Vermont Experimental Cold-Hardy Cactus Garden
Encyclopedia
The Vermont Experimental Cold-Hardy Cactus Garden (less than 100 square feet) is a nonprofit amateur botanical garden
for cactus
and succulents that are hardy for USDA Zones 4 and 5 of northern New England
, upstate New York
, and eastern Canada
. The collection includes several opuntia
s, yucca
s, and sedum
s in a small raised bed and mini hillside planting. The garden also includes an experimental attempt to test the hardiness of the Giant Sequoia tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum aka Sequoia gigantea) in Zones 4-5. Several small test sequoias were planted in 2000.
It is located at the residence of Louis and Marilyn Varricchio, Halladay Road, Middlebury, Vermont, and is open to the public. Please call before visiting.
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
for cactus
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
and succulents that are hardy for USDA Zones 4 and 5 of northern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and eastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The collection includes several opuntia
Opuntia
Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus , is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider...
s, yucca
Yucca
Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North...
s, and sedum
Sedum
Sedum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are commonly known as stonecrops. It contains around 400 species of leaf succulents that are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, varying from annual and creeping herbs to shrubs. The plants have...
s in a small raised bed and mini hillside planting. The garden also includes an experimental attempt to test the hardiness of the Giant Sequoia tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum aka Sequoia gigantea) in Zones 4-5. Several small test sequoias were planted in 2000.
It is located at the residence of Louis and Marilyn Varricchio, Halladay Road, Middlebury, Vermont, and is open to the public. Please call before visiting.