I have offered to come up with a list of plants for a co-worker of mine who wants to put in a new cactus bed. These need to be ok in the College Station area (zone 8b) and relatively easy to care for. Suggestions anyone?
Thanks! Kim
new cactus bed-need suggestions!
prickly pear of almost any kind will be ok. They have a spineless variety that I grow.
Chollas-dangerous but large and hardy.
I have small cactus that I bought from home depot, labled hardy and they survived this cold winter so he might get some there.
High country gardens mail orders smallish cactus and they have proven to be accurate about the hardiness of those I have bought.
Wish I could be more specific but I don't remember all the sc. names of mine.
C
Two that I have experience with in zone 8a
Hesperaloe aka red Yucca is most definitely a hardy plant with low maintenance and blooms that should melt a hummingbirds' heart. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/31558/
Another one that would do if there was shade is the Manfreda http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/83542/ Actually, this one loses foliage in winter.
I think many of the Yuccas would do well but some can grow quite tall.
Can you tell I lean toward those with no thorns...
The trouble with having actual cactus, at least for me, is most of the ones hardy in my area are relatively small. I have red and yellow yuccas (Hesperaloe) and I love them. I like agaves too and those are definately nice companions to cacti. I hate spines, thorns and all the wicked combinations of them but I do love true cacti and so I have a small bed full of them. One really bad thing is weeding them...
C
Blue eyes, check out yuccado nursery at http://www.yuccado.com/
They have lots of wonderful stuff and I'm sure you can get loads of ideas there.
Crow
This spineless cactus was bought at one of the SFA plant sales here in Nacogdoches and it is a great performer.
The dogs have knocked off three big chunks of pads and I just heeled them in the ground, walked away, and now have three additional plants
