Help with Thorns - Planting Opuntia Cactus and Roses

[Oxalis]

Hi all! I will soon be acquiring a Michigan native Opuntia cactus and two Michigan native rose bushes for my adult male Russian's outdoor garden/enclosure. I was wondering if anyone has any good ideas regarding how to place plants with spines or thorns so as to not harm the tortoise?

I kind of want them inside the enclosure because I know the nearby bunnies will eat my roses up and the enclosure covering will protect them. I was thinking of putting them in pots and half-burying the pots in the ground so the plants are raised up just enough so that my tortoise can't reach them. I think the plants will eventually die if they do not have enough insulation from the soil around them (to keep them warm in the winter). I was thinking terra cotta pots...

That's as far as I got with this idea. Any help available out there? Thanks!!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I have read about a spineless hybrid that may be more of what you're looking for.
Maybe someone can send you some info.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

If its a native plant, I don't see why winter should present a problem, even if it dies back. Roots will be better insulated in the ground than above ground in a pot.

 

[Jacqui]

With a man created rose you have to bury the (old mind is blocking the correct term) below the soil surface to protect it. Does the native one have to have that or does it even nobby thing? I can not recall them on our natives. Are the thorns even that bad on them?

I have several roses in enclosures and have not had any tortoise harmed by them.

Cactus I do not have the ecperiences with.

If you do plant the rose in a pot, I would put a nice layer of mulch/leaves for the winter. Or perhaps even dig the pot out and store in an unheated garage.

 

[Oxalis]

OK, thanks! that gives me some great ideas so far! Honestly, I'm not sure what exactly the plants will look like other than any details I can gather from photos online. I had a hard time finding native plants for my garden, so I'm very excited to pick these up on Saturday! Here is the scientific plant info if you're interested:

Opuntia humifusa | U.S. Forest Service Plant of the Week!
Rosa palustris
Rosa setigera

Maybe I'll be able to just plant these right in the ground and maybe put some sort of small rock barrier around them...

 

[Len B]

The humifusa is what I call a crawler type of opuntia, it spreads out not up. It is very hardy and almost impossible to kill. The pads do not get real large maybe 7 to 8 inches on average, but can produce many new pads and blooms in a season. I have the type with long spines and also a form that looks and grows just like it, but without the spines, I was told it was spine-less humifusia, but have never had it verified as such by someone that knows cactus. They both do fine in pots and planted in the ground and after being established for a while will handle more watering than most other opuntia. I found my first humifusa plant 50 years ago this summer on the Chesapeake Bay shoreline. Can't help with roses..

 

[Oxalis]

The humifusa is what I call a crawler type of opuntia...

Wow, very cool! I did read that it was more of a crawler, so I'm glad someone with some experience with this species can verify that. Thanks!!