet wide; bright yellow flowers in the spring are an added bonus.

Perhaps the most widely recog-nized (and cold-tolerant) hardy cactus is Opuntia, commonly known as the

20 july 2014 ▲ DIGGER

▲ colD-haRDy succulEnts

5 0 3 - 2 6 3 - 6 4 0 5 T O L L F R E E : 1 - 8 0 0 - 8 5 2 - 2 018 E M A I L : W i l lamette@canby.com

availabilities at www.WillametteNurseries.com

Our customers come to us for our quality rootstock. They come back for our service and attention-to-detail.

c a n b y , o r e g o n

WE SPECIALIZE IN UNDERSTOCK FOR FLOWERING, FRUITING & SHADE.

It’s still Acers to Zelkova, including new Dogwood & more!It’s still Acers to Zelkova, including new Dogwood & more!Value pricing on all our ornamental seedling & cutting liner varieties.

Start planning for next year now. We are stratifying seed for 2014-2015. As your propagation partner, let us know what your needs will be so we can meet your demands.

Maihuenia poeppigii may challenge preconceptions of what a cactus is supposed to look like — it forms mats that spread to 3 feet wide. Photo by Loree bohL

prickly pear. After several years of disregard, Opuntia just may be the next “it” plant.

Sean Hogan, owner of Cistus Design Nursery, is currently propagat-ing more than 300 different Opuntia species, 30 of which are hardy to USDA Zone 3 (–35 F), and Grace Dinsdale, founder and president of Blooming Nursery, reported that she is currently “playing around with” several species of Opuntia.

The most northerly-growing Opuntia, O. fragilis, is not only hardy to USDA Zone 4 but also able to take a great deal of moisture. As its name suggests, it’s a fragile plant; its segments easily detach.

O. humifusa, also USDA Zone 4 hardy, is native to much of the United States. It copes with winter cold by releasing water stored in its leaves and collapsing dramatically onto the ground. Once warmer temperatures arrive, it responds by standing upright again, to the astonishment of those who thought it dead. This species is also reputed to be a prolific bloomer.

When integrating cold-hardy cacti and succulents into the garden, Hogan feels naturalistic plantings are key. Companion plants such as salvia, grass-es and yucca look appropriate to the eye, whereas tulips and palm trees are a bit jarring.

Hogan also noted that succulents such as Opuntia combine perfectly with mid-century modern homes, whether they are located in San Diego, Portland or Chicago. He described a planting of O. macrocentra and O. violacea var. santa-rita, tucked into a brick planter next to a home. There, the warmth absorbed from the sun creates a favor-able microclimate. Both cacti turn a lovely purple in the colder months.

Cold-hardy succulentsThe list of succulents able to with-

stand cold temperatures is extensive. As with cacti, the most important factor in their long-term success is good drain-age, especially in cold, wet climates.

july 2014 ▲ DIGGER 21

BARK FOR CONTAINER MIXESVarious Sizes Available

1275 Bailey Hill RoadEugene, OR 97402

Office: 541.342.1835Fax: 541.343.4802

ASK ABOUT OUR

CUSTOM SOIL BLENDS!

Contact Rex for pricing at 541.335.8017www.rexius.com

Soluble Concentrate

WOOD’S ROOTING COMPOUNDOur unique formula uses only the highest quality ingredients which results in instant absorption of

both IBA & NAA to your cuttings.

4 oz. / Pint / Gallon

Continued excellence from our family owned company for over 30 years

Call Today For A Distributor Near You 503-678-1216

P.O. Box 327Wilsonville, OR 97070www.earthscienceproducts.com

ROOTING COMPOUND

3 Convenient Sizes:

3 SIZES!

Heavy soils can become succulent-friendly with a healthy dose of pumice or other gritty soil amendment. To keep the crown of the plant from rotting, one can mound the soil when planting, and tilt the plant a bit.

Misunderstood Yucca Humble Yucca is maligned by

many who only know it as the “parking lot plant” — or worse, as the plant that is impossible to get rid of. Its reputation is sorely in need of a makeover, one that emphasizes the many outstanding Yucca species.

Some, like Y. rostrata, become small trees over time, growing to 12 feet tall and occasionally branching. Extremely cold hardy, Y. rostrata grows successfully at the Denver Botanic Gardens in USDA Zone 5b, as well as throughout the Southwest desert and Pacific Northwest gardens.

Y. schottii, another trunk-forming yucca, has leaves that can reach up to 3 feet in length on trunks up to 20 feet tall, and it tolerates temperatures as low as 10 below zero.

When asked about her favorite yucca, Dinsdale names Y. filamentosa ‘Color Guard’. It provides a bright jolt of color, it’s a rock-solid performer, and it’s hardy to 20 below zero. For those who prefer their yellows a little less vibrant, Y. gloriosa var. recurvifolia ‘Bright Star’ is a pale powdery green and yellow rosette capable of taking temperatures into the single digits.

Commonly referred to as “red yucca,” Hesperaloe parviflora is another tough succulent, cold hardy to 10 below zero. The foliage is dark blue-green and deeply channeled with white edges and curling filaments. Its tubular flowers, which are held on a tall, arching stem, add interest; the flowers can start wars among notori-ously territorial hummingbirds.

Agave provides focusIt just doesn’t get any more sculp-

tural than Agave; its thick spiky-tipped leaves grab attention — and flesh!

22 july 2014 ▲ DIGGER

▲ colD-haRDy succulEnts

Opuntia macrocentra, a species of prickly pear cactus, has done well in Oregon when tucked into brick planters that absorb heat. The plant adds seasonal interest by turning purple in colder months. Photo courtesy of sean hogan/cistus nursery

While these giants of the Southwest generally prefer hot and dry conditions, some of them are up for the challenge of growing in cold, even wet, climates.

I have experimented with several species in my Portland, Oregon, gar-den and tracked plants in gardens all around the Pacific Northwest. One of the standouts is A. parryi ‘J.C. Raulston’ (USDA Zone 7a), which is particularly suited to wet, winter conditions and has performed quite well in my garden.

For seriously cold conditions below zero, Hogan recommends A. havardi-ana, A. neomexicana and A. gracilipes. Warming up a bit to the mid-teens, A. ovatifolia and A. bracteosa have proven themselves in winter, surviving a week below freezing and a low of 12 F in my garden.

Because agaves are slow growing and can be pricy, consumers may be

july 2014 ▲ DIGGER 23

Announcing, Wilbur-Ellis is now offering Apex® products to better serve your plant nutrient needs.

Please contact your local Wilbur-Ellis representative at 503-981-3521 for more information on adding Wilbur-Ellis and Apex products to your plant nutritional program.

I D E A S T O G R O W W I T H ®

a g . w i l b u r e l l i s . c o m

For information only. Not a label. Prior to use, always read and follow the product label directions. WILBUR-ELLIS logo and Ideas to Grow With are registered trademarks of Wilbur-Ellis Company. APEX is a registered trademark of Simplot. K-0114-391

WORKING TOGETHER TO BETTER SERVE

YOUR NEEDS

Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’ provides vibrant yellow leaves and is hardy down to 20 below zero F. It also has beautiful blooms. Photo by Loree bohL

understandably hesitant to experiment with these plants. However, if retailers provide cold-hardy selections and give advice on how to plant them in a loca-tion with excellent drainage, every gar-dener can, and should, have an agave.

For those who want to avoid the risk of planting in the ground, contain-ers are a great option, said Bob Hyland, owner of Hyland Garden Design and the retail shop, Contained Exuberance. A well-drained container — one that can be moved under the eaves for the wet season — is ideal. A carefully placed container of cold-hardy succu-lents is living art in the garden, a natu-ral focal point that can look good the entire year.

Hyland recommended keeping con-tainer plantings simple: no more than five elements in a container, three being ideal, and just a single specimen can be all that is needed oftentimes. When using glazed bowls and containers, with their reduced ability for water to escape, Hyland makes sure to mix in a good amount of coarse material to help improve drainage.

Dependable succulent ground coversSempervivum is perhaps better

known by the common names of “live-forever” or “hen and chicks.” These small. mat-forming rosettes are indis-pensable in cold regions.

Ketch de Kanter, owner/operator at Little Prince of Oregon Nursery, reports growing over 30 different Sempervivum species, which they cycle through depending on the season. Many are hardy to USDA zones 3 and 4 and also thrive in the summer heat.

Popular selections at Little Prince include S. arachnoideum ‘Spumanti’, S. ‘Red Rubin’ and S. ‘Black’. Since the plants tend to look different throughout the year, depending on drought stress and temperature, comparing a particular one to the tag photo can lead to confu-sion at the retail level, warns de Kanter.

Easily mixed-up with Sempervivum, Jovibarba is a separate genus referred to as the “rollers,” due to their ability

24 july 2014 ▲ DIGGER

Sempervivums, also known as hen and chicks, are a dependable groundcover succulent that adapts to cold conditions. The available selections include Sempervivum ‘Black’. Photo courtesy of LittLe Prince of oregon

▲ colD-haRDy succulEnts

the original

Azatin O“ the original ”

Azatin O

INSECTICIDESFUNGICIDESMITICIDESPGRSHERBICIDES

@OHPSolutions

(800) 356-4647

#azatin_o

ohp.com

© 2014 OHP, Inc. Azatin is a registered trademark of Certis, USA.

Highest concentration available4 hour REI / 0 day PHIOrnamentals and edibles including herbs

�e Leading Botanical IGR

OMRI Listed

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

OHP_Azatin_O_Ad.pdf 1 5/16/14 11:49 AM

to separate from the mother plant and roll to another location where they take root. J. sobolifera (USDA Zone 2) is particularly remarkable for its mul-tiple colors, shades of green and red occurring simultaneously.

Seasonal color changes are also found in Sedum, the evergreen ground cover. The needle-like foliage of S. for-sterianum ‘Antique Grill’ (USDA Zone 6), available from Blooming Nursery, is an attractive blue-grey that transforms

to plum red in cold temperatures. S. ‘Silver Moon’, a hybrid discov-

ered by the late Sedum-expert Helen Payne, features a base color of silver, which shifts to pink and red tones.

The tips of S. confusum (USDA Zone 7), available from Little Prince, take on an orange tint in the winter. The overall look of the plant is sug-gestive of Aeonium, a succulent with little tolerance for cold temperatures. Also from Little Prince, and part of their Native Ground® series of plants indigenous to the Pacific Northwest, S. spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’ (USDA Zone 4) has silver-blue fleshy leaves with a tinge of deep pink to the edges.

If Sempervivum and Sedum are all about the foliage, then Delosperma, aka cold-hardy ice plant, brings wel-come blooms to the garden. At Little Prince, D. floribundum ‘Starburst’ sup-plies a jolt of purple while D. congesta (both USDA Zone 6) electrifies with bright yellow. Not satisfied with a single pop of color, D. ‘Fire Spinner’ (USDA Zone 5), from Blooming Nursery, fea-tures an unlikely combination of hot pink and orange.

Loree Bohl is a plant lover who writes about her garden and plant- related adventures on her blog, dangergarden.blogspot.com. She is also a partner at plantlust.com. She can be reached at spikyplants@gmail.com.

26 july 2014 ▲ DIGGER

Agave ovatifolia has survived in the author’s Portland garden (pictured) at temperatures down to 12 F. Photo by Loree bohL

▲ colD-haRDy succulEnts