ZONE 8 HARDINESS

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rubmop Broxton, GA Apr 10, 2003

I am planning a cactus/succulent garden for my yard. Is there such a thing as one list for plants that are frost tolerant?

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maddy Sodwana Bay KZN, South Africa Apr 11, 2003

This depends on various factors. I am not too familiar with your zones and haven't got the time right now to look it all up. How cold does zone 8 get? Also it depends on what you call 'frost tolerant'. This is not the same as 'frost hardy'. You should find a lot of info, including plant lists, about 'frost hardy' cacti on the web.

Your rainfall season would be the main deciding factor. I have almost *everything* (a very wide variety of succulents and some cacti from all over the world) planted out in the garden, many of which are noted in various books as not to be kept colder than 10 C. They get an average night temperature of 0 to 2 deg C in winter, with occasional drops to -2 C and sometimes down to -5 to -8C. Never have lost anything to frost yet.
BUT: they are completely DRY in the coldest month, as our rain falls predominantly in summer.
Also, our temperatures are generally 15 to 20 C higher during the day, and they get plenty of sunshine to be able to warm up again. Or shortest day is still about 10 1/2 hours from sunrise to sunset.
The only succulents I take inside are the Dorstenia, Sinningia, the Peperomia and Zamioculcas, and I don't grow any of the more difficult Asclepiads. Adenium are still in pots to assure that they don't get wet during their winter dormancy.

Also it depends on the orientation of your succulent garden, is it wide open, on a slope, or sheltered against the walls of a house? You can create many different micro climates where temperatures might be several degrees higher, also if they have the overhead protection of shrubs or a shade cloth for example makes a big difference.

No matter which climate you are in, the bed will have to be well prepared with a well draining medium, raise it above the natural ground level if necessary to ensure good drainage.

If you get rain in winter, your choice of plants will be much more limted. I have my winter growers such as Tylecodon, Othonna and some of the Pelargonium under cover to protect them from too much summer rain. But these also can't handle too much winter rain either.
I can't grow Sempervivum and northern Sedum well because it is getting too hot in summer.

Where do you live? Your best bet would be to look around locally and see what makes it through the winter in your neighbour's gardens. Join the local C&S society and tap into the experience of local enthusiasts.

Analize your climate and compare it to similar regions of the world. In the beginning you might want to stick to what occurs in these regions naturally. As your succulent garden progresses, you might want to get more daring and experimental.

Hope this gives you a starting point.
maddy

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