Opuntia, Prickly Pear Cactus, Tiger Tongue 'Ellisiana'

Easily survived here so far in a low of 1 F degrees BUT, dont let leaves in the fall accumulate around the base of the plant, it does not...Read More act as mulch, it acts to retain water and causes rot. Good drainage is very important with this Cactus in my zone 7a. It had more damage from rot than from freezing.

I've ad better luck than dave122, though I'm along the coast of Connecticut (zone 7a) on Long Island Sound. Planted O.Ellisiana 3 years a...Read Morego on south side of house under eave, in a mix of beach sand/loamy soil and it's doing great! Already about 3 feet tall with 10 huge pads! I had a low last winter of 3 F and my Ellisiana was unfazed. I love the look of cactus near the beach.

I first saw this Opuntia further down the East Coast in Cape Fear, North Carolina and thought I would give it a try. I think key is DRY winter soil and a fast draining soil like we have near the beach. Should also do well on Long Island, and the coast of New Jersey nearby.

dave12122's comment is very true! I garden in Pueblo, CO about 120 miles south of Denver in a VERY dry winter climate (heavy snowfa...Read Morell is rare, what little moisture we get is during the summer monsoons) and I am very happy with the performance of O. ellisiana. It survived a 10 year freeze with no problem at all (minor tip burn), and actually grew 31 new cladodes this season. I have yet to see flowers, but my plant is still relatively young.

I have found that USDA hardiness zones can be misleading, especially in the case of cacti and succulents. It seems that many varieties can be grown one or even two zones colder in our dry western climates than in the damp eastern zones. I know of many species of Opuntia and Yucca that thrive here that the USDA says do not. I will, when I get a chance, post some photographs of a place I used to visit that has sadly been sacrificed to the bulldozer.

update: On 12/5 and 12/6 2011 we had official overnight lows of -1F and -4F. My large plant was completely unaffected . I had planted a very small immature cladode ( about 3in. by 2in. in size in mid April, the deciduous "leaves" were still present). The cladode was planted in a in a "frost pocket" in my yard as a test of hardiness, as the mother plant is planted in a sheltered location against a south facing wall.
As of today ( 12-09-11) the is no evidence of freeze damage , although the plant is obviously stressed due to its purplish coloration.
O. Ellisiana was listed as hardy zone 7 according to the catalog I bought it from, but in my very dry zone 6a climate it seems to be hardy to at least 5 below, perhaps even 10 below. Other prickly pears that I have heard of success with in my area are chlorotica, some varieties of engelmanii, basilaris, and violacae. As far as I know, O. Chlorotica ( see panayoti kelaidis' picasa page at [HYPERLINK@picasaweb.google.com] ) is the only trunk forming prickly pear hardy in my area.

This plant did not do well in my zone 6b Connecticut garden. Pads shriveled up and ultimately rotted, even with winter wet protection. ...Read More I think this plant is not acclimated to regions with slushy, wet, winters. It should be fine in the dry cold of Denver, for example.

My covered, West facing front porch, combined with my neglectful watering habits, kills just about everything... except for this wonderfu...Read Morel plant! It survives the winter cold outside in Seattle without a problem. Uncovered, the rain will surely kill it. The back splash from my gutter-less eaves for one season nearly did too! (See picture.)

This plant overwintered...in a small pot no less!

Flowers start out as deep yellow then turns pale orange or reddish later in the day.
It blooms in Late Spring early Summer in May in zone 9b.

Nearly spineless prickly pear from S Texas