Cactus Blog 

The  highly variable, reliably blooming, very popular Opuntia violacea.

I wonder what the Dep’t of Ag has to say about it.

Genus: Opuntia
Family: Cactaceae
Nomen number: 420186
Place of publication: W. H. Emory, Not. milit. reconn. 157, fig. 8. 1848
Comment: nom. provis.? Engelm.: “I must consider it as a distinct species to which I would give the name of O. violacea.” and “my descriptions … and the names given by me, must remain doubtful till we are able to obtain some more data …”

References:
* Anderson, E. F. 2001. The cactus family. (Cact Fam) 506.
* Benson, L. 1982. The cacti of the United States and Canada. (Cact US Can).
* Hunt, D. 1999. CITES Cactaceae checklist, ed. 2. (CITES Cact L ed2)
* Irish, M. 2001. The ornamental prickly pear industry in the southwestern United States. Florida Entomol. 84:484. [accepts].

Arggh.

Echinopsis subdenudata

Another color than the white flowers I last posted for this species. Are they a variable species, or a cultivated variety? Or is that the same thing, after all?

The giant funnel blooms of Lobivias got moved into Echinopsis, along with pretty much everything else pretty from South America, in 1975 based on a treatment by Walter Rausch, however many growers are late to accept this change. Botanical arguments still rage about the size of the Echinopsis genus. Mats Hjertson believes Rebutia even should be added! Them’s fighting words!

Science!

I think Los Angeles should have an amusement park every third exit.

It’s been a full day of travel, as we’re going to the California Grown show this week. Maybe I’ll make a video of the show. Won’t that be exciting? Anyway, we’re in Newport Beach, with both dogs.

Parodia ottonis

Yowza, that’s a vibrant yellow.

I recently posted a less vibrant yellow flower picture from this species. I also mentioned it used to be a notocactus. But I forgot to mention that Parodia was described and named in 1923 by Spegazzini. Also, while they are no longer in the notocactus genus (since the genus has been eliminated) it is still in the Tribe Notocacteae.

Science!

Now this is a one-of-a-kind find.

Some of the art that can be seen at Smartshop’s ‘Forge the Future’ fundraiser includes, on the left, ‘Sonoran Cactus,’ a paper-pulp lamp by Elizabeth Faust; and on the right, ‘Steam Punk Blacksmith,’ a found object sculpture by Alex Drummer.

Too bad it’s in Kalamazoo, Michigan, because otherwise, I’d be all over it. And the cactus too.

Mammillaria bocasana ssp. multilanata

This plant is a cactus. It has many spines, some of which look like hairs, some of which look like little hooks. It is globose, and slowly multi-stemmed.

It is in the family Cactaceae, Subfamily Cactoideae, Tribe Cacteae and the genus Mammillaria. The genus was named in 1812 by Adrian Haworth (of Haworthia fame) in 1812, making it an old and stable name. The name Mammillaria comes from the latin word for “nipple,” and is referring to the tubercles, not the round shape of the plant.

Science!

From Tucson we find out that…

The cereus cacti are about to bloom.

Not here they’re not. We are definitely later bloom season that the Arizonans. Our Cardons are getting ready now, but no cereuses yet.

David sanders / Arizona Daily Star
Besides night-blooming cereus plants, landscape designer Jessie Bird’s property has daytime beauties like this peniocereus serpentinus.

Now that’s a nice specimen.

Bloom-night bashes gather flowers and friends. Jessie Byrd issues an e-mail heads-up when she sees cereus buds fattening. Then she invites friends over when the blooming begins.

We do that too! Hah – Just kidding! We’re too lazy to have a party. I blame our need for night time sleep.

People ask us if succulents will do well if they regularly get over 100 degrees. Of course, with a little extra water, and maybe a bit of shade.

But it’s been so foggy lately that I don’t know what they’re worrying about.

Echinocereus armatus

Echinopsis subdenudata

I like pictures. I’ve been posting mostly just articles with pictures. If they don’t have pictures, then I probably don’t care. I mean, it’s not like I can be bothered to read the actual article, now is it? 

I know, some bloggers not only read the article, but do research, and followup and write actual articles themselves. Well, that’s just not me. I prefer to post articles that have pictures. And this is a good one.

Nice sense of space, wide angle, lots of cactus and kids and an entire city in the background. Good stuff.

What’s the article that goes with it? Well, this is the caption in the LA Times:

Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times
In an effort to bring the cactus wren back to Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook State Park, where it hasn’t been seen in a decade, Dorsey High students are restoring the coastal sage scrub preferred by the bird.

That’s enough for me.

Finally, a good idea to come out of Denver.

Try hens and chicks in baskets

Yes! Hanging baskets dry out so fast, so why whouldn’t you fill them with drought tolerant succulents from the Alps.

Hap got me a new flip video, and this is what I’ve done with it: recorded Jason trying to stay awake.

Yay!

Jason was visiting with Jaxx. They are a handsome pair.

Echinopsis subdenudata

Maybe another picture tomorrow? Maybe. It is a very photogenic plant.

Those Brits and their famous phallic fascinations. The site is from London, but the cacti are all New World.

Here’s one that I’ve borrowed, but you’ll have to click through to the Environmental Graffiti site to see the rest of their top ten.

Image: Alex T.

Travel season is finally here.

So where do you go when you want to beat the heat, find some unusual flowers to photograph and enjoy amazing scenery? Well, we visited Saguaro Lake and came home with some great memories. 

This past weekend the Saguaro Cactus forest was full of blooms. This is typically a May phenomenon. 

That’s pretty far to go if you don’t live in Arizona. But they do have cactus in bloom and boating too. It’s an unbeatable combination, unless you compare it to sailing in the Sea of Cortez.

Solanum umbelliferum

Kinda shrubby, but a small and airy shrub at that. Showy violet flowers are in full bloom and can keep going through summer and fall.

Soft.

The Examiner gets in on the nopales health fad.

Nopales taste good and good for you

The pads are… “nopales” when they’re whole, and “nopalitos” when they’re diced. They taste something like green beans. The fruits are called prickly pears, cactus pears, or “tunas”.

Whether you add sliced or cubed pads to omelette’s or gently urge the fruit from its stickery skin and eat it fresh or cooked into jelly, this cactus has much to offer. Even the seeds can be eaten in soups or dried and ground into flour.

They don’t share any recipes with us. I wonder why? Everybody loves recipes.

Like this one from Big Oven.

This is a local native onion. And it’s a pretty annual bloomer, with clumps of grass-like leaves through the winter and spring. But I’d call it a deciduous bulb.

Allium unifolium

From the Smithsonian Collection of Flora of Puerto Rico.

Jatropha curcas L. det. by P. Acevedo-Rdgz.

Those large seed pods of the J. curcas are the future of bio-fuels.

The Jatropha is in the Euphorbia family, has succulent stems, and gets nicely shrubby with beautiful leaves. Most Jatrophas are known for their leaves, some for their caudexes. And all are, as members of Euphorbiaceae, poisonous.

After the Chelsea Garden Show finishes up, the subways are filled with plants.

Obviously, for residents of Chelsea and Kensington, they are used to seeing members of the public struggling through the streets and on the tube with large succulents and perennials and the occasional medium-sized shrub.

It ended this past weekend, so there must have been some good gardens this year.

The Canary Islands Spa Garden has lots of nice aeoniums, don’t you think?

That’s about all the succulents I could find from the Times. It does seem like there were a lot of English Gardens at Chelsea this year.

How do you learn about what hardy cactus you can grow in your Oregon garden? Why, take a class!

CHS Garden Center presents Bill Willis, the “Cactus Guy”. “Everything you Wanted to Know About Hardy Cactus” Bill Willis provides a free “gloves on” lecture on cactus varieties suitable for Central Oregon.

Great! When is it?

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Oops! Too late. Sorry for not being more timely about this. Oh well, I’m a bastard.

Leucadendron galpinii, also known as Conebush, but I like the common name in the title better, since those cones are so round.

Will grow shrubby to 6 to 8ft. tall. Primarily used in gardens for it’s twisting grey-green leaves, but those ivory cones with the little yellow flowers are astonishing and good for cut flowers too! You will be in its spell if you let yourself get absorbed.

“Cactus”
Photograph by John Wood

It’s not often that the burgeoning field of cactus art makes it into the New York Times, and with a photo! There are 2 exhibits through July at NYU and ICP, whatever those are.

A “Natural Park” in Baja, California, Valle de los Cirios offers some of the most unique vistas ever! Cycling in Valle de los Cirios – Notice the massive triple bike? Photo: Nancy Sathre-Vogel

It’s an Echinopsis terscheckii, also known as Cardòn Grandé. We have a 6 footer at the nursery that is sending out it’s first blooms. You’ll get to see the pictures as soon as they open. Unless it sells before then.