Cactus Blog - Page 3 of 212

Golden Barrel Cactus

Posted January 10, 2020 4:11 pm & filed under Cactus, Marin.

That is one supreme Echinocactus grusonii clump. It’s one plant! Practically a whole planet’s worth, I think. 🌏 🌐 🌍

Echinocactus grusonii

Come see our planet shaking Cactus at our Marin store now!

Oxalis palmifrons

Posted January 8, 2020 10:19 am & filed under Cactus Jungle.

Origin: South Africa

Winter growing bulb with light pink flowers. Amazing palmate leaves. Will go dormant in the summer heat.

Temperature: Hardy to 15F

Full Sun to Part Sun

Tree Aloe

Posted January 1, 2020 4:38 pm & filed under Bay Area Gardens, Bay Area Succulents, San Francisco.

Mariposa St., San Francisco

That’s a nice Aloe marlothii hanging out in the Dogpatch. Nice? Just nice? No no sorry no, I meant awesome. Gorgeous. Fancy.

Street Aloe, Berkeley

Posted December 23, 2019 12:39 pm & filed under Berkeley Succulents.

Aloe arborescens on 5th st in Berkeley has a nice big winter bloom stalk going for it.

Sunny Day Succulents

Posted December 16, 2019 10:16 am & filed under Berkeley Succulents.

It’s a sunny day so it’s an Aeonium “Sunburst” but unfortunately it’s in the shade. Could I have moved out to the sun for the picture? You would think so…. 🤔 😉

Aloe

Posted December 13, 2019 8:08 am & filed under Succulents.

It’s not a starfish, not at all. It’s an aloe! Aloe castilloniae (can someone check my spelling, please?)

Tiny Globules

Posted October 22, 2019 12:01 pm & filed under Photography, Succulents.

Tiny globular leaves and then, surprise! tiny pink flowers!

Tylecodon schaeferianus

Cactus San Francisco

Posted October 10, 2019 1:09 pm & filed under Cactus, San Francisco.

It’s San Francisco’s latest Cactus garden up in the air at the Salesforce Park and that’s a San Pedro cactus and there’s an agave, oh and a yucca…. Nice!

Tree Aloe, San Francisco

Posted October 4, 2019 7:36 am & filed under San Francisco.

Salesforce Park’s Tree Aloe garden is huge! Very urban. Nice!

Friday Whippet Blogging

Posted October 1, 2019 5:19 pm & filed under Whippets.

Jason!

California Native Succulents

Posted September 15, 2019 10:59 am & filed under California Native Plants.

Dudleya “Frank Reinelt” is a coastal variety of D. caespitosa, so you know it will grow well for you, assuming you are coastal too, since we are the Bay Area, so named after the coastal feature that defines it.

Tightly Stacked Succulent Leaves

Posted September 11, 2019 10:24 am & filed under Succulents.

Crassula columella

Common Name: Silinderplakkie

Origin: South Africa; Namibia

Description: Miniature square-shaped vertical stems to 6″. Grows in quartz outcroppings along hillsides.

Temperature

: Hardy to 28F

Peperomia prostrata

Posted September 9, 2019 2:24 pm & filed under Plants in Production.

Peperomia prostrata in production! Coming soon! That’s the parent plant in bloom… I love peperomia bloom spikes!

Aeonium Questions

Posted September 5, 2019 11:37 am & filed under Questions.

I’m wondering why the succulents on this plant have gotten so small in size…the pant used to produce very large “blooms”….

Any idea?
Thank you
Brian

Brian,

What you have on the ends of each branch is a rosette, not a bloom – if they bloom they will form giant pyramids of small yellow flowers. It’s kind of surprising when it happens.

Anyway, the rosettes shrink up in summer because the Aeoniums are winter-growers from a Mediterranean climate with a climate very similar to ours – all winter rains. They should start getting bigger again in October.

Peter

Agave ocahui

Posted September 4, 2019 10:15 am & filed under Agaves, Succulents.

Agave ocahui are astonishing, with a very vigorous terminal spine just
hanging out there. That red on the tips is painted on. I used the latest
in plant paint technology to individually get right up close to the
most dangerous spines around and very delicately hand paint just the
spines with no drips at all anywhere. So vibrant! You can wipe that
color off if you like, it just takes a little spit polish. Or wait for
the rains and the paint is actually made from succulent fertilizer so it
will run off into the ground and provide a really great fertilizer for
you this coming winter! This is what I do for you.

But just this one
plant. Not any of the others. If you want this one painted agave ask for
it at the store, and hopefully nobody has already bought it. It’s in
the back, so you’ll have to ask. I only told Jeremiah and Kel where it
is so you’ll have to ask for them. They know.

Austrocylindropuntia subulata

Posted July 31, 2019 10:54 am & filed under Cactus.

It’s blooming alright. Also known as Eve’s Needles.

Nice.

It’s a List Of Poisonous Plants for Dogs and Cats

Posted July 30, 2019 10:31 am & filed under Science, Whippets.

I think this is the list of plants to avoid if your pets are plant-eaters.

Browse Rover’s list of poisonous plants below to learn which plants are toxic to dogs, cats, or both, along with whether they’re commonly found in the wild, in gardens, or in homes as houseplants. Pet Poison Helpline provided common symptoms to watch out for should your pet encounter one of these poisonous plants.

But wait! That’s not all! They have a short list of some fun plants that are safe!

New Cactus Garden, Marin

Posted June 21, 2019 2:31 pm & filed under Bay Area Gardens, Cactus, Marin.

We planted a new planter bed with a lot of really big cactus in Marin – we do have a store there now! I see a spectacular San Pedro and some gorgeous blooming grandiflora hybrids too. Nice!

And here is Cris!

And here the team is wearing Tyvek suits to prune the prickly pear. Glochids! They come prepared.

Artichoke Cactus

Posted June 11, 2019 11:36 am & filed under Cactus.

It’s the ever fascinating Obregonia denegrii native to Mexico, in the state of Tamaulipas. Also known as peyotl.

Hedgehog Cactus Flowers

Posted June 10, 2019 6:42 pm & filed under Cactus, Photography.

It’s some giant Echinocereus flowers! Hap thinks it’s E. enneacanthus. Maybe! It’s a very hardy cactus, growing in the upper reaches of New Mexico.

Orchid Cactus

Posted May 29, 2019 1:54 pm & filed under Cactus, Photography, Plants in Production.

A new Epiphyllum flower color!

Peach… Orange… Peach… Orange…

Nice.

Opuntia engelmanii

Posted May 26, 2019 3:01 pm & filed under Cactus, Photography.

Common Name: Cactus Apple
Origin: From California to Louisiana; Mexico

Shrubby, sprawling to 10ft., yellow to apricot blooms, edible fruit

Hardy to 15F
Full Sun to Part Sun
Low Water

Echinopsis grandiflora hybrids

Posted May 24, 2019 8:13 am & filed under Photography.

Yow the hybrids have gone bonkers. This Echinopsis hybrid is “Tropical Pink”, everyone’s favorite giant cactus flower that we have been growing and cultivating and growing more of for decades. So nice.

San Anselmo San Pedro Cactus

Posted May 22, 2019 6:16 pm & filed under Cactus, Marin.

It’s a landscape job and that’s Cris! Hard at work prepping the soil. Nice job, Cris.

Gasteria batesiana

Posted May 21, 2019 2:36 pm & filed under Photography.

Weird flowers, kind of bulbous, on your friendly local Gasterias. Fun!

String of Dolphins

Posted May 17, 2019 3:36 pm & filed under Nursery, Plants in Production.

Also known as Dolphins Necklace. It’s a cute little trailing succulent that is all the rage all of a sudden. First it was hot in Japan and now it is hot in the US too. I blame Instagram. We’ve posted it on instagram too, of course, because of course.

Senecio peregrinus
String of Dolphins
SW Africa

Fascinating little diving dolphin-shaped thick ovoid leaves leaping all over the long trailing stems. Rot-prone, keep dry. Bluish hue with more sun.
Characteristics:

Temperature: Hardy to 45F
Part Sun to Part Shade
Low Water

Monkey Hand Tree

Posted April 30, 2019 11:07 am & filed under California Native Plants, Photography.

X Chiranthofremontia

Common Name: Monkey Hand Tree

Origin: California

Hybrid: Chiranthodendron pentadactylon X Fremontodendron “Pacific Sunset”

Large, broad, showy intergenic hybrid. If provided space in a garden, this centerpiece plant will be covered in golden flowers in spring. No water once established.
Characteristics:

Temperature: Hardy to 25°F

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Low; Summer Drought

Size: 15ft. to 20ft.