Cactus Blog

Want to know how to grow succulents indoor in New Jersey? Well if you want to grow them outside you are out of luck and not just because of the weather. Also because the class listed below is only for people who like to grow their succulents indoor in New Jersey which is also everyone who likes to grow succulents in New Jersey. Except for Sempervivums. Those you can grow outside too.

Barlow’s Flower Farm & Garden Center
Sea Girt, NJ,

Saturday, February 9, 1:00 PM

Enjoy a relaxing afternoon in our tropical greenhouse while you discover the versatility of using succulents as houseplants. Although many people don’t think of them as houseplants, they are extremely forgiving of under watering and forgetful plant owners. Their ease and variety of shapes and sizes make them ideal accents for the home. In this class, each student will create an 8” succulent dish garden to bring home, while learning about care, soil requirements, design, and maintenance.

Sounds like fun!

The Aloe speciosa’s blooms are coming along nicely. This particular bloom spike should last a couple more weeks.

This is apparently from an episode of the Power Rangers called Ep. 20: The Toxic Flower Cactus of Death.

Nice!

Euphorbia myrsinites

Native to S. Europe, Italy to Turkey
Evergreen herbaceous perennial

Sun: Moderate to Full Sun
Water: Drought tolerant
Size: 12″ tall x 12″ wide

Grey-green leaves, topped with sulphur yellow bloom sprays. Low-growing, creeping spurge. Deer-resistant. Hardy to 0F.

Don’t call them Bandaids.

Would you buy a pack of Cactus Band(ages)(aids) from a cactus store?

If so, would you pay $5.99 for a pack? What if I told you they came with a free toy inside? Would you buy it then?

I mean from us, a cactus nursery, not from a drug store or a toy store.

A cactus that attacks it’s owner?!?

Oh the Horror!

You can read the whole 5 page horror story about the attacking cactus. I especially like the part about it being a misunderstood cactus – a loving cactus that just loves too much.

Sent in by Trey at The Golden Gecko. Thanks Trey!

Clearly I was wrong yesterday when I said I was all done with Tillandsia photos for my Tillandsia Weekend of Tillandsia photos all weekend long.

I have one more Airplant to share.

A Tillandsia Wreath made all out of Tillandsia ionanthas and a couple miscellaneous others too. We didn’t make it. I saw it and took a picture, just like you would have if you had seen it. If you had been at the Tropical Plant Show in Florida last week. But you weren’t and I was so I got the picture to share with you here now.

Excellent!

It had to happen. We’ve run out of posts for this new holiday I invented, Tillandsia Weekend, so it’s a good thing it’s Sunday.

Tillandsia stricta “Silver Star” is the last one. THE LAST ONE! Clearly I saved the best one for last. You can thank me now, or come by the store and buy them all. Every last one of them. I would appreciate it if you did. I would.

OMG it’s already Sunday and it’s still Tillandsia Weekend around here at the Cactus Blog.

Tillandsia kolbii is GORGEOUS! Pretty little thing. Still not as popular though as T. ionantha “Guatemala” which is similar looking but WAY more popular. LULZ!

I think I’m getting giddy from all these Airplants this weekend. GIDDY! ROTFL!

Today is the 2nd day of our Tillandsia Weekend Holiday, so that makes it Tillandsia Saturday.

Tillandsia aeranthos x bergeri is a hybrid between two very different species. Can you guess what those two species are? I knew you could.

Tillandsia butzii is very unusual and striped and bulbous. These are much larger than what we usually have available.

I saw this very large succulent planted outside along the beach at a Santa Monica. Can you identify it? Do you sell it?

Barbara

Barbara,
That’s an Aeonium, probably Aeonium subplanum. We do have it in stock, as well as many other similar ones as well.
Peter

I declare today to be the first day of a three day holiday to be known henceforth as Tillandsia Weekend. Come celebrate with me.

First up is a bloomer. Tillandsia tenuifolia “Blue”. This is an easy one to grow and easy to get to bloom and its inexpensive too, so this would qualify as a starter Airplant. On the other hand the plant isn’t as pretty or unusual as some others. So that’s the choice you have to make.

Cleistocactus straussii is the first cactus I have blogged around here in ages. It’s been so long I practically forgot what a cactus even looks like. It looks like this.

They are summer bloomers, but there’s often stragglers on and off throughout the year.

I wonder what they look like at the tip of the plant, against a sky blue backdrop?

From the high altitude plains of the Himalayan mountains. I mean the Andes, sorry about that.

Hummingbirds love them. I do too. Am I a hummingbird? No, I am not. I am your faithful blogger, a person. And I have never been to South America.

It’s been more than a week of blogging about non-native shrubs and native shrubs and trees too and even blooming California native perennials. Now we see the real reason you come to my blog – for the pictures of the succulents. What, no cacti? Not yet. Be patient.

The blooms have finally started opening! Aren’t they stunning!

Here’s where I last blogged them about to open.

And here’s a closeup, because you want to really get right in there and see them that close up.

Click to embiggen.

We’re getting into bloom season for a whole bunch of native currants.

Ribes “Barrie Coate” is a favorite for the rich deep color of the blooms. The berries are edible of course, but it is grown primarily for the flowers. Because, I mean, look at them.

Ribes “Barrie Coate”

California Native
Deciduous shrub

Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water: Occasional
Size: 6 ft.

Winter blooming hummingbird plant. Very dark pink flower clusters February-March. Woody branches have peeling red bark as they age. Hardy to 25F.

You can see from the photo that the blooms come before the leaves with this species. By spring it will be a gorgeous green shrub and will still have more blooms too!

A tiny Tillandsia attached to a tree amongst the lichens. In Sarasota! (that’s Florida)

Arctostaphylos rudis “Vandenberg” is a very attractive manzanita from the wilds of California. Wild indeed. Found originally on Vandenberg Air Force Base, near San Diego, it is a satisfying 7 foot tall tree with shaggy red bark. Left in its wild state it will be much wider than tall, even over 10ft. wide, but it can be kept pruned for shape to as wide as tall, though I wouldn’t recommend trying to prune this into a vertical tree.

Arctostaphylos “Vandenberg”

California Native
Evergreen shrub

Sun: Full Sun
Water: Low, summer-drought
Size: 6t x 10w.

Dense foliage forms a deep green garden backdrop, or perfect as a hedge. Clusters of small pink flowers in spring. Hardy to 15F.

The pretty pink bell shaped flowers are great for attracting hummingbirds.

Eriophyllum lanatum “Siskiyou” just never wants to give up with the blooming. This is a strange time of year to see even one of these cute yellow daisy flowers.

Unusual!

Eriophyllum lanatum “Siskiyou”

Native to California and Oregon
Evergreen Perennial Groundcover

Sun: Full to Partial Sun
Water: Low
Size: 12″h, spreads 3ft. wide

Pretty whitish to grey-green woolly leaves with stunning displays of yellow daisy flowers throughout the spring. Tidy and low-growing groundcover, blooms pop up to 12″h. Cut back after blooming. Hardy to 15F.