Cacti and succulents are revered for their bright, showy flowers, and handsome architectural spines and foliage. Also, their adaptability to heat, intense sunshine and ability to thrive with little maintenance under dry conditions make them an excellent choice for potted gardens.
Part of the reason that cacti are so popular as houseplants is that cactus container gardens are often the easiest way to grow cacti and succulents. This is especially true in climates where high amounts of rain/snow fall rot the roots of xeric species when planted in the ground or where the climate is too cold in the winter.
In the garden cold hardy cacti are not difficult to grow if you keep their basic requirements in mind. First and foremost, cacti require excellent drainage. Secondly, they like alkaline, mineral soils. That is, they need lean soils that have not been amended with lots of sphagnum peat moss or compost. And thirdly, they should be situated to receive full sun, especially during the winter months.
An important part of installing a garden is purchasing the plants. It has been an unfortunate fact that many gardeners with their infatuation with cacti have purchased plants collected from the wild. Over time, this has decimated the populations of many cactus species in their native habitats. It is of utmost importance to purchase cactus plants fromm reputable nurseries that propagate the cacti they sell and do not re-sell wild collected plants. Nursery propagated plants will transplant readily with few losses. On the other hand most wild collected cacti struggle and die when removed from their homes. More
To help you plant a healthy and colorful garden, watch our planting guide videos from our HCG president and chief horticulturist, David Salman.
A national speaker on the topic of Waterwise Gardening and Xeriscaping, David Salman has spent over 20 years in pursuit of better plants for western landscapes. David is the author of numerous magazine articles and writes the High Country Gardens catalog. He devotes considerable effort to breeding new perennials while searching for and evaluating the garden performance of new and unfamiliar native and adapted plants for the waterwise Western garden.
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