daily news and photography about cacti and succulents
and some california natives too
"Drolly entertaining and informative at the same time." CSM
Echinopsis pachanoi
Normally these are wide open. In fact, I’ve never seen them like this, but they all were doing this earlier this summer. This photo was taken 2 weeks ago, before the warm weather, and it appears that it just isn’t going to open any wider. The parts are all there, and the bees are able to find them and get busy and all.
Aloinopsis schoonesii in summer bloom. Usually blooms in spring, but with the cold foggy year, it was late.
Click the photo for a closeup of the very bright yellow flower.
A wacky bonsai version of this plant can be seen here.
Also known as the Kebab Bush.
Crassula rupestris
From South Africa, specifically around the areas in southern Namibia, the Richtersveld, Namaqualand Ceres Tanqua Karoo, Worcester Robertson Karoo and Little Karoo.
This is the first year we’ve grown this. It looks a lot like the various C. perforatas, but then I haven’t watched it grow for years yet.
They say it is hardy to 25F.
Brighamia insignis
These very rare, endangered in the Hawaiian wilds, plant are really nice local houseplants, although somewhat prone to spider mites.
Here’s an article from the SF Chron from a few months ago.
We should be seeing some yellow flowers in the next month. Too bad we don’t have the Hawaiian moth that has gone extinct to pollinate this for us.
Here’s a shot in habitat from arkive.
Agave americana v. medio-picta “Alba”
This has been a popular plant, since we featured it a couple weeks ago. We only have 15ga. plants right now, the 5′s won’t be ready for a few more weeks, and there has been a rush on them! We only have 1 left. I wonder why? Maybe because it’s gorgeous. Here it is in a front yard in Berkeley.
Customers say it looks like it’s painted. So I tell them that we paint them ourselves, in-house. Locally painted, I think, is better than having them shipped to Wisconsin to have them painted for us, like those other nurseries around do.
Euphorbia milii “Dwarf Yellow”
It’s Saturday morning and the dogs are playing so I won’t be adding anything more to this post.
Uncarina roeoesliana
The new crop is blooming. Adorable little buggers, about 1″ caudex. Still happy to produce lots of flowers though.
Parodia subterranea
I featured this plant a couple months ago on the blog, although we did not have it out for sale at the time. Now we do. And it has kept blooming all that time since. Up to 5 flowers at a time. And all I seem to be able to catch is one open flower. The bees like these parodias. I like this one too, since it’s not a yellow flower like all the other parodias we have. And it blooms more often, like a rebutia, so what’s not to like?
Euphorbia “Excalibur”
Taller than most of our spurges, this one will get about 3 feet. I would call that color a chemical yellow. Maybe this one.
Sempervivum “Red Rubin” is the most popular new sempervivum introduction we’ve had since “Pluto” 2 years ago. Our first crop will be sold through by this weekend I’m sure. Hopefully we’ll have another crop ready this fall, but it takes a couple years to really build up our stocks.
Ferocactus gracilis ssp. coloratus
They’re not the biggest red and orange striped flowers, but they do have to come poking out between all those spines, so give them a break.
Euphorbia flanaganii
This is a very difficult plant to photograph, since there is so much going on. So many colors, so many “things” hanging out in all directions. But this specimen is kind of unbelievable, so I have held it back. I don’t know when I want to put it out on the floor with the others, but if you want to see it in person just ask me at the store. It’s not too big, so not so expensive, just wild and untamed.
You can see the summer fog there – it’s amazing the flowers even open.
Echinopsis peruvianus
Opuntia subulata makes really good fences. The fruit are easy to plant and will root and grow up into a 30 ft tree, or so.
They come, they go, it’s Baby Toes!
Fenestraria aurantiaca
Echinopsis thelegenoides
It’s been so cool out in Berkeley recently that this flower lasted 3 days! The plant grows to abot 6ft. tall and then the stems crash over on the ground, sometimes rooting into the ground right there. Either way there are always more stems growing. Such a cycle to behold.
Eriogonum latifolium is native to most of coastal California, north of Los Angeles and into Oregon. This puffball of blooms is only about 1″ across. At normal size it looks like a creamy white ball, but with this closeup you can see the delicate red anthers, and the gently striped sepals.
Ah, the simple pleasures of an Echeveria imbricata bloom stalk. Droopy!
