This plant was germinated from seed in 1998 and planted out in 2004.

Winter Protection

This plant has received no protection since 1998 but has shown signs of wet/frost damage during the winter by new pads dying back to main stem during its first winter but non other to date. The plant has shown great hardiness in the UK climate. It has survived repeated temperatures of -9˚ Celsius (while wet).

Flowers

This plant has not flowered to date.

UPDATE JUNE 2006

(Picture to left was taken winter 2005/06. Shows Opuntia imbricata undera blanket of snow).

This plant has grown well over the past few years producing numerious new stems. The plant has developed into a small strub recieving no winter protection, showing no winter damage and has tolerated repeated lows of -12º Celcius (while wet) over the winter of 2005/06.  The plant currently stands at 50cm high which will increase after new stems mature this season. This plant is proving to be a very tolerant plant suiting the typical climate here in the UK. I know that this species is a shy bloomer but I hope for it to flower in the next few years.