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Hello,
I’m seeking help for my cactus, and I don’t know who to talk to. I’m not sure what’s going on, but it looks like my cactus is deteriorating. The base of the cactus turned brown and the brown color is creeping up each branch. Even worse, the branches are cracking and look like they’re going to fall off. In fact, one already did. I also noticed that the base is oozing fluid, and I see a red spot that’s attracting flies. I was wondering if you have any idea what the problem is, or if you can refer me to someone who can help. Is there any way to save the cactus, or should I lop off the parts of the branches that are still green and replant them? The cactus is about 20′ tall (higher than my house), and I’d hate to let it go.

I’ve attached a few pics so you can see what I’m describing.

Thank you for any assistance you can provide,
Brian

Brian, Your cactus is no longer among the living, it is a former cactus – it has died. I do not know what happened but often this can be a problem of a pot that is too small, or kept in the same pot for too long. In the ground it can be caused by too much water, or poor soil. Plants also have limited life spans and are susceptible to pests and viruses so it may have caught something.

Peter

Live Stream!

Save the link here.

From Juicy Blooms

Aeonium pseudotabuliforme isn’t the Dinner Plate Aeonium, but it is a very large headed rosette Aeonium. The leaves are glossy and rounded rather than hairy and pointed, hence the pseudo in the name. It’s also more propbably a subspecies of A. undulatum, and not its very own species.

From the Canary Islands, this succulent will branch, stay low to the ground, and eventually have yellow flowers.

It is very green and will not color up in sun, so it’s probably better to grow it with less sun.

This makes it also a good choice for indoors, but the heads do get big – dinner plate big – so maybe you should let it grow outside where it will have more room to wander.

The Canary Islands are off the coast of Italy, or Morocco or somewhere in the region, but the Islands are probably closer to Europe because they are Spanish-owned, but in reality they are right off the coast of Africa. Perfect Mediterranean climate makes for perfect succulents for coastal California. Yay!

Here, have a bonus large-headed Aeonium from the African Islands owned by the Europeans known as the Canary Islands.

Aeonium subplanum

Plants are the Strangest People has a frog in a bromeliad.

CactGuy found an interesting planter window box with an overgrown cactus in Dallas.

Far Out Flora is back in town and visiting the Bonsai collection at Lake Merritt.

Oregon Cactus Blog has some stunning deep pink Hoya flowers. I’ve never seen them that pink on a Hoya. Photoshop trick or all natural?

Lithops Stories is repotting some gorgeous Titanopsis calcarea seedlings.

Pitcher Plant Project has a large and successful pot of Sarracenia psittacina growing nicely and photogenically.

Do you have a new Cactus or Succulent Blog or Tumblr and want to share with us? Let us know all about you in the comments. Bamboos and Carnivorous Plant Blogs welcome too.

Ohcrackohcrack has a fondness for cactus. Maybe a bit too much fondness.

Pamelalovenyc likes the color pink. Nice Saguaro.

No photo for this next tumblr picture. It’s NSFW and an inappropriate use of cactus.

Outdoor Arizona has some good access to the Saguaros in Summer. Classic!

According to CactGuy, Cactus Season has begun!

I think this means you can start fertilizing and watering.

Luther’s purple Mimicry Plants needed some water. Hopefully he got them some water.

The Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society took a visit to the African section at the UC Davis Botanical garden, and Bamboo and More was there to take all the blooming African Aloe pictures. It does appear to have been a sunny day, too.

Joe is joining our blog today! Please be welcoming to Joe. Say hi when you can. Like now would be a good time. Scroll down to his first post, and comment!

And you can visit his tumblr blog too, this is 4 my blog.

I don’t know anything about this painting. I found it on the Instagrams, photo by justinclemons.

If we assume this picture was painted in Texas, and the cowboy is from 1892, given the outfit he’s wearing, especially the trademark red bandana, plus the length of the horse’s tail, we can determine this picture was painted in West Creek, Texas in July and from that we can determine the species  of the cacti the horse is trying to avoid: Opuntia cowboyensis ssp. redtexbandanensis.

Good to know!

Danger Garden visited the Cactus Ranch in New Mexico and photos ensued. I especially like the ghost Euphorbias. But there’s enough photos to last anyone in their right mind hours of fun and entertainment.

CactGuy has found some very “colorful” cacti and succulents, i.e. they’re painted or dyed and will not be long for this world. Poor things.

We’ve seen them out and around at the trade shows, along with things like blue orchids. Oh the horror.

Gardening Succs took a visit to our own Cactus Jungle and lots of pictures ensued.

Did they enjoy their visit?

Our verdict? This place is worth a trek–and we’ll certainly be back!

Good to Grow has a Stanley, also known by some as a Kalanchoe luciae although we call it K. thyrsiflora. It’s been doing very well, thank you, on the kitchen windowsill.

Click through for all the Kalanchoe goodness.

Nice photos from around the nursery on this is 4 my blog.

Check out the picture of Keith in the pot.

Whippet pictures!

And why didn’t he share the praying mantis video? Why?

I see that Plants are the Strangest People has a Stapelia in bloom. Very attractive! (To flies).

It turns out, miracle grow notwithstanding, you can grow that. Yay!

A third leaf appears on a 4 year old Sansevieria at Plants are the Strangest People.

When will the awesome ever end?

In the meantime, since you haven’t clicked over yet, here’s a picture of some Echeverias. Enjoy!

An Epiphyllum, recently from a cutting, blooms in Iowa, according to Plants are the Strangest People.

Lots of blooming photos from all angles!

It’s my summer blog break. 2, maybe 3 days.

Yay!

Very fashionable. I especially like the small fish swimming in front.

via Kactaceae

I see The Indoor Garden(er) got his stapeliad back to DC safely from Berkeley. The story of how this Stapelia got to DC started in Iowa, where  Plants Are The Strangest People blogged about one first, leading The Indoor garden(er) to stop by the store and pick one up on his travels.

Iowa –> DC –> Berkeley

The circle of life!

By the way, we subscribe to the Stapelia theory of stapeliads, and do not approve of the Orbea theory of stapeliads.

In New Mexico, CactGuy shares a picture of a wall.

A restaurant’s cactus mosaic wall.

Nice.