Morro Bay Succulents
Hello Peter,
I just visited the Garden Gallery in Morro Bay – which is the only other place I will buy cacti or succulents – other than Cactus Jungle J and I found these three plants. You can see that one, perhaps a “Stapelia” or “Huernia” will be flowering soon – I will send a picture of the flower when it happens. This nursery is bad at naming or identifying their plants but he looked up that one in a book. The one with the long leaves had no name on it but I don’t think it’s that unusual. As for the thorny guy, they had no idea what it is called or where it came from. It looks like the base trunks were broken off as they branched from that area…perhaps to propagate the plant?
So, if you would, please…what are these called and what if anything special do I have to do for them. Thanks!
~Karen
PS… My Astrophytum asterias is blooming again!
Karen,
1. The first one is hard to ID without seeing the blooms, but it could be Stapelia variegata or one of the Huernias. It doesn’t look like that’s a bloom coming – it looks like a horn, which will have lots of seeds. They’re in the milkweed family, and so they have milkweed horns with seeds that can float away on the wind. Best to grow indoors with a little bit of morning sun.
2. This is Aloe plicatilis, the Fan Aloe. Here’s a big one in my backyard. Winter-growing and hardy in the Bay Area.
3. Alluaudia procera from Madagascar is a shrubby plant that will lose its leaves in winter. They are often cut to try to induce multiple branches. Don’t let it get below about 45. Water every 2 weeks when it has leaves, and every 4-6 weeks when it doesn’t.
Send photos of the blooming astropyhtums – it’s always very exciting!
Peter
