I had read countless expert accounts, both on-line and in print, that Ferocactus wislizeni wouldn’t grow outdoors in our cold wet winter NC climate. Indeed, I had failed with plants from commercial sources, so in 2005, I went hiking into the Arizona mountains (Pima County), where I found seed on a plant at 3700′ elevation. Well, the resulting seed-grown plant is now 9 years old and in full flower in our garden after our very cold winter….genetics do matter! If we get good seed set, we’ll grow some of these to offer in the future. Anita took this wonderful photo.
My neighbors in Albuquerque have a large specimen which came from seeds collected at 4,000 feet in Southern NM. We live in the North Valley, with colder nigh time temps than the rest of the city. They cover it with burlap for about 4 months in winter, and it has sailed through and continues to bloom in late July.
Gorgeous.