Question
can i grow a saguaro or cholla cactus outdoors in north carolina? if so, how large would it have to be before i planted it outside?

Answer
Hello Sherry,
I'm not familiar with the climate of North Carolina, but I will show you the conditions a saguaro cactus may live in.

An automatic "no" include if:
It frequently rains, not allowing the soil to dry.
Temperatures fall below 30 degrees (F). On the other side, It doesn't matter up to what temperatures it goes up to, as they are native to extreme how temperatures.
The location will get 4 hours or less of sunlight.

An automatic "yes" include if:
Temperatures go up to 90 degrees (F) in the summer and no lower than 40 degrees (F).
It gets full sunlight all day.


These may give you a clue to whether or not the conditions in North Carolina are fine.