Which Succulents Are Cold-Hardy?

Opuntia

• Many cacti in the genus Opuntia, also known as prickly pear cacti, are cold-hardy. More than 50 varieties of prickly pear can grow in climates where temperatures drop below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Prickly pear cacti feature individual round pads that join to form tall, spreading clumps. Many varieties feature sharp spines, and the cacti produce large, bright flowers that develop into edible red or purple fruits.

Sedum

• Sedums, also referred to as stonecrops, are available in a variety of forms ranging from entirely creeping ground covers to taller, more upright varieties. Foliage and flowers can showcase a number of colors.

Yuccas

• Several yuccas can tolerate temperatures at least as low as 0 degrees Fahrenheit, including the following species: filamentosa, flaccida, glauca, gloriosa, harrimaniae and schottii. Yuccas are fairly large succulents that feature a 2- to 3-foot-tall mound of spiky foliage that is usually medium green but may be found in yellow variegated forms. Leaves also feature stringy hairs along their edges, and the plant produces attractive white flowers on stalks in early or mid-summer.

Agave

• Agave species that can tolerate sub-zero temperatures include Agave havardiana, lechuguilla, neomexicana, parryi, toumeyana and utahensis. Like yucca, agave grow in a clumping habit. Leaves are about 18 inches long and 3 inches wide with a spiny tip. Also known as the century plant, they rarely produce flowers. When they do produce flowers, they are on a stem that rises several feet above the plant.

Hen and Chicks

• Hen and chicks, known scientifically as Sempervivum, is a popular succulent in northern gardens. These plants have a growth habit where a large mother plant, the "hen," is surrounded by smaller offshoot plants, or "chicks." All are small rosettes of thick, pointed leaves. Foliage is red and green, and occasionally, a red, yellow or pink flower cluster appears from the mother plant.

Other Cold-Tolerant Succulents

• The rare Aloe polyphlla, a native to the mountains of South Africa, can thrive in snowy conditions well below freezing. Orostachys produces 2-inch-wide, bright green rosettes that elongate to become flower spikes in fall and can persist to -32 degrees Fahrenheit. The genus Rhodiela also contains many cold-tolerant species; these often resemble large sedum but produce star-shaped flowers.