golden rat tail cactus
Cleistocactus winteri
RHS AGM 1993
USDA zones9 to 11
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterNeeds dry soil
Size5 feet tall
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Soil types
- Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Golden rat tail cactus (Cleistocactus winteri) is a succulent for containers and low maintenance gardens. It grows outdoors year-round in USDA zone 9 and warmer, down to about 20°F (-7°C). In colder areas, grow it as a houseplant or bring it indoors for winter. This plant likes full or part sun and dry, sandy soil. It reaches about 59 inches tall and stays evergreen. Hummingbirds and butterflies visit its flowers. Deer and rabbits tend to browse other plants first.
Pairs well with Silver squill, Coppertone stonecrop, and Vetiver.
Native range
South America.