I have some of my desert plants in baskets that are hanging, and others that are buried in the ground. This post will be an update on the cacti and succulents in the ground. These consist of opuntias, yuccas, sedums and any other cacti or succulent that outgrow the baskets. Once they become big enough they go into the ground and then have all the space they need to keep growing.
Where I live is not a desert, but through research and spotting native plants I have gathered some that indeed can survive in this Appalachian environment. While driving in Georgia and other state in the South I spot cactus growing so it is indeed possible.
Around a dozen of these desert plants are now in the ground and most are doing great. The above opuntia has been in the ground for a few years now and made it through a few of our winters. Once in awhile a cutting does not make it but the established cacti, yuccas and sedums are doing great.
Not sure if its frost damage or slugs, but the spineless opuntia (Cacanapa Ellisiana) seems to be doing great besides that. I found these on the side of a road. They were ripped out as road construction needed space and they were in the way. Glad to see they recovered and are now growing new paddles.
Bugs can be seen in the Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) these bugs moved in a few years back. I tried trimming the spines very short last year but seems I did not cut them back far enough. These bugs only seem to affect the yucca plant. I believe these are what I am dealing with.. see wiki link below.
https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Yucca-Plant-Bug
These yucca grow native in Georgia and has been here for over a hundred years. The Mojave desert where these got their names is all the way across the country so I am curious how they found their way into the South.
Besides the bugs they are doing great and seem to be divided easily for growing more of them. I just take a shovel in the fall and cut them in half and then have two or more. Looks like three are growing right in this bundle.
Maybe I need to look into using some soap for these bugs, maybe neem oil or some other natural pesticide.
Those white hairs on the yucca has helped me ID it as the Mojave yucca.
They grow in both the shade and full sun, quite the easy plant to deal with and keep happy besides those little bugs that find their way in the spines.
In a few weeks I will be getting alot of flowers from one of my stonecrop plants.
My only succulent and stonecrop in the ground at the moment is a Autumn Joy sedum. I have two of them in the ground actually. While planting this one a piece broke off so I just placed it in the ground and it rooted.