Cactus Blog - Page 5 of 214

Cactus Jungle Closure

Posted March 18, 2020 7:27 am & filed under .

Cactus Jungle’s Berkeley and Marin stores are currently closed for our Counties’ Shelter-in-Place orders, currently scheduled to last through April 7th.

We will return as soon as we are able.

If you would like to support us at this time may I suggest a digital gift card from our online shop? These will be good for both of our stores as soon as we are able to reopen.

Thank you for your kindness and support

Stay safe, Peter and Hap

Spring Cactus Blooms

Posted March 2, 2020 4:56 pm & filed under .

A close-up of a round cactus in a pot with reddish-brown rocks, featuring a single bright yellow flower blooming on top.

Parodia chrysacanthion.

Grass-leaf Hakea

Posted February 27, 2020 1:50 pm & filed under .

Close-up of two pink, cylindrical Grevillea flower spikes with curled filaments, growing on a reddish-brown stem in a sunlit garden surrounded by green and potted plants.

Crazy Australian flowers. So pink!

Hakea francisiana

Australia

Evergreen Shrub

Upright shrub with slender green leaves and pink-red blooms winter through spring. Needs very good drainage. Do not fertilize, except trace minerals.

Temperature: Hardy to 18F

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Low

Size: 8-15ft.

Snake Head

Posted February 20, 2020 4:14 pm & filed under .

Close-up of a spiky succulent plant with thick, pale green leaves and orange-tipped spines. A large, cone-shaped flower bud rises from the center. Sunlight highlights the textures and colors of the plant.

Aloe peglerae snake head bloom stalk starting to make its way up!

Rose Mink

Posted February 11, 2020 9:37 am & filed under .

A close-up of a pink protea flower bud surrounded by green leaves, with sunlight highlighting the textures and colors of the petals and foliage.

It’s Protea blooming season, so that’s a very good time of year. Right now! Blooming!

Protea “Rose Mink”

Common Name: Greyleaf Sugarbush
Origin: South Africa

P. laurifolia “Rose Mink”
Evergreen Shrub

Large pink flowers appear in mid-winter, with fine black and white hairs. grey-green leaves. Do not fertilize.

Temperature: Hardy to 25°F

Sun: Full Sun

Cape Aloe

Posted January 22, 2020 1:15 pm & filed under .

A large succulent plant with thick, pointed, pale green and pink leaves and tall spikes of bright orange-red tubular flowers, surrounded by potted trees and plants in a garden setting.

Aloe ferox starting to bloom!

Origin: South Africa

Description: Single large toothy rosette on tall stalk, outdoor up to 8ft.

Temperature: Hardy to 20-25F

Full Sun to Part Sun

California Beach Aster

Posted January 17, 2020 2:19 pm & filed under .

A close-up of a single purple wildflower with a yellow center, surrounded by green leaves and stems. The background is blurred, with hints of more greenery and a reflective water surface.

Erigeron glaucus, winter blooms, Crissy Field.

In the Greenhouse

Posted January 14, 2020 10:49 am & filed under .

A plant shop interior with various potted plants on shelves and tables, surrounded by trays of colorful minerals and stones in wooden bowls. Decorative animal figurines are displayed on a shelf in the background.

Cactus Jungle Berkeley and the greenhouse is nice and cozy! The sun is playing hide and seek today, but we have #dracaena and #bromeliads and #gemstones and #airplants and #houseplants and #rareplants all hanging out in the cozy greenhouse.

Golden Barrel Cactus

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

A cluster of round, spiky golden barrel cacti growing in a raised wooden planter, with sunlight casting shadows and a green metal fence in the background.

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 .

A close-up of several delicate green leaves with long stems, resembling tiny palm trees, growing from a pot filled with small pebbles against a black background.

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 .

Tall aloe plant with pointed, spiky leaves growing in a lush garden with other greenery. Nearby are a blue-topped tree stump, another agave-like plant, and a wooden bench in partial sunlight.

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 .

A large aloe plant with spiky green leaves and tall orange flower spikes grows next to a beige wooden building on a sunny day. A blue door and sidewalk are visible beside the plant.

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 .

Large variegated succulent with green and yellow leaves in foreground, surrounded by other succulents in pots on metal shelves in a sunlit garden center.

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 .

A green succulent with thick, pointed leaves and reddish spines grows in a pot filled with small, brown and red volcanic rocks.

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 .

A close-up of a succulent plant with thick, oval green leaves and a single tall stalk topped by a small pink flower, growing in a red square pot. Other succulents are partially visible in the background.

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

Tylecodon schaeferianus

Cactus San Francisco

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

A garden with tall cacti, agave plants, and spiky palm trees in front of a modern building with green window shades and beige walls.

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 .

A lush succulent garden with tall, leafy plants, a curved railing, and an EXIT sign in the foreground. Modern city buildings rise in the background under a clear blue sky.

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

Friday Whippet Blogging

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

A light-colored dog with a black collar is lying on a beige, fluffy blanket, looking up with its head resting on the blanket in a cozy indoor setting.

Jason!

California Native Succulents

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

A close-up of a succulent plant with long, pointed green leaves tipped with reddish hues, growing from a base in rocky soil. Sunlight highlights the plant, casting shadows on the leaves.

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 .

Close-up of a succulent plant with tightly packed, spiraled green leaves, growing upright in a pot filled with brown, rocky soil.

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 .

A close-up of a potted string of turtles plant with round, patterned green leaves and several tall, thin reddish stems emerging above the foliage. The pot is terracotta and the background is wooden.

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 .

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 .

A close-up of a green agave plant with pointed, spiky leaves edged in reddish-brown. Sunlight highlights the sharp, symmetrical foliage.

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 .

A close-up of a cactus flower with pink-tipped petals fading to yellow at the center. The flower has prominent stamens and is surrounded by green, spiky cactus leaves in the background.

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 .

A white and tan dog wearing a red blanket lies in a brown dog bed on a wooden floor near a counter, with sunlight streaming in from windows in the background—a cozy spot often loved by both dogs and cats.

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 .

A modern Marin house with a concrete wall and driveway features a vibrant New Cactus Garden of tall and short cacti—some blooming with red flowers. Bright pink bougainvillea grows to the right, all under a clear blue sky.

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!