New Plants at Cactus Jungle

April New Plants!

We are in full blown spring now. The weather has been lovely, the heat has dissipated so we are at normal (haha) climate and not currently in nuclear armageddon either, so that’s a positive. It’s positively pleasant today, no claims for tomorrow.

We have so many flowering perennials, and even some actual annuals (mostly poppies), and herbs and veg.

And as always we are primarily a drought-tolerant nursery so the cactus and succulents and full-size perennials and shrubs are bursting out. The cacti are in bud, some flowers are starting, but we will see the full blooming of the cacti in the next few weeks, so make sure you stop by and while you’re here – it’s fertilizer season too! Time to pick up your pack of our famous Cactus Meal organic granular slow-release cactus and succulent fertilizer. Now available at all Cactus Jungle locations (San Anselmo).

Storefront with two signs: Cactus Jungle Nursery and Garden and Ross Valley Nursery. Large windows display plants inside. The sun shines brightly from the right side of the image.

Cactus Jungle, Marin
Ross Valley Nursery
130 Sir Francis Drake Blvd
San Anselmo, CA 94960
(415) 870-9930

Hours:

Wed-Fri 10a-4:30p
Sat-Sun 10a-5p
Closed Mon-Tue

SUCCULENTS

A close-up of a Dudleya brittonii succulent with pointed, fleshy leaves, set against a black background.

Dudleya brittoni is the giant chalk dudleya from Baja. They do well up here, the Bay Area appreciates them.

A close-up of a potted succulent with thick, smooth leaves in shades of purple, green, and red, set against a black background.

Echeveria hybrid, we thought we knew which one this was but then we were wrong. We do our best. 🙁

A close-up of a green Echeveria succulent with thick, pointed leaves tinged with red edges, growing in a dark pot against a black background.

We know which one this is, it’s Echeveria “White Rose” and it has a thin red edging.

A potted Haworthia tessellata houseplant with dark brown, spiky, triangular leaves and patterned markings sits in soil mixed with small pieces of wood and debris, set against a black background.

Haworthia tesselata has tessellations, or at least that’s what I think you might call those lines on the leaves. Nice.

A potted fan aloe (Aloe plicatilis) with thick green leaves and a tall stem topped with clusters of bright orange, tubular flowers stands outdoors among other vegetation.

Aloe plicatilis usually bloom in late winter and yet here it is spring already and they are blooming right now.

A close-up of a potted Trichodiadema barbatum succulent with small green leaves arranged tightly along branched stems, each leaf tipped with short white spines. The black background highlights the plant’s striking texture.

Trichodiadema barbatum, a small spiny plant, comes from the Barbados and belongs to the Cactus Family. I kid! It is South African and is in the Ice Plant Family. (Aizoaceae, also known as the fig-marigold family, but not the Marigold Family, which is part of the Aster Family.) The leaves have spiny ends, hence these are sometimes called a pickle plant, and the flowers are bright pink. A fine choice.

Close-up of an aloe vera plant with thick, pointed green leaves edged with small, white spines, set against a black background.

Aloe dawei is more of a conceptual plant. It fits right in during these conceptual times we are living through. People sometimes ask me what the hell, and I reply with a shrug.

A small potted Crassula pubescens succulent with thick, green leaves tinged with purple and covered in fine hairs, set in light-colored gravel against a black background.

Crassula pubescens is flavorless and odorless and soft and fuzzy.

A potted Euphorbia milii with long green stems, dark green leaves, and clusters of small, bright pink flowers is set against a plain black background.

Euphorbia millii hybrids have many different flower colors and will bloom for most of the year. The rest of the year they are a tangled spiny mess.

RARE PLANTS

A potted green Euphorbia with long, narrow leaves grows from a base surrounded by coarse, light-colored pebbles in a black square pot, set against a black background.

Euphorbia bupleurifolia is hard to pronounce so I usually shorten it to “Bupleupleu” and nobody minds when I do that.

A small green Dioscorea hemicrypta plant with a thick, round caudex grows in a black pot filled with coarse rocks, set against a dark background.

Dioscorea hemicrypta is a winter growing South African Dioscorea so the vines are starting to dissipate and soon it will just be the lumpy caudex in the dirt.

A green Euphorbia bubalina succulent with long, narrow leaves grows from a thick stem, potted in a small black container with gravel, set against a plain black background.

Euphorbia bubalina is the Buffalo Euphorbia from South Africa with a tall central stem and strappy green leaves.

CARNIVORES

A single green pitcher plant stands upright against a solid black background, its tubular leaf curving open at the top to form a deep, cup-like shape.

Pitcher Plants are growing out nice this spring. They look like hell in winter and we don’t sell a lot of them then, but now they are a hopeful addition to your murderous insectivorous exploits. Sarracenia flava hybrid.

A small Drosera aliciae sundew, a captivating carnivorous plant, with red, hairy, sticky leaves radiates from the center and glistens in the sunlight, thriving in moist, dark soil within a black plastic pot.

Drosera aliciae is one of the spoon-leafed dwarf sundews from South Africa, also known as the Cape Sundew. We are too close in for comfort with this picture. This plant is tiny, this picture is huge. We are coming in at small insect level and it’s terrifying.

A close-up of a carnivorous plant, the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), in a pot, showing its green and red hinged leaves with spiky edges, growing out of dark, rocky soil.

Venus Flytraps are also fully grown out of winter-dormancy. Dionaea muscipula. For the pre-teen in your family, they love these!

CACTUS

Mammillaria aureispina is so niiice, it’s not blooming right now but it will, because of how niiiice it is. Very. That’s niiiiice. An instant classic. Speaking of which, are you watching season 3 of The Comeback? Very niiiiiiiice.

Close-up of an Opuntia, or prickly pear cactus, with green, oval pads covered in small spines and a few developing fruit, evoking the landscapes of Old Mexico against a blurred natural background.

Opuntia “Old Mexico” is a classic Mexican prickly pear with edible pads and edible fruits. Are they delicious? You know it. And it has beautiful yellow flowers, with lots of buds ready to burst.

A small succulent cactus, Gymnocalycium friedrichii, with sharp spines and a single large white flower with pink tips blooms in a square pot filled with gravel, set against a black background.

Gymnocalycium friedrichii are included for the flowers, but they’re probably sold out by now so they’re not included as an enticement to purchase.

YUCCA ROSTRATAS

A potted Yucca rostrata with long, narrow, spiky green leaves radiates outward from the center, resembling a desert plant or agave, and sits outdoors in direct sunlight.

We are fully stocked on the gorgeous Big Bend Yuccas, Now available in every size from no trunk to small trunk to medium trunk to large trunk and multi-headed. You now have all the choices to get one just right for your garden that will last a lifetime.

A potted ornamental plant, Yucca rostrata, with a thick, rough trunk and long, spiky green leaves radiating from the top, is displayed outdoors among other drought tolerant potted plants and cacti.

Next size up is pretty darn nice today. Will it be as nice tomorrow? Depends if it’s been sold and planted in someone else’s yard, or in yours…

A potted Yucca rostrata, an ornamental plant with a thick, textured trunk and long, spiky green leaves radiating outward, stands outdoors among other plants. Drought tolerant and striking, it adds bold structure to any garden.

And now you can see just how well they grow. Yucca rostratas for everyone! So thick.

GEMSTONES

A wooden bowl filled with several iridescent, colorful mineral rocks that shimmer in shades of blue, purple, and gold, set against a dark background.

We are over-stocked on gemstones – more than we’ve ever had before. Overstuffed. Overcome. Overfull, I think I may have eaten too much for lunch and now I’m feeling overwhelmed. I should not have had that 4th taco or that cheesy quesadilla. This is Peacock Ore, also known as Bornite. Is it really that colorful? Or did I photoshop all those colors. Are you kidding me, that is all natural.

A cluster of clear and white quartz crystals with pointed tips, growing from a beige rocky base, displayed on a wooden surface against a black background.

Cactus Quartz Crystal Cluster, among our overwhelming collection of new gemstones we have brought in some astounding specimens like this shockingly-beautiful and excellent-investment-vehicle crystal cluster. Ask about our 4- and 6-year loan terms.

A cluster of dark, smoky quartz crystals with sharp edges and transparent tips sits on a wooden surface against a black background.

And this one too. Smoky Quartz. Beautiful form, dense vertical crystals. Smoky color. Harbinger of the first Terns coming up Corte Madera Creek last week. Or is the Tern the harbinger of the smoky crystals?

A wooden bowl filled with several large, translucent, pale green and white mineral rocks against a black background.

Aquamarine chunks. Some gemstones are chunky, others are polished. These are of the chunky variety. You can polish them yourself if you have a grinder.

PERENNIALS AND SHRUBS TOO

A close-up of a vibrant yellow Leucospermum Goldie flower with long, curved petals, set against a blurred green background of foliage.

Leucospermum “Goldie” is the pincushion protea we are showing you today. We have more! And protea-Proteas too! It is very bright. As bright as the far side of the moon illuminated by the Artemis II mission on a spring evening.

A close-up of three delicate purple and white Dendrobium kingianum orchids with green leaves, set against a dark background.

Dendrobium kingianum orchids are a hardy orchid with delicate lavender flowers.

Close-up of a Kanga Cherry kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos) flower with fuzzy, tubular buds and a small green and yellow star-shaped bloom, set against a blurred green background.

Anigozanthos “Kanga Cherry” are the Kangaroo Paws that were so popular for 10-15 years but over the last 2 years have become less popular – trends!

Bright yellow wildflowers, known as Tagetes lemmonii Compacta, display small, daisy-like petals clustered densely on slender green stems, set against a softly blurred green background.

Tagetes lemmonii v. compacta is a Marigold with strongly scented foliage and yellow daisy flowers. Daisies are members of the Aster Family, also sometimes known as the Sunflower Family. Daisies, Asters and Sunflowers are all one happy flowering family! (Asteraceae)!

Close-up of Salvia apiana, also known as white sage, with elongated, silvery-green leaves and pale stems, set against a blurred outdoor background with natural sunlight. This sacred plant is often prized for its striking foliage.

Salvia apiana is a California native sage with strongly scented foliage that is used for smudge sticks in sweat lodge scenarios. Ceremonies & Protocols 101 | Powwow Etiquette, Sweat-Lodge: “Never blow out the smudge stick; use a feather or let it extinguish naturally.”The website this comes from is broken so no link is provided, but this does seem correct.

…HOUSEPLANTS…..

A close-up of a potted plant with thick, glossy, dark green leaves set against a black background. The soil in the pot is visible, and some leaves have light green variegation.

Hoya “Lisa” has variegated splotchy leaves and stunning waxy flowers.

A cluster of green, elongated Cebu Blue Pothos leaves from a tropical houseplant stands out against a solid black background, with light highlighting their smooth, glossy texture and visible veins.

Pothos “Cebu Blue” is my favorite of the vining tropical houseplants. I like it for the foliage, those sharp blue leaves ready to poke any passersby.

A potted Pothos N'Joy houseplant with green and white variegated leaves, set against a solid black background. The plant's lush leaves display a striking mix of creamy white and green patterns, perfect as an easy-care indoor plant.

Pothos “Manjula” is a new rare cultivar, new to us, with unbelievable sharp white variegation. Wait, maybe this is my new favorite vining tropical houseplant. Hmmm, come ask me next week.

A Billbergia vittata potted plant with long, upright green leaves featuring brownish tips and subtle striping, set against a solid black background.

Billbergia vittata runs around with the rough crowd, knocking over 7-11s and just generally being bad. But it doesn’t do drugs, drugs are for losers, kids, take it from Billbergia.

Some people like it when I talk about the plants…. hahaha

AND MORE….