Cactus Blog 

10th Street in Berkeley

I don’t know the species, but this looked like a Grevillea to me until I looked more closely at the blooms and the flower structure is all wrong not just for a Grevillea but for any Proteaceae. Nice blooms all around. Any ideas?

Grevillea was named for George Grevillea. Actually it was named for Charles Greville, a founder of the British Royal Horticultural Society, even though the genus is from Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Indonesia, and Sulawesi.

University Ave, Berkeley

We planted these large Succulent planters along the upper portions of University, near downtown. They don’t go all the way up to the school, yet. Maybe next year there will be enough money to extend them all the way up.

Photo has been filtered. Berkeley isn’t actually those retro colors.

This year’s Christmas cactus from the family is an Opuntia from Palm Springs.
And it’s a magnet too. So flexible, so useful.

I’ve attached a few photos of my cactus that I’ve had for 10-12 years. My friend gave it to me as a joke because I kill everything, including ivy, thinking that maybe I could keep it alive by just leaving it alone. So for those 10-12 years it sat in the same window and never moved until 2 months ago when I switched jobs and it came with me. It’s been getting brown spots like I tried to show in the picture. This office may be a little colder than the last one but no more than 5 degrees-the sunlight may also not be as direct -instead of sitting on the sill it’s on a cabinet behind it and a little to the side. Also, I’ve never repotted it because I don’t know what to get or how to do it.

I’ve tried researching online but I haven’t been able to identify the type. So, my 2 questions are: Do you know the type/name? and is it dying? If so, (my 3rd question I know) what can I do to save it?

I appreciate any and all advice!
Thank you,
Laura

Laura,
Your plant is a Euphorbia, possibly Euphorbia hermentiana. While not in the Cactus Family, it is very hardy like a cactus as you have experienced for the last decade or so.

It’s a little hard to tell from the photos, but there is some rot, and maybe a lot spreading through the plant, but maybe not. If the problems are isolated it should be able to come through.

The first problem is that it has never been repotted. Euphorbias are remarkable in being able to stay underpotted for so long! But not for ever. Add in the move, and many plants will experience shock from a move, and that can be enough to cause these problems.

These Euphorbias can handle bright indirect light, so the new location should be fine. But you will need to reduce the amount of watering for the lower light levels.

I recommend spraying the rot portions with a good quality organic fungicide; we sell Monterey Neem Oil.

The big problem is going to be repotting, which can cause more shock. You may want to try to stabilize the plant before repotting. Then you can follow along here: How Do You Repot a Euphorbia?

Good luck,
Peter

It’s starting to look a little snowy in Idaho and Hap’s Mom’s cactus is covered in snow. Brrrr…

Prickly Pear Cactus in Snow

Cholla in Snow

Agave in Snow

And for effect, our last few Succulent Wreaths in the California Sunshine before the Christmas Break.

Embarcadero Center, San Francisco

These Echeveria and Cyclamen are right outside my dentist’s office. Is that a good thing?

Nicely glowing Aloe dawei in bloom.

Just off the Embarcadero in San Francisco

I wonder if they got any of these San Francisco Cactus from us?

If you haven’t been to Succulence in San Francisco then you must not live in San Francisco because if you live in San Francisco and read a succulent focused Cactus Blog like this one then you will have already had to have been to Succulence in Bernal Heights.

They have display windows where they get to put together nice creative displays. We don’t have windows at Cactus Jungle, just a gate.

The Christmas Cactus sure do know what season it is.

Embarcadero, San Francisco
Aeoniums

I’m sure I’ve posted this Whippet Puppy photo before….

Benjamin on the right when he was a mere whippet puppy, with litter-mate Amica on the left.

Hanging succulent wall panels. Do they make a good gift? No. It is better to keep for yourself.

Photo has been irrevocably altered through the magic of multiple photo filters. Do you like the effect?

Pardee St, Berkeley
Senecio cylindrica in bloom. And growing pretty aggressively too.

Devon sends along a photo of a Tillandsia arrangement, put together from stuff found here at the Cactus Jungle, and I would say that is a very nice use of the materials. This seems like a challenge to Rikki and Nicole.

I’m giving my family all plant arrangements for Christmas, and for my sister I put together some air plants I got from you folks. I’m very pleased with how it turned out, so I’m sending you a couple pictures of the completed arrangement. The shell and glass stand are from you all as well. The plants are T. seleriana, T. harrisii, and T. juncea ‘red-green’. I think she’s going to like it!

Karsten models the newest Cactus Jungle T-shirt, and it’s blue. With an extra big new logo.

Keith models our previous newest Cactus Jungle T-shirt, in a fine charcoal color.

Graphic enough?

At the Cactus Jungle!

It’s the VERY LOUD little Pacific Chorus Frog in the greenhouse, trying to poach flies from the carnivorous plants. #cute #frog

Photo by Rikki

4th Street, Berkeley
Mixed Succulents in a resin trough.

Out front of the new Artis Coffee, just up the street from us.

You may ask, “Did Cactus Jungle pot this?” and we might answer, “Yes.”

Succulent Wall Panels look pretty in the blazing red sunshine. (photo effects might apply)

We have a lot of sunny succulents.

Agaves!

Aeoniums!

Mammillaria!

Wow, that’s a sunny day indeed. I’m not complaining, mind you. I quite enjoy it.

We have these adorable new glass figures out at the nursery, ostensibly for terrariums and such, but really, who needs an excuse…

And that’s only the half of it. We have 12 in all.

Fenestraria aurantiaca

The plant (the toes, so to speak) is a bit shriveled since we were keeping them extra dry while we had all the frost and freezes over the past couple weeks.

Not Christmas Cactus, but Christmas lights on cactus. In Berkeley!

And on the agaves too.

Karsten will be leaving to go back east for school. But first a blog shout-out! With Lisa in the background.

Whippet.

Our large Aloe dawei is looking to be very bloomful this year. Huge bloom sprays!

I’m too lazy to type out the info on this plant, so instead here, have a sticker. A photo of a sticker. Enjoy!

…Lazy Cactus Blogger.