Re: weather

At the National Academy of Sciences building in WDC, there is an opuntia that was brought back from the top of the Andes by some scientific expedition or another. Gotta be close to perennially cold up there. I've got no idea what the species is, but one of its interesting attributes is that it is a prostrate grower, no more than about 6 inches high. 

On Jan 17, 2007, at 9:10 AM, Aplfgcnys@aol.com wrote:


Judy, some opuntias are winter-hardy.  I know several stands here in
the Hudson Valley, most notably a large patch that grow on a rocky
outcrop above the river.  Unlike this strange winter, most years the
temperatures are well below freezing most of the winter, and
sometimes fall below zero.  I think this species is Opuntia tuna,
but there has been some question about it.  I have seen another
species in a garden in Chincoteague, Virginia, where the temperatures
are milder than here, but still a lot of freezing weather. These are much 
larger than the local ones, but seem totally hardy.
Auralie

In a message dated 01/17/2007 2:57:20 AM Eastern Standard Time,
judylee@lewiston.com writes:
I think the cacti here are opuntia. Mine looked dead after we went from 70s to -10F overnight one fall. Everything was flat dessicated, looked like a total loss, but it came back. Lost about half its bulk, but I was surprized 
how much of the part that looked freeze-dried, survived.

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Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.1 N, 82.4 W
Hardiness Zone 10
Heat Zone 10
Sunset Zone 25
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
Maximum 100 F [38 C]

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