Could I grow a Snow Leopard Cholla in the mid-Willamette Valley? - Ask Extension
While travelling, I saw a beautiful cactus in a botanical garden: Cylindropuntia "Snow Leopard". Any chance I could grow it in the mid-Will...
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Could I grow a Snow Leopard Cholla in the mid-Willamette Valley? #849311
Asked September 10, 2023, 12:31 PM EDT
While travelling, I saw a beautiful cactus in a botanical garden: Cylindropuntia "Snow Leopard". Any chance I could grow it in the mid-Willamette Valley? Would it get too wet in the winter? Would it be amenable to living in a pot, and I could bring it inside during the winter? Thank you for your help!
Linn County Oregon
Expert Response
Dear Jane,
Thank you for contacting Ask Extension about Cylindropuntia whipplei "Snow Leopard". It looks like a lovely plant, however, I am not familiar with it.
While the plant withstands a wide range of temperatures, it is found naturally in dry and high elevations with slightly calcitic soils, so I suspect it may not do well outdoors in the Willamette Valley. This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Thank you for contacting Ask Extension about Cylindropuntia whipplei "Snow Leopard". It looks like a lovely plant, however, I am not familiar with it.
While the plant withstands a wide range of temperatures, it is found naturally in dry and high elevations with slightly calcitic soils, so I suspect it may not do well outdoors in the Willamette Valley. This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
- Yucca Valley, California
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Brigham City, Utah
- https://garden.org/plants/view/771458/Whipples-Cholla-Cylindropuntia-whipplei-Snow-Leopard/
- https://santafebotanicalgarden.org/january-2014/