Cacti Native to Cold Climates

Pincushion Cacti

• Both the Missouri and the Common Pincushion varieties of cactus grow in the northern states, including regions as far north as North Dakota. People often refer to all of these types of flowering cacti collectively as "ball cactus." The dry heat of the summer in North Dakota helps these plants flourish, but they manage to survive even in the colder than normal conditions that often strike the region in late spring. The common variety is found as far north as Alberta, showing a hardiness that some southern cacti don't posses.

Prickly Pear

• The prickly pear family of cacti are quite winter hardy, and can survive winters where temperatures plunge as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Prickly pear cacti are designated with the name Opuntia. It comes in a variety of sizes and with pink or yellow flowers. The beauty of these plants is the minimum care required in the winter time. They are in danger more from excess moisture than the cold, but a good snow cover protects the plants from that problem.

Brittle Cactus

• The brittle cactus deserves special mention because this cactus grows further into the north than any other variety. The brittle cactus is extremely adaptable. Sometimes the plant will flourish in the rain and other times it will flourish in dry environments. While other cacti survive in areas where the winters are cold, this one does well even in extremely harsh winter climates. The northern reaches of British Columbia where its northern range extends into have extremely harsh winters.

Spinystar

• The Excobaria vivipara cactus is another variety that grows good in colder climates. This cactus is a hardy survivor of almost any climate, flourishing from California all the way to Saskatchewan. Commonly called the spinystar, this cactus is identified by its flowers, which range from bright purple to pale pink with a yellow center.