Cactus Blog 

We’re starting to get tomatoes of all types ripening. I added Sun Golds to the salad last night.

These are delicious and no I’m not sharing them with you.

Harsh!

Euphorbia leucodendron

Hello guys… I just visited Morro Bay and found this Crested Euphorbia! It’s about 8 to 10” all around.  I also bought the little cactus which I believe is a Gymnocalycium (?) and the Pachypoduim lamerei.  I put the lil cactus outside and it has two really sweet flowers that are a salmon/pinky red color.  I’ve kept the other two inside…should I put them outside, too?  I gave them all a drink of water when they got home cuz they looked really dry – I’m thinking they like to be really dry?  Do you have any tips of what I should do to keep them alive?

Thanks, Karen

Karen,

The new plants all look really nice and healthy. I would keep all three inside with lots of sun. It’s hard to judge by the photo, but it doesn’t look like they’re in cactus soil, so of course I recommend transplanting them into cactus soil, and terra cotta pots breathe better than plastic. You can water them all every 1-1/2 to 2 weeks through the summer, and a bit more often if you’re getting over 95F. The little guy is a Gymnocalycium.

Peter

Echeveria setosa is a small fuzzy succulent from Mexico. It’s been hybridized often with other echeverias and related plants to get cute fuzzy varieties. Everyone loves a fuzzy succulent. And those orange flowers!

Here’s the fuzzy succulent part.

Now that’s what we pay our big bucks for when we go looking for fuzzy.

via i-am-bored

I want to give all my wonderful regular readers a special treat, but most of you don’t live near here so I’m stuck. No delicious cactus margaritas for you! Maybe a pretty photo will help?

Delosperma echinatum is also known as the Spiny Pickles of the succulent world. I would prefer to call them Hairy Pickles but that would be wrong.

Enjoy!

Hap and Brian made this custom pot today.

I apologize for the sucky cell phone photo. Stupid Droid.

I have a very large cactus, about 6 foot from the bottom of the pot to the top of the plant, that I can no longer keep in my house. I am giving to to my sister as she has a bigger house and more favorable conditions for the plant. So sad to give it up. It started off as a 12 inch single shoot cactus. I have had it for about 8 years. My sister lives about 25 minutes away from me. Please help with any suggestions as the best way to transport it to her house.

Sharon

Sharon

You have a beautiful specimen Euphorbia abyssinica. That is going to be a challenge to move. I recommend keeping it upright at all times, preferably in a moving van. You will want to wad up newspaper and put it at around the joints where the arms come out, and then wrap the whole thing tightly either with a blanket or newspaper pieces taped to each other, to keep the arms stable during transport. You’ll need at least 3 people, maybe four, making sure one person handles the top of the plant while the others lift the pot.

Please keep in mind that as a Euphorbia this plant has a milky white sap that is caustic at best and some people are allergic to it so it can be poisonous. Wear long sleeves, eye protection and gloves whenever handling this.

Good Luck
Peter

Oh no! I forgot to blog today! Here have a picture! Cactus! Quick!

As found on a tumblr

Opuntia saxatilis has been moved to the small Brazilian genus of Tacinga. Still in the Opuntioideae subfamily, the genus is known for its glochids.

The local Towanda, PA news is all atwitter about the cactus in Pennsylvania that blooms year-round.

Kay Shaw is pictured outdoors next to a cactus that continues to grow and bloom throughout the year — even in the winter.

Except right now, of course, when it’s not blooming for the photographer. Or, dare I say, maybe they made the whole thing up. Perish the thought. But please don’t think I’m a conspiracy nut.

An old-time Milwaukee bank is brought down by its bad loans (I guess they weren’t too big to fail) and all that’s left are some scraggly cactus in the desert. Why were they investing in the desert anyway?

Stupid banks.

On an empty desert lot covered with snake holes, cactus and scraggly brush lie the clearest clues to the demise of Marshall & Ilsley Corp., the once-great Wisconsin bank company brought down by its expansion into red-hot real estate markets at the worst possible time. Photo/Roy Dabner

Nice cactus!

Achillea “Red Velvet” not only has these astonishingly true red inflorescences, but the color is also long lasting. Usually we like to take yarrow blooms and dry them before the color has faded too far and they can preserve a lighter shade, but these will maintain this deep red color for months at a time.

They are totally cold hardy all the way down to Zone 4. If you know how cold that is, then you should be thrilled you can get this much color where you live.

They are deer resistant and attractive to butterflies, per the usual yarrow standards. These get around 2 feet tall.

We always like to mix some Achillea colors into any of our meadow gardens. They look grassy-like amidst the ornamental grasses until they stop popping up these bloom stalks and then they look like wildflowers which they are around these parts of Northern California.

Neoregelia in bloom.

Sedum “Blue Spruce” blooms have finally fully opened. They were buds for months!

The SoCal city of Corona Del Mar planted succulents around trees recently in an attempt to finally beautify these coastal california streets.

Now that’s something special. I wish every city did this. Don’t you?

Hey you guys!

Hope your summer is going succulenty! (that’s a good thing, right?) So trying to remember the name of this darling succulent is driving me crazy! Can you help? This one is about a foot and a half wide and has totally awesome orange flowers. Any nod in the right direction will be so appreciated!

Thanks!

Christine

Christine

It is a lovely mature Echeveria subrigida.

Take care,

Hap

Lot of common names for this one. Keith got a good shot of the little frazzly blooms.

Here’s the rest of the plant. Here it is in habitat.

So the sun came out and here’s a couple more cactus flowers for today only.

It may not be sunny but the summer blooms, and late spring blooms, are opening anyway.

Photos via cell phone so I can’t vouch for them.

A true night blooming Cereus from Argentina.

Cereus spegazzini

It’s hard to photograph them in the sunshine since they only bloom at night. But this one was still open the next morning when I got in to the store so I quickly snapped this shot before it was too late. Hence the lack of my standard black backdrop and since we’re a morning fog kind of location there was also a lack of brilliant sun.

Impressive closeup of a bee in a Ferocactus flower from National Geographic’s Picture of the Day.

Cactus Bee, Arizona
Photograph by Mark W. Moffett, National Geographic

A cactus bee (Diadasia sp.) pollinates a barrel cactus in Tucson, Arizona.

Too close in to be able to identify the cactus species, but the red and orange striping is definitely indicative of a Ferocactus.

In the heart of Contra Costa County, between the Carquinez Straight and the John Muir National Historic Site, we find a stand of spineless Opuntia. Delicious!

Photo sent from Briones by Donna, who wants it removed.