I did ask this in the C&S forum but am wondering if any of you know of hardy cactus and succulents hardy in zone 5. I have hens and chicks and one other sedum (forget the name) but would like to add more.
Thanks
Hardy cactus and other succulents.
Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus.
http://www.floridata.com/ref/O/opun_hum.cfm
I have ordered from these guys before, their packaging is really interesting and good. Several of the Ech (sp is gonna kill me so I'll stop there) grew at my parents house until my mother used RoundUp on them. I've also had luck with some Agave from there. You'll have to go through their site, or individual varieties, but they have a pretty good list of hardy cacti for the area. Hardiness is one thing, just make sure they have superbly draining soil...that will be the killer more so than the cold:
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/browse/cacti-and-succulents/
In the winter, the Prickly Pears flop over and look just awful, but in the spring they slowly raise themselves back up, fill out, and turn green. It's pretty neat to watch over time. If they're in your hottest, sunniest, sandiest spot, you'll get those lovely blooms. My fruits never made it to ripeness, but ya can't have everything! Propagation is too easy, just break off a chunk (use leather gloves!) and push it halfway into the soil. You'll have a good sized patch in no time.
I ordered several collections from High Country Nursery and enjoyed their catalog very much.Perhaps too much if the bride sees the invoice!
One concern I have is I will plant them in a very well drained spot but shouldn't they be watered??
I never knew what these were till last year. I thought they were called hens nest. They have been in that spot for 4 years now. I have not touched them. I "THINK" I will move them this year.
The spot they are in is not very good soil. Basically they are in regular gravely dirt and in an icky spot.
game-I am not going to even give advice on this one, as the succy's and agave I planted at my parents house is in the worse soil, it's almost all pea/sm diameter gravel, with a little dirt, and gets blasted by sun all day long...virtually nothing else lives there except sempervivum (hens and chicks) jojavarba (another form of hens and chicks, russian sage, and some herbs, and blue fescue...nothing else can tolerate it.
Schick...hens and chicks-Sempervivum do well just about anywhere. I have seen them growing in all sorts of places they shouldn't, and they thrive. Their optimal growing place should be full sun, well drained soil, with minimal organic matter. BUT, a friend of mine has a colony growing in his bog...lol...
If you want some really great information, go to High Country Gardens web page, there should be links there to the Denver Botanical Gardens, they should also have some info on growing cacti and succy's in wet/wintery weather.