Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of California and Nevada

Desert barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus) with teddy-bear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) in a private garden in Joshua Tree. Author’s photographs, except as noted
A key characteristic of cacti, agaves, and yuccas is their tolerance of drought. Their adaptability to dry growing conditions makes them excellent choices for “xeriscaping,” a type of landscaping that uses xeric (drought-tolerant) plants. Since water is a limited resource in most of California and Nevada, it makes good economic and environmental sense for residents of these states to grow plants that can thrive on local rainfall. Our native cacti, agaves, and yuccas need the right conditions to thrive in a garden or container, but once they are established, many of them require little or no supplemental water.
Before growing these plants outdoors, it is important to find out how well a given species will do in a specific climate zone. For instance, Shaw agave (Agave shawii) will thrive from San Diego to San Francisco, but would probably not survive the high summer temperature and aridity of Las Vegas, a city better suited for growing desert ...