Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Ferocactus latispinus (Ferocactus latispinus)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Devil's Tongue Barrel, Crow's Claw Cactus.

More about ferocactus latispinus

About Ferocactus latispinus

Ferocactus latispinus · also called Devil's Tongue Barrel, Crow's Claw Cactus · houseplant

A solitary Mexican barrel cactus famous for its broad, flattened, hooked central spines — often pink to red — that fan out like a claw or tongue. The flattened-globular body has prominent ribs and, on mature plants, produces purple-pink flowers in autumn. It is slow-growing, sun-loving and an emphatically armoured specimen plant.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; container or indoor plant wintered frost-free in most US homes) · RHS H2 (18-32C (growth); cool dry winter rest at 8-12C)

Watch for — Root rot: Overwatering, dense soil or winter moisture rots the taproot. Use very gritty mix, water only when fully dry, and keep dry while cool.

What ferocactus latispinus's hardiness rating actually means

Ferocactus latispinus is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; container or indoor plant wintered frost-free in most US homes) — 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 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Ferocactus latispinus shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for ferocactus latispinus as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about 1 to 5 °C it copes, especially if dry and sheltered.
A sustained hard frost collapses the top growth; whether it returns depends on whether the roots, crown or tubers froze.
Wet cold is far more lethal than dry cold for this plant — soggy, frozen soil is the usual killer.

Can ferocactus latispinus go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; container or indoor plant wintered frost-free in most US homes) or a frost-free UK microclimate.
In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter.
A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

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 ferocactus latispinus can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline ferocactus latispinus

Ferocactus latispinus is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost.
Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse.
Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones.
Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.

Ferocactus latispinus hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is ferocactus latispinus cold hardy?

Ferocactus latispinus is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; container or indoor plant wintered frost-free in most US homes) (and sheltered UK gardens) ferocactus latispinus can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature ferocactus latispinus can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Ferocactus latispinus shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is ferocactus latispinus?

Ferocactus latispinus is rated USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; container or indoor plant wintered frost-free in most US homes) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can ferocactus latispinus survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (frost-tender; container or indoor plant wintered frost-free in most US homes) or a frost-free UK microclimate. In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter. A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

How do I protect ferocactus latispinus from frost?

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost. Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse. Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones. Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.