Cactus Blog 

The harissia cactus was introduced as a pot plant over 100 years ago and has since spread throughout a lot of Queensland.

The Banana Shire Council’s rural services coordinator Gordon Twiner says they are working with landholders to try to get on top of the cactus which is spread by birds.

Foreign languages, even when in English, are odd and confusing. Did you know the cactus was a “pot plant” in the “Banana Shire” and that “landholders” want to be “on top of the cactus”? Interesting. Let me translate that for you using google translate, into german and back to english. We get this:

The harissia cactus was introduced as a potted plant over 100 years ago and has since spread a lot of Queensland.

The Banana Shire’s rural services coordinator Gordon climbing plant, it says landowners are working to try on top of the cactus, which is spread by birds receive.

That didn’t work out too well. It did translate “pot plant” into “potted plant” and “landholder” into “landowner” so that was good. Now if only we knew what this “Banana Shire” was and why the people there want to sit on the cactus?

The Harrisia cactus is a night-blooming cereus known as the Moon Cactus (Harrisia martinii). Hard to know why it would be considered a dangerous weed from that photo.

The blooms are stunning! This can’t be a problem cactus to anyone.

Here we see why it’s a problem when it has escaped into the Australian wilds. Indeed that does look like a problem. If someone wants to send me some cuttings, I’ll be happy to research the plant.

Echinocactus grusonii

Eriosyce esmereldana

I blogged it in bloom last year, too. It must be an especially pretty bloom. Either that, or I’ve been blogging too long and there’s nothing new to post, ever again.

Adenium obesum, grafted hybrid

I see we’re finally getting some heat around here – mid 80s today and tomorrow. Finally, the cactus flowers that have been half opened all through this cold and windy spring will finally get their chance to shine – the opportunity to open fully! if they haven’t given up already. (That happens too.)

I’ll keep an eye out for them and take any and all pictures that I can.

In the meantime, I thought I should bring up the topic of planting summer tomatoes. I know you’ve already planted your spring tomatoes, but have you thought what will happen when they are done and you have no more tomatoes on the vine? Maybe you should think about your second crop of tomatoes, get ready to plant them this weekend so you’ll have delicious local tomatoes all summer and fall. Why am I bringing this up? Because we’re having a special on organic heirloom tomatoes this weekend, of course. Buy 5 organic veggie starts and get the 6th free. Yay! (more…)

Page Street
Aeonium “Schwartzkopf”

Eriogonum latifolium flower buds are about to open. I wonder what color they’ll be?

Carleton St.
Oscularia deltoides

Since we’re on about what to do in Texas this weekend, here’s another suggestion – a walk into Big Bend National Park. That’s about 10 hours away from Dallas. I know, since I had to hurry off when I was visiting the park a few years ago to pick up my sister at the airport in Dallas. We visited the Book Depository 6th floor museum, and then made our way to the birthplace of Elvis Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi.

Anyway, back to Big Bend…

Lost Mine Peak Trail, Big Bend National Park, Panther Junction (West Texas)

This walk is much more of a hike than a walk, but it is one of the best in Texas. This 4.8-mile round-trip trek is not for those who are out of shape, but if you walk regularly, it should be no problem since much of the path consists of switchbacks. Just go at a pace that’s comfortable. The rewards are phenomenal. First, you have the walk itself, through thick forest and by cactus and ocotillo and agave. Second is the panoramic view at the top that will take your breath away — guaranteed — if the walk itself hasn’t already done that. It’s the most strenuous walk listed here, since it begins at about a mile high and ascends for an additional 2,000 feet. Getting to the top is part of the fun, since the trail takes you through two very different ecosystems as you gain elevation. At the end of the trail is the supreme reward, where you can relax on one of the rocks and gaze out over what seems to be the entire world below your feet. On a clear day you can see for more than 100 miles. If you get lucky, you might even spy an eagle soaring below. The trail also has a self-guided brochure available at the trailhead to identify all the plants and trees you will pass along the way.

Big Bend is one of my favorite parks, and I hope to make it back.

You’re in Dallas, it’s hot and you can’t take a beach holiday since the Gulf Coast is closed. I know! Take a class!

AGAVES, YUCCAS AND OTHER SUCCULENTS: Learn the basics of succulents, including how to select, plant and care for these architectural plants for the Texas heat. 11 a.m. Saturday. North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Road, Dallas. Free.

Achillea “Paprika”

The color on these varies. They will come in much darker red, too.

The achillea hybrids are generally from Achillea millefolium which has subspecies in Europe and the Americas. I like to think of them all as California natives since there is one native subspecies, and the hybrids seem to have all interhybridized pretty readily, so I figure that’s close enough. But apparently this one really is hybridized from the California native yarrow. Good to know.

It’s our newest houseplant hanging wall unit.

Echeveria pulidonis blooms. You can’t really tell what the plant looks like from this photo. I tried to capture both the blooms on the long pendant stems and the rosette, but instead here’s another picture, after the break…
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A list of night blooming cactus from the Lompoc Record.

Night-blooming cactus

The first royal member, also known as night-blooming cereus or Honolulu-queen (Hylocereus undatus), may climb 25 feet….

The next queen is also known as serpent cactus, snake cactus or night-blooming cereus (Nyctocereus serpentinus), and is native to Mexico and Central America. Its spiny stems may flop, twist and turn for up to 10 feet…

The third queen (Selenicereus grandiflorus) is native to Jamaica and Cuba and is widely planted in tropical America, where it scales trees via aerial roots….

Wooly torch (Pilocereus leucocephalus) forms unusual, blue–green columns covered in white, hairy wool. Its white flowers attract bats in its native eastern Mexico and Central America….

Creeping devil (Stenocereus eruca) slinks as far as 20 feet along the ground, armed with nasty pink or yellow spines….

Also look for Dutchman’s pipe (Epiphyllum oxypetalum). In the garden, Dutchman’s pipe is best in filtered light and planted in a hanging basket…

This is a handy list you should cut out and laminate and hang on your refrigerator door.

We just got back from delivering some of our succulent wall panels to a new TV show on the DIY Network. They filmed the delivery for the show. Here I am photographing people waiting around on the set, which is someone’s home being renovated.

Albuca nelsonii is in bloom! This large South African bulb is rarely found in gardens, and I think it’s because people don’t like it which leads nurseries not to carry it. But I like it, so here’s a photo of one 4″ flower for you to contemplate.

I don’t know who came up with that odd common name above, and it’s in the Hyacinth family (Hyacinthaceae) not the Lily family (Liliaceae). Although to be fair it used to be classified in the lily family. The Zulu name is Umaphipha.

It’s the largest of the Albucas. It has hundreds of flowers on the giant 6ft. tall bloom stalk. I’m exaggerating, but you’ll never know by how much unless you come in and see for yourself.

Ian’s been making mini terrariums. Lot’s of tillandsias. Here’s one that’s planted with cactus.

They’re very popular.

Achillea millefolium “Lilac Beauty” – a very mellow lilac, practically white, but not quite pure white. A nice glow above the rich green yarrow leaves.

HI, I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of plant this is, and if it is unusual for it’s size. It was growing for some time then this tree like appendage came shooting out of it. It is well over the top of our 1 story home. Easily close to 2 stories high. Picture is included. Thanks for your response.

Mike
Vista, CA

Mike,

Your plant is an Agave that it is starting to bloom. It looks like it is an Agave americana or “Century Plant”. The blooms will open soon and look amazing, the stalk will eventually (over the next year or two…) dry out and be a sculptural corpse… Agave bloom stalks were often used as alien trees in old science fiction films. Agaves grow for a long time (but not really for a century) and then bloom and die. However there should be “Pups” or baby plants around the base of the blooming mother plant that will repeat the cycle, as Agave have a habit of cloning themselves before trying to do “sexual reproduction”. If there is another Agave bloom in you area and you have Agave moths, you might even get seed pods. If not the flower stalk will sometimes try another cloning strategy and grow plantlets where the blooms are, that eventually helicopter down and root in where they land.

Take care,

Hap

Malacothamnus fasciculatus is not in bloom yet.

Adansonia digitata. Photograph by Tom Schwabel

“Baobab trees frame a serene view of night skies in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Some species of baobab trees can live for a thousand years—potentially reaching a stunning height of 80 feet (25 meters) and a diameter of 40 feet (12 meters).” © 2010 National Geographic Society.

While we don’t grow any Baobabs in Berkeley, we do grow their relatives, the Bombax and the Chorisia (Kapok), in the Bombacoideae family.

This calls for planting succulents.

What can you grow in a container on your overheated west-facing balcony or patio? The answer is to plant a “hot pot” full of sun-loving succulents — plants that carry their water supply around with them in their leaves and can take all the heat you can give them.

I’ll annotate as we read together from the Vancouver Sun.

To create the tender hot pot, first place gravel or terra cotta shards in the bottom of the pot to ensure good drainage.

Just make sure you don’t block the hole. In fact, cover the hole with mesh, and place a fast-draining soil all the way to the bottom.

Fill the upright 18-inch pot with a quality container soil mix.

Make that a quality cactus and succulent soil mix. Regular container soils will rot the plants.

Next, place your centrepiece — the large, Aeonium ‘Schwarzkopf’. This will stand about 35 to 45 cm high in the pot.

We always start with the big plant, although we often plant it off-center for effect.

Moisten the soil before taking the three large “collector’s echeveria” — colours range from warm pinks to cool blues — and placing them equidistant apart around the aeonium. The roots can be pressed into the moistened soil without much difficulty, but be careful not to damage the leaves or interfere too much with the roots.

We recommend planting into dry soil, and not moistening anything for another week, since succulents have tender rot-prone roots. In other words, rather than press the roots into wet soil try digging a hole into dry soil.

Finish off your container by planting the smaller, filler sedums in between the echeveria.

I approve of surrounding echeveria with smaller sedums.

This container can be placed in full-sun, but will need to be moved into a frost-free room in winter.

So true for those poor unfortunate freeze-loving Canadians.

Adenium obesum

That’s a nice flower color.

We also have pink ones, and pure white ones too! We’re your one-stop shop for adenium colors.

Hello,

My son is very worried about his cactus. He has had it for about two years and it started to turn black (please see attached photos) two weeks ago. We live in Wisconsin, and his cactus receives about 8 hours of sunlight a day. Any advice would greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Tony

Tony,

The cactus is mutant Gymnocalycium that is grafted on top of a Hylocereus stem (the green part). It is a chimera pair so that the bottom graft can feed the top bright-colorful part that lacks chlorophyll since it was likely exposed to gamma radiation to kill the chlorophyll and bring out the wild otherworldly color. The sad reality is the mutated part is generally short-lived because it has compromised immunities and can’t build all the proteins it needs.

The black infection showing in the photos is likely a fungal infection (it could also be a virus). If it is a fungus it may respond to being treated with a fungicide. We use Neem Oil, which is usually effective, while having low (to none) toxicity issues around mammals (us, kids, pets…). Neem Oil is used in toothpaste and cosmetics. You should be able to find a ready-to-use Neem Oil product at your local nursery. Follow the directions and spray it down well. Retreat after a week. Hopefully it will stop the infection, but the top graft will always be scarred. If the infection continues the top graft may fail and turn all black; if it does cut it off and treat the green base with Neem. The Hylocereus base is actually a cool jungle cactus that can be treated more like an orchid and if it starts growing new arms it can eventually bloom and even fruit, which are those cool and tasty looking “Dragon Fruit” you might have seen at the grocery store.

Good luck,
Hap

Echinocereus adustus is a small but prolific cactus. We have them with different colored flowers, leading me to wonder if these have been hybridized without my knowledge.

Catheter Lopez’s “Oaxaca Cactus” art show opening is tonight, if you can make it. 4-6p at the nursery.