Opuntia basilaris 'Sara's Compact'

Mail Order plants start in either 2", 3" or 4" square nursery pots.

Prior to shipping, we remove plants from their pots, and with roots intact, safely bag and wrap each plant. Depending on the plant, we do make exceptions to this rule.

Please note: Photos on this site may not represent actual plant size. We may also find it necessary to prune or trim plants before wrapping and shipping.

See our full Shipping Policy here.

Under most conditions, planting directly into the garden is best. Keep in mind, that in our care, plants have been protected from intense sunlight and drying winds and would therefore require sheltered transition time in order to acclimate to such conditions in your garden.

All plants going into containers (rather than in the ground) should be potted immediately in well-drained potting mix and watered well to ensure the soil is fully moistened with no air pockets. Succulent plants abide by different rules (**see below).

Plants held for later planting are best stored in a cool greenhouse or a well-lit garage or basement, rather than in your house where conditions are likely too warm and dry.

Those plants needing time to acclimate can be set out in pots and provided some shade and shelter for the first week to allow for a successful transition.

**For cacti and other succulents, we recommend using a soil mix of less than 30% organic matter, preferably a 2-1 blend of cactus/succulent potting soil and pumice, perlite or lava rock. These plants are sensitive to prolonged heavy moisture, especially in cool/winter conditions. Keep this in mind when watering them for the first time. It is better to leave them dry in lower temperatures.

Mail order plants on this site are available for pick-up from our Sauvie Island nursery. (We also have a substantial and ever-changing selection of plants in larger sizes available for purchase in our retail nursery.)

Should you like to pick up mail order plants, please place an order online and we'll have your plants ready for pickup in 2-4 days.

We can hold pick-up orders for 1 week. If a week has passed and your order is not picked-up, we will refund your order and restock the plants.

If you are planning on visiting our nursery and want to to purchase mail order plants while you are here, please be aware that we are a small team and may not always be able to pull mail order plants same-day.

Best to plan ahead...