Cactus in Michigan

Did you know there are three main families of cactus that are cold hardy? Did you know cacti are native only to North and South America. If you're not a resident of the Southwest, you probably don't know a lot about cactus or their cultivation.

The winter hardy cactus that I grow in my zone 5 garden is Opuntia (prickly pear). I'm not sure of the species. The flowering plant in my banner is prickly pear. One of Opuntia's cultivation requirements is well draining soil . My sandy soil is perfect. They also like at least five hours of sunlight. My cactus bed is in full sun and is mulched with pea gravel to keep down the weeds.

In late fall the cacti begin to shrivel to prepare for winter. They have to be able to withstand freezing without bursting. You'll notice when the snow melts in the spring that the cacti are flat to the ground. They actually look dried up and dead. However, as the weather warms the plants will slowly rise up and fill out. Pretty soon flower buds will appear followed by beautiful yellow flowers.