Detailed Home Gardening Info: Cacti

Southwestern Gardening Information
Specific Topics for Home Gardening: Cacti

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This information has been selected from MG Manual Reference
Ch. 17

Opuntia — Prickly Pears, Chollas, Tephrocactus Prickly Pears
Opuntia aciculata Common Name: Red Flower Prickly Pear Range: Texas Height x Width: 3 x 6 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Red Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: One of the most spectacular flowering prickly pears with masses of brilliant red flowers during the spring.
Opuntia basilaris Common Name: Beaver -Tail Prickly Pear Range: Arizona, California Height x Width: 2 x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Gray Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Pink Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Brilliant hot pink flowers during the spring. Watch out for irritating glochids on the pads.
Opuntia engelmannii Common Name: Engelmann’s Prickly Pear Range: Arizona Height x Width: 3 x 6 Foliage Texture/Color: Flower Season/ Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Good flower displays during the spring with excellent fruits for making prickly pear jam.
Opuntia ficus-indica Common Name: Indian Fig Range: Mexico Height x Width: 10 x 6 Foliage Texture/ Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/ Color: Spring, Yellow-Orange Notes: Indian Fig is a distinctive tree prickly pear with edible fruit and nopalitos.
Opuntia lindheimerii var. linguiformis Common Name: Cow’s Tongue Range: Texas Height x Width: 5 x 10 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/ Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: A distinctive prickly pear with long cow’s tongue pads.
Opuntia microdasys Common Name: Bunny Ears Range: Mexico Height x Width:2 X10 Foliage Texture/Color:Coarse, Green Flower Season/ Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: A common prickly pear with irritating glochids, best pruned in damp weather.
Opuntia robusta Common Name: Giant Prickly Pear Range: Mexico Height x Width: 20 x 10 Foliage Texture/ Color: Coarse, Blue Green Flower Season/ Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen : Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: One of most spectacular landscape prickly pear with dinner plate blue green pads and contrasting yellow flowers.
Opuntia santa-rita Common Name: Purple Prickly Pear Range: Arizona, Sonora Height x Width: 3 x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Purple-Gray Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Purple prickly pear turns purple in response to cold and drought.
Chollas
Opuntia acanthocarpa Common Name: Buckhorn Cholla Range: Arizona, Mexico Height x Width: 5 x 6 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Spring,Yellow, Orange, Red, Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: A common native cholla good for natural screening
Opuntia bigelovii Common Name: Teddy Bear Cholla Range: Arizona, Mexico Height x Width: 4 x 2 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Golden Yellow Flower Season/Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Plant teddy bear cholla well away from foot traffic areas
Tephrocactus
Opuntia articulata Common Name: Paper Spine Range: Argentina Height x Width: 1 x 2 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Gray Green Flower Season/Color: Spring,White Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: A distinctive opuntia from Argentina with papery spines and white flowers.
Opuntia articulata var. inermis Common Name: Spruce Cones Range: Argentina Height x Width:1 x 2 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse,Gray Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, White Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun
Columnar Cacti
Carnegiea gigantea Common Name: Saguaro Range: Arizona, Sonora Height x Width: 30 x 10 Foliage Texture/ Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color:Spring,White Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Saguaros are commonly used in southwestern gardens. The main limiting factor to their distribution in the Sonoran Desert is freezing weather.
Cereus hildmannianus Common Name: Hildmann’s Cereus Range: Brazil Height x Width: 10 x 10 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Gray Green Flower Season/Color: Summer,White Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Hildmann’s Cereus is commonly seen in desert gardens. Has great displays of night-blooming flowers.
Echinocereus engelmannii Common Name: Engelmann’s Hedgehog Range: Arizona, Sonora, Baja California Height x Width: 1 x 2 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse,Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Pink-Purple Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Engelmann’s hedgehog is oneof the first cacti to flower in the spring.
Myrtillocactus geometrizans Common Name: Blue Myrtle Range: Mexico Height x Width : 15 x 15 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Blue Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Cream White Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Myrtillocactus is a distinctive organ-pipe cactus for southwestern gardens, flowering prolifically and bearing tasty ‘currant-like’ berry fruits.
Pachycereus marginatus Common Name: Mexican Organ Pipe Range:Mexico Height x Width: 10 x 10 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Cream Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Mexican organ pipe is a distinctive columnar for southwestern gardens, used as living fence in Mexico.
Pachycereus (Lophocereus) schottii Common Name: Senita Range: Arizona, Sonora, Baja California Height x Width: 10 x 10 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse,Green Flower Season/Color: Summer, Pink Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Senita is quite distinctive with its bristly tops from which the flowers arise.
Pachycereus schottii fma. monstrosus Common Name: Totem Pole Range: Baja California Height x Width: 10 x 10 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/ Color: Summer, Pink Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Totem poles are very unique for their monstrose growth form, readily grown from cuttings.
Stenocereus thurberi Common Name:Organ Pipe Range: Arizona, Sonora, Baja California Height x Width:10 x 10 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/ Color: Spring, Pinkish-White Evergreen:Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Organ pipes are distinctive for the fluted growth.
Stenocereus eruca Common Name: Creeping Devil Range: Baja California Height x Width: 2" x 2" Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Cream Green Flower Season/Color: Summer, White Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Semi Notes: One of the most distinctive cacti , forming massive colonies in southern Baja California plant under the shade of a palo verde for additional protection from the sun.
Stenocereus alamosensis Common Name: Cina Range: Sonora Height X Width: 10 x 6 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Spring-Summer, Red Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: The rambling cina cactus flowers through the summer and attracts hummingbirds.
Stetsonia coryne Common Name: Toothpick Cactus Range: Argentina Height X Width: 20 x 15 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Gray Green Flower Season/Color: Summer, White Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Stetsonia is distinctive for its long grayish-white spines.
Trichocerus candicans Common Name: Argentine Trichocereus Range: Argentina Height X Width: 3 x 6 Foliage Texture/ Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, White Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Semi Notes: Argentine trichocereus has exceptionally large 8-inch white flowers.
Trichocereus huascha Common Name: Range : Argentina Height X Width: 2 x 2 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Red, Yellow, Pink Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Semi Notes: Trichocereus are some of the best flowering landscape cacti for southwestern gardens. Many exciting hybrids have been developed and continue to be developed.
Trichocereus terscheckii Common Name: Cardon Grande Range: Argentina Height x Width: 15 x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/ Color: Spring, White Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Cardon grande is an analog of the saguaro, found in the Monte Desert of Argentina.
Globular Cacti
Echinocactus grusonii Common Name: Golden Barrel Range: Mexico Height x Width: 5 x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Golden Barrels are commonly grown in southwestern gardens, excellent for mass planting.
Ferocactus cylindraceus (acanthodes) Common Name: Compass Barrel Range:Arizona, Sonora, Baja California Height x Width: 5 x 1 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Compass barrel commonly flowers in the spring.
Ferocactus wislizenii Common Name: Fishhook Barrel Range: Arizona, New Mexico,Texas Height x Width: 5 x 1 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Summer, Orange, Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Fishhook barrel commonly flowers in the summer.
Stem Succulents
Euphorbia antisyphilitica Common Name: Candelilla Height x Width: 2 x 3 Foliage Texture/ Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Summer, Pink Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Candelilla is a distinctive reedlike succulent.
Euphorbia resinifera Common Name: Morroco Mound Range: Morroco Height x Width: 2 x 5 Foliage Texture/Color:Coarse, Light Green Flower Season/Color: Spring,Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: A distinctive euphorbia for the southwestern gardens, surprisingly very hardy.
Pachypodium lemaireii Common Name: Range: Madagascar Height x Width: 10 x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/ Color: Summer, White Evergreen: Semi Exposure: Sun Notes: A distinctive accent for the southwestern gardens, either as container plant or in sheltered garden location.
Stapelia variegata Common Name: Starfish Flower Range: South Africa Height x Width: 1 x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season,/Color: Summer, Yellow Evergreen: Semi Exposure: Semi Notes: Stapelias are succulents in the milkweed family, beautiful flowers and flowers that smell like rotting meat that attract for pollination.
Caudiciforms-Thick stemed succulents
Bursera microphylla Common Name: Elephant Tree Range: Arizona, Sonora, Baja California Height x Width: 15 x 15 Foliage Texture/Color: Fine, Green Flower Season/Color: Summer, Cream Evergreen: Semi Exposure: Sun Notes: Elephant trees are found in warmer regions of the Sonoran Desert. Plant in a protected garden location or use as a container plant.
Cyphostemma juttae Common Name: Succulent Grape Range: South Africa Height x Width: 3 x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Light Green Flower Season/Color: Summer, Cream Evergreen: No Exposure: Sun Notes: Cyphostemma is a succulent member of the grape family. Plant in a protected garden location or use as a container plant.
Pachycormus discolor Common Name: Baja Elephant Tree Range: Baja California Height x Width: Foliage Texture/Color: Fine, Green Flower Season/ Color: Summer, Pink, Purple,Red Evergreen: No Exposure: Sun Notes: A distinctive elephant tree from Baja California. Deciduous in the summer. Interesting container plant.
Fouqieria columnaris Common Name: Boojum Tree Range: Sonora, Baja California Height x Width: 10 x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Medium, Green Flower Season/Color: Summer, Cream Evergreen: No Exposure: Sun Notes: Boojum trees are the distinctive succulents of Baja California. Seedlings are slow-growing and occasionally garden specimens are offered for sale.
Fouquieria splendens Common Name: Ocotillo Range: Southwest, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Sonora, Baja California Height x Width: 15 x 15 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse,Green Flower Season/Color: Spring,Red Evergreen: No Exposure: Full Sun Notes: Ocotillo are commonly offered for sale. Keep well-watered until plants are established. Flowers attract hummingbirds.
Leaf Succulents -Agavacaceae, Aloes, Ice Plants
Agavaceae- Agave, Dasylirion, Hesperaloe, Nolina, Yucca
Agave colorata Common Name: Mescal Ceniza Range: Sonora Height x Width: 3 x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Gray Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Mescal Ceniza is a beautiful Sonoran agave with marbled and distinctive budprinted leaves.
Agave parryii Common Name: Parry’s Agave Range: Arizona, Mexico Height x Width: 2 x 2 Foliage Texture/ Color: Coarse, Gray Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Deep Yellow Evergreen:Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Parry’s agave is one of most compact agaves, plant in mass for best effect.
Agave salmiana var. ferox Common Name: Range: Mexico Height x Width: 6 x 6 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Deep Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen : Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: A distinctive large deep green agave, contrasts well with gray leaved shrubs.
Agave vilmoriniana Common Name: Octopus Agave Range: Sonora Height x Width: 3 x 3 Foliage Texture /Color: Flower Season/ Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Semi, Sun Notes: Octopus agave is suitable for light shade with a distinctive octopus form.
Dasylirion wheeleri Common Name : Sotol Range: Arizona, Texas, New Mexico Height x Width: 4 x 4 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Blue Green Flower Season/Color: Cream, Spring Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Sotol is distinctive for its graceful fountainlike form. Use it as kinetic garden sculpture.
Dasylirion acrotriche Common Name: Green Desert Spoon Range: Mexico Height x Width: 4 x 4 Foliage Texture/ Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Cream, Spring Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Green desert spoon contrasts with other gray leaved desert shrubs.
Hesperaloe funifera Common Name: Giant Hesperaloe Range: Mexico Height x Width: 5 x 6 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/ Color: Cream, Spring Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Giant hesperaloe has distinctive large green rosette. Plant away from foot traffic areas.
Hesperaloe parviflora Common Name: Red Hesperaloe Range: Texas Height x Width: 3 x 6 Foliage Texture/ Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/ Color: Summer, Reddish Pink Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Red hesperaloe flowers all summer. Flowers attract hummingbirds.
Nolina microcarpa Common Name: Beargrass Range: Arizona, Texas Height x Width: 3 x 6 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/ Color: Spring, Cream Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Beargrass as a similiar landscape use as deer grass, good screening plant, green foilage contrast well with gray leaved shrubs.
Nolina bigelovii Common Name: Range: Arizona Height x Width: 6 x 10 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Light Green Flower Season/ Color: Spring Cream Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: A distinctive tree nolina from western Arizona, great flower show.
Yucca baccata Common Name: Banana Yucca Range: Arizona, New Mexico Height x Width: 4 x 6 Foliage Texture/ Color: Coarse, Light Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Cream Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Banana yucca is a common yucca of the region. Flowers are edible.
Yucca rigida Common Name: Blue Yucca Range: Mexico Height x Width: 10 x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse,Blue Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Cream Evergree: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: One of the most distinctive yucca with blue green leaves and a great flower show.
Yucca elata Common Name: Soaptree Yucca Range: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas Height x Width: 10 x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse/Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, White Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Full Sun Notes: Soaptree yucca is the state flower of New Mexico. It has tremendous flower displays in the spring. Yucca is edible and can be incorporated into salads.
Aloe
Aloe barbadensis (vera) Common Name: Medicinal Aloe Range: South Africa Height x Width: 3 x 6 Foliage Texture/ Color: Coarse, Gray Green Flower Season/Color: Spring, Yellow Evergreen : Yes Exposure: Yes Notes: Medicinal aloe is commonly seen in southwestern gardens. It has excellent flower shows and is good for treating kitchen burns and sunburn.
Aloe ferox Common Name: Tree Aloe Range: South Africa Height x Width: 3 x 2 Foliage Texture/ Color: Coarse, Gray Green Flower Season/Color: Winter, Orange-Red Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Yes Notes: Tree aloe offers excellent winter for the southwestern gardens. Plant with Euphorbia rigida for excellent effect.
Aloe saponaria Common Name: Tiger Aloe Range: South Africa Height x Width: 1 x 1 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Winter, Coral Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Yes Notes: Tiger aloe puts on a good spring display, good hummingbird plant.
Ice Plants
Cephalophyllum ‘Red Spike’ Common Name: Red Spike Ice Plant Range: Cultivar, probably South Africa Height x Width: 6" x 6" Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/ Color: Winter, Purpulish Red Evergreen : Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: One of best ice plants for the region, flowering throughout the winter, hardy to frost and endures hot summers.
Dorsanthemum hispidum Common Name: Pink Ice Plant Range: South Africa Height x Width: 2" x 6 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Winter, Pink Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Pink ice plant puts on a good flower show winter through spring.
Maleophora lutea Common Name: Yellow Ice Plant Range: South Africa Height x Width: 6" x 3 Foliage Texture/Color: Coarse, Green Flower Season/Color: Winter-Spring, Yellow Evergreen: Yes Exposure: Sun Notes: Yellow ice plant's deep green foliage contrasts well with gray-leaved shrubs.