On a cool November day, I found myself standing in front of something I didn’t expect - a cactus garden in Minnesota. This particular garden is a gift from the St. Paul Garden Club and is located right on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul Campus, outside the Conservatory & Botanical Collection (free and open to the public most weekdays 9am-3pm).

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, our state is home to three native cacti:

Brittle Prickly Pear (opuntia fragilis). This cactus may develop a pretty yellow flower but the spikes of this plant are not pretty and no fun. Handle with care as the spikes can easily get stuck in your hand. They cactus is easily spread through the fur, feet, or skin of a passing animal as a piece of the plant will tear away - leading to the “brittle” name. The plant will be carried along by the animal and, at some point, dropped to grow in a new location. 

Plains Prickly Pear (opuntia polyacantha). This cactus has longer spines and pretty yellow flowers. It forms a mat that will spread along the rocks and grassland - or in your rock garden.

Ball cactus, also called Pincushion cactus (coryphantha vivipara or escobaria vivipara.) This cactus is part of the UMN Landscape Arboretum rare species work because the plant and its native habitat are endangered by land use, including granite mining operations. The Arboretum and conservation partners are leading a project to seed bank and translocate seedlings to protected areas. They are creating educational displays at the Arb, and will eventually train local volunteers to take on the responsibility of monitoring these populations. 

In their native habitats, cacti prefer rocky soil and drier grasslands. In Minnesota, this environment is mostly found in the western counties. Gardeners can mimic these conditions with well-drained soil in raised beds and rock gardens. Amending the soil with gravel can improve drainage. Cacti are able to store water and nutrients for a long time in their stems, which helps them to survive the extreme temperature and moisture conditions found throughout the seasons in Minnesota. Cacti will often grow in crevices and crannies along rock slabs; they use the heat stored in the rocks when the sun shines to help them survive our cold winters.

So, if you are drawn the desert look or are looking for a plant that will grow in your rock garden, consider these Minnesota native cacti for your garden.

For more information and photos of Minnesota native cacti, including teacher resources, visit https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/issues/2024/jul-aug/yn.html

For more information about the University of Minnesota CBS Conservatory and Botanical Collection, visit cbs.umn.edu

For more information about the Arboretum’s rescue projects and conservation partners, visit https://arb.umn.edu/plant-rescues

Photo Credits: UMN Landscape Arboretum (1), Sarah Heidtke (2,3,,4),Peter M. Dziuk, Minnesota Wildflowers

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/pincushion-cactus (5)