Cactus Blog - Page 8 of 212

Dasylirion Bloomstalk

Posted July 11, 2017 11:19 am & filed under Questions.

Good morning –

We purchased the plant next to my son in this photo from you about 2+ years ago.

I cannot recall the name of it – but note it is now producing a giant shoot or blossom that is about 10 feet tall.

What can you tell me about this – I have heard that the plant will die once this shoot blooms?

Thank you for your time –
Kevin

Kevin,

That is a Dasylirion wheeleri, known as the Desert Spoon, from Northern Mexico. They do not die after blooming – you’re thinking of the Agaves – same Plant Family, but different plants!

The giant bloom stalk will produce lots of flowers which will be very attractive to the bees.

Enjoy!

Peter

Succulent Cake

Posted July 7, 2017 5:10 pm & filed under Recipes.

This looks delicious!

Succulent Cake by Iven Kawi.

Photo: instagram.com/ivenoven/

via Avantgardens

Montana Sends a Cactus Photo

Posted June 27, 2017 11:11 am & filed under Questions, Reader Photos.

Hi!
Could you tell me the name of this cactus? It’s a very small, low-growing, spreading, clumping one with fine spines and orange flowers.

Thanks in advance,
Montana

Montana,

That little cactus is Rebutia fiebrigii.

Peter

Giant White San Pedro Flowers

Posted June 26, 2017 6:02 am & filed under Cactus.

Echinopsis pachanoi

And here’s a closeup of the biggest one!

Pterocactus tuberosus

Posted June 21, 2017 4:34 pm & filed under Cactus, Plants in Production.

Ben’s weird caudiciform opuntioid is blooming!

Pterocactus tuberosus

Thanks for sharing, Ben!

Hopefully we’ll have some available by fall. We can all hope.

61 Cactus Blooms

Posted June 21, 2017 7:51 am & filed under Reader Photos.

Dominic sends along this San Pedro photo. Wow! The bees must be going nuts!

I bought this San Pedro cactus from you many years ago. It has bloomed a few times with only a few flowers. This year we got 61 flowers from it!

Tokidoki Special Edition

Posted June 20, 2017 1:52 pm & filed under News.

It’s the Tokidoki Unicorno Pride Special Edition – It’s a 2-pack!

We sell a lot of the Tokidoki toys, mostly the Cactus Friends and the Unicornos (also spiky!) since we are a spiky kind of nursery kind of place. And now they’ve released a Pride Special Edition?!? And we are in the middle of Pride season here in SF!?!

Awesome. And we have them…

San Francisco Succulents

Posted June 19, 2017 8:30 am & filed under San Francisco.

It’s a caruncled Echeveria hybrid

Post St, San Francisco

Roland Shares a Cactus Bloom

Posted June 18, 2017 5:08 pm & filed under Reader Photos.

Gymnocalycium Rotundulum I bought from you guys a couple of years ago. Its first time having multiple blooms.

Wow!

Easter Lily Cactus

Posted June 16, 2017 8:26 am & filed under Cactus, Photography.

Echinopsis oxygona

Origin: South America

Description: Forms clumps. Stems are variable – 2-10″ diameter; spines are variable, not always present. Large tubular showy flowers range from pinkish white to lavender, sometimes light red.

Temperature: Hardy to 20F

Full Sun to Part Sun

Giant Cactus Flower

Posted June 10, 2017 4:13 am & filed under Cactus.

Echinopsis x “Tropical Pink”

Vintage Cactus

Posted June 9, 2017 10:26 am & filed under Art, Blogs.

From National Geographic, it’s a Vintage Saguaro!

Mazatzal, Arizona

National Geographic | February 1974

via Vintage National Geographic

Pincushion Protea, Berkeley

Posted June 8, 2017 11:04 am & filed under Berkeley Gardens, Photography.

Leucospermum “Scarlet Ribbons”
Common Name: Nodding Pincushion

Origin: South Africa

Description: Evergreen Shrub

Medium sized shrub with serrated leaves and red tips. Gorgeous multicolored pincushion flowers in yellow, orange, pink, and scarlet. Tolerates a wider range of soils than most Leucospermums.

Temperature: Hardy to 25-30F

Sun: Full Sun
Water: Low
Size: 5ft

A Cactus Blooms in El Cerrito

Posted June 2, 2017 11:38 am & filed under Cactus, Reader Photos.

An Echinopsis denudata photo sent in by David in El Cerrito.

Thanks, David!

Crassula pubescens ssp. rattrayi

Posted May 26, 2017 10:22 am & filed under Succulents.

Crassula pubescens ssp. rattrayi

Common Name: Red Carpet
Origin: South Africa
Description: Forms a carpet of lightly fuzzy leaves, green in shade and bright red in full sun. Afternoon shade needed in inland locations.
Temperature: Hardy to 25F

California Beavertail Cactus

Posted May 24, 2017 1:09 pm & filed under Cactus, California Native Plants.

Opuntia basilaris

Classic blue cactus from the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Very low water, can handle high heat and winter cold if dry. Pink flowers. Loads of small glochids, very few spines. Will get 2 to 3 feet tall and spread 6 to 8 feet wide over time. Pads were used medicinally.

Temperature: Hardy to 0F if very dry

Another Cute Mesemb

Posted May 22, 2017 2:19 pm & filed under Photography.

Smooth skin, not knobbly.

Gibbeum dispar

Knobbly Mesembs

Posted May 20, 2017 10:09 am & filed under Photography, Succulents.

Cute South African succulents in the Mesemb Family, also known as the Iceplant Family, also known as the Living Stone Family. Indeed! To be clear the actual family name is Aizoaceae, Sub-Family Ruschioideae. And yet they’re called Mesembs because at some point in the past the family was called Mesembryanthemaceae. And some will dispute the current family name anyway, and insist these all belong under Ficoidaceae instead. Don’t get me started!

Aloinopsis schooneesii

Small dense clumps of speckled blue-green leaves sit on large tuberous roots, which can be esposed over time to form an unusual bonsai. Yellow flowers in spring.

Titanopsis calcarea

Small clumper forms dense mats of thick open leaves. Winter-growing, keep dry in summer. Grows in limestone strewn areas.

Ceropegia Flower Just Starting to Open

Posted May 12, 2017 12:02 pm & filed under Photography.

Ceropegia serpentina is one of the strangest succulents with a basically bare stem that travels in weird directions. Until it blooms. Here it is just starting to open. And there are more than a dozen more buds still to come!

Stapeliads for everyone!

Carrion Flowers

Posted May 9, 2017 4:35 pm & filed under Photography.

These are among the stinkiest carrion flowers ever!

Orbea lutea ssp vaga

Rachel Sends Echeveria Flowers

Posted May 5, 2017 10:47 am & filed under Reader Photos.

I’m not sure who writes these monthly emails, but you’re awesome. Keep ’em coming! Love the pictures and hilarious descriptions. 🙂 If I didn’t already have too many succulents I’d be over there today buying more <3

-rachel

Closeup Cactus Flower

Posted May 4, 2017 7:25 pm & filed under Cactus, Photography.

Rebutia narvaecense

Origin: Bolivia

Description: Generally clumping small 1″ barrels with hordes of blooms in spring

Temperature: Hardy to 25F

Vining Caudiciform

Posted May 2, 2017 4:40 pm & filed under Cactus Jungle.

Ibervillea lindheimeri vining nicely. Buds are coming too!

Common Name:

Balsam Gourd, Globeberry

Origin:

Texas; Mexico

Description:

Large white caudex, annual vines, dormant in winter. Vines have long tendrils, small yellow flowers and red berries.

Succulent Garden, Berkeley

Posted May 1, 2017 3:33 pm & filed under Berkeley Succulents.

It’s at the Farm Burger!

The food was delicious.

Dave Sends a Photo…

Posted April 29, 2017 8:55 am & filed under Cactus, Reader Photos.

…of a giant blooming cactus he got from Cactus Jungle!

Thought you would enjoy

A picture of a cactus we brought from you two years ago.
Dave

Nice. That’s one of our Echinopsis grandiflora hybrids.

Snowy Pudding

Posted April 28, 2017 1:33 pm & filed under Berkeley Succulents.

This gorgeous Echeveria should be called “Snowy Pudding”

But no. It’s called “White Rose”

That’s not right.

😉

Winter Succulent Damage

Posted April 26, 2017 9:09 am & filed under Questions.

Hi cactus jungle

A few of my cacti have struggled after the rains.

I have attached a photo and I’m wondering if you can tell me what is happening with this plant.

Is it a lost cause😞? If not, how can I help it?

Thank you
Brian

Brian,

The plant is a Euphorbia, and hopefully it is just the tip that got damaged in the winter. Depending on where you live, they are only semi-hardy here in the Bay Area, so they can take damage to the tip when we get below freezing, or with heavy rains, or especially with both (See: This year.)

You can cut the top part off the plant and it looks like the damage is limited there. Cut at an angle, using a bread knife, and make sure the flesh is clean and white. If there is still some rot there, cut lower. Be careful when cutting a Euphorbia as it has a caustic milky-white sap. Where gloves, long sleeves, and eye-protection. Spray the cut end with Hydrogen Peroxide and put a paper bag over it to keep the sun off it until it is healed. Good Luck!

Peter

Butterfly Mango

Posted April 25, 2017 3:57 am & filed under Cactus, Photography.

Echinopsis x grandiflora “Butterfly Mango”

Another giant #cactus flower! Sweet. It’s a good spring for cactus flowers.

Haworthia Questions

Posted April 24, 2017 3:16 pm & filed under Questions.

Hi Peter
Would you be able to tell me the name of the succulent in the attached?

And perhaps more importantly, what is happening with the dry, papery bits toward the crown? Can this plant be saved? I am not sure what to do next. It was lovely and plump and then this started happening and I am not sure what I did (or am doing)

Much thanks to you!
Ann

Ann,

The plant is a Haworthia. It looks like it’s growing towards sun, maybe not enough sun where it is? It’s doing well since it can handle lower light levels for a succulent, but the result is the long stems with the dried leaves along it. You can pull them off or leave them in place, doesn’t really matter. But it is time to repot into a fresh fast-draining cactus soil and a larger pot.

Peter