Cylindropuntia - post winter status

My cacti are slowly recuperating as the growing season comes to a start. My regular Opuntias are all doing well; unfortunately my Cylindropuntias are marked badly by the cold and wet Danish winter.

The Cylindropuntia viridiflora looked beautiful in the snow but the top has now completely died back.


Cylindropuntia viridiflora – scorched by snow

My Cylindropuntia whipplei flowered last summer with amazing yellow-green flowers. Today it resembles a bunch of withered twigs – the only part still (seemingly) alive is the absolute base of the plant. If it’s still alive it will probably be years before it flowers again.


Withered Cylindropuntia whipplei

Alas, my Cylindropuntia imbricata is dead. I’ll leave it standing as a “snag” in the bed (given the plant was old enough to have formed wood).


Dead Cylindropuntia imbricata

All of the plants above are (or were) growing in an unprotected bed. I have similar plants growing outside in pots with some protection from rain and snow – these plants are doing considerably better. This indicates that the harm is not inflicted by the cold (even though the winter was exceptionally cold this year) but rather the consequence of too much precipitation.