Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Missouri Foxtail Cactus (Escobaria missouriensis)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Missouri Pincushion, Nipple Cactus, Coryphantha missouriensis.

More about missouri foxtail cactus

About Missouri Foxtail Cactus

Escobaria missouriensis · also called Missouri Pincushion, Nipple Cactus · houseplant

Missouri Foxtail Cactus is a small, cold-hardy, globular North American cactus native to the Great Plains. It produces cheerful yellow to greenish-yellow flowers in late spring, followed by red berries. One of the hardiest cacti in cultivation, it tolerates frost down to about -20°C with dry conditions. Not toxic to pets.

Cold limit: USDA 4-9 · RHS H5 (-20 to 35°C)

Watch for — Root rot in winter: The commonest cause of death. The plant must be kept almost completely dry when temperatures are low. Soggy winter soil = rot. A gritty mix and minimal winter water is the best prevention.

What missouri foxtail cactus's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — missouri foxtail cactus is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 4-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 4-9 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Missouri Foxtail Cactus is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for missouri foxtail cactus as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can missouri foxtail cactus go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4-9 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when missouri foxtail cactus can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Missouri Foxtail Cactus hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is missouri foxtail cactus cold hardy?

Yes — missouri foxtail cactus is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 4-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Missouri Foxtail Cactus is hardy across USDA 4-9; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature missouri foxtail cactus can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Missouri Foxtail Cactus is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is missouri foxtail cactus?

Missouri Foxtail Cactus is rated USDA 4-9 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can missouri foxtail cactus survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4-9 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to missouri foxtail cactus below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.