Cactuses Don’t Just Grow In The Desert, They’re Native To Michigan Too

When people think of a cactus, they typically think of this scene: sand everywhere, a tumbleweed blowing in the wind, and a tall, green, spiky plant upright as the only thing of color for miles. My preferred cactus visual is from Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I'm sure you get the idea.

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But it turns out cacti aren't just native to dry and arid places - they can grow naturally here in Michigan, despite almost half the year being below freezing and the ground covered in snow. Michigan has two native cactus species: Opuntia cespitosa and Opuntia fragilis, both prickly pear cacti.

The Eastern & Fragile Prickly-pear Cacti

Opuntia cespitosa, or commonly called the Eastern Prickly-pear, is Michigan's most common cactus. The University of Michigan states that it is primarily found in West, Southwest, and Northwest Michigan, and that it grows in sandy areas and open oak forests. The "prickly" plant is not the popular version seen in the media; it is definitely still sharp, but grows low to the ground in clumps as oval-shaped shrubs.

READ MORE: When To Set Your Plants Outside This Spring In Michigan

Meanwhile, a far rarer cactus, the Opuntia fragilis a.k.a. the Fragile Prickly-pear, has only been seen growing naturally in the Upper Peninsula and once in the Lower Peninsula. Unlike the Eastern Prickly-pear, the Fragile-prickly pear grows on rocky outcroppings. It is considered endangered.

How Does A Cactus Survive A Michigan Winter?

Cacti manage to serve the freezing Michigan winters by expelling most of the water from their cells to avoid freezing, and according to the Henry Shaw Cactus and Succulent Society, "build up sugar and starch content so that the intracellular fluid will not freeze."

With no water in their cells, the cacti do not have to worry about freezing temperatures and enter a dormant state until the heat returns, after which they emerge.