How do we use your location?
Knowing your location helps us recommend plants that will thrive in your climate, based on your Growing Zone.
Knowing your location helps us recommend plants that will thrive in your climate, based on your Growing Zone.
Order our limited edition Cold Hardy Native Cacti Collection to experiment with these desert gems in your yard! Cold-hardy cacti not only bring a fascinating botanical element to your xeric garden —they also provide important nectar sources for pollinating insects early in the spring before other plants bloom. Take the time to observe your cacti in flower and you will see the flowers alive with native bees and tiny pollinating wasps in all shapes, colors, and sizes.
The seeds for these cacti selections were gathered by Jeff Thompson, a friend of David Salman. They were cultivated by Tim Hanis, a renowned seed collector specializing in unique and rare cacti, succulents, and perennials. Tim began growing western native plants in the mid-1990s and started collecting seeds for High Country Gardens in the early 2000s. Tim has spent years sustainably propagating and growing the cacti in this collection.
Although we think of cacti as being strictly low-desert plants, many species are found in very cold, harsh environments. The greatest concentration of cold-hardy cacti species is found in Mexico northward into Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas. As more and more gardeners experiment with the various cold-hardy species, we can look to plant them more widely and expand their usefulness as garden plants into a much larger portion of the United States.
| Name | Collection Details | Description | Form | |
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Echinocereus coccineus 'Huerfano Giants (Hedgehog Cactus) |
Huerfano County, Colorado Jeff Thompson JRT 191 |
Zone 4 - Massive clumping shorter stem plants, with orange red trumpet flowers in mid spring. Tolerates clay. | H: 15" tall W: 5" wide stem Clumper |
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Echinocereus coccineus (Hedgehog Cactus) |
Saguache County, Colorado Jeff Thompson JRT 190 |
Zone 4 - Close to 8,000 ft. High arching clumping stems, with a lot of spine types, even long and wavy. Orange red trumpet flowers. | H: 15" tall W: 5" wide stem |
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Echinocereus ssp. perbellus 'Red Top Ranch' (Lace Cactus) |
Pueblo County, Colorado Jeff Thompson JRT 107 |
Zone 4 - 6,000 ft. Single squatty stems that tend to disappear back into the ground during the winter months. Pink to magenta flowers in June. | H: 15" tall W: 4" wide stem Often a clumper |
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Echinocereus triglochidiatus (Claret Cup Cactus) |
Fremont County, Colorado Jeff Thompson JRT 172 |
Zone 4 - Semi-clumping stems with lighter to darker spines. Nice scarlet trumpet flowers in spring. | H: 8-12" tall W: 4" wide stem Clumper |
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Echinocereus viridiflorus (Prairie Hedgehog Cactus) |
Morton County, Kansas Jeff Thompson JRT 1331 |
Zone 5 - 7,000 ft. Green, slightly larger than standard especially when grown at lower elevations. Chartreuse flowers in early spring. | H: 8-10" tall W: 1-3" wide stem |
As soon as your order is placed you will receive a confirmation email. You will receive a second email the day your order ships telling you how it has been sent. Some perennials are shipped as potted plants, some as perennial roots packed in peat. The ‘Plant Information’ section describes how that item will ship. All perennials and fall-planted bulbs are packaged to withstand shipping and are fully-guaranteed. Please open upon receipt and follow the instructions included.
Perennials and fall-planted bulbs are shipped at the proper planting time for your Growing Zone. Perennial and fall-planted bulb orders will arrive separately from seeds. If your order requires more than one shipment and all items are shipping to the same address, there is no additional shipping charge. See our shipping information page for approximate ship dates and more detailed information. If you have any questions, please call Customer Service at (802) 227-7200 or contact us by email or chat.