Cactus Blog

Not just for whippets, of course, but mostly.

via Balloon Juice.

Tacitus bellus

This was once considered a Graptopetalum, but then someone who shall remain anonymous decided that the large flowers with lips around the carpels demanded its own genus. So now you know. I don’t know of any other species in this genus.

What is so different, besides the flowers, is the flatness of the rosette. Quite startling.

As is usual with crassulaceae, the aphids like the blooms.

So, people ask us, what can they use agave syrup for?

Fear not, it is an easy recipe that even I could follow, not that I have yet, but I might.

Agave BBQ Sauce

1 Can Tomato Puree
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 to 3 Tablespoons vegetable (coconut oil)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Prepared Mustard
Dash cayenne pepper or bottled hot pepper sauce

Combine all ingredients in sauce pan. Can bring to a boil to use as a dipping sauce or placed directly on BBQ items.

Man oh man that seems easy. It’s my turn to cook tonight, so maybe I’ll try it out.

Muk posted this photo of an Echinocereus grandiflora hybrid in bloom.

You can see more photos on our Facebook page.

A cactus-based sugary syrup has become the latest darling of the alternative-sweetener world.

Once mostly unheard of outside natural food stores, agave syrup — made from the same Mexican cactus that yields tequila — suddenly is getting celebrity endorsements, competing for shelf space at mainstream grocers and is a must-have cocktail ingredient.

“If I’m going to be making a premium margarita, agave nectar’s got to be riding shotgun,” says Food Network star Guy Fieri, better known for his greasy spoon affection than his natural foods know-how.

Now I’m a big fan of agave syrup, using it for cocktails as well as for cooking, but having been in the cactus business now for a while I feel the cactus pedant coming out. Look out.

Agave is not a cactus. It is a succulent in the lily family (liliaceae) or at least the agave family (agavaceae) depending on who you ask.

Agave is a genus within the family Agavaceae, which is currently placed within the order Asparagales. Agaves were once classified in Liliaceae, but most references now include them in their own family, Agavaceae.

But definitely not a cactus, for it has no areoles.

Science!

We have a very nice Euphorbia photo from Geoff in Britain. His dad is in the picture, and we understand he likes to call it a “Cowboy Cactus”. Indeed many people ask us for a cactus like those in the old westerns, and this is what they mean, even though it’s from Africa. Now you know.

Editor’s note: This is the first in an occasional series showcasing homes and gardens of distinction in Ventura County.

Pictured are a cluster of sedum, foreground; a flow of senecio serpens, center; and agave victoriae-reginae and aloe plicatilis, in rear of Chris Biehl’s dry garden.

Plus a nice echinocereus in the middle and a hoodia off to the left. I also see echeveria, a couple more aloe species, and even the corner of a graptopetalum. Anything else I’m missing?

2 very interesting common names, the first in english, the 2nd in zulu.

Albuca nelsonii

It is found “on coastal cliffs in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.”

It is an easy to grow perennial bulb that has spectacular bloom sprays right about this particular time of year, indeed. You can also make an infusion from the bulbs to ward off sorcery.

I suspect this is a drug related article, but then I think that’s probably the best explantation for Michael Crichton.

From Palestine, TX

You meditate and talk to cactuses? Oh, you’re weird. Chances are, Michael Crichton didn’t actually talk to a cactus, but he got some sort of experience out of it, so who’s to say what actually happened?

Yeah, that’s so true. I mean one person says he talked to a cactus and the other person says he was on a drug-fueled bender. Who can figure this puzzle out? It’s a mystery, alright.

What’s interesting is that this was published in a regular daily newspaper. And they wonder why they’re a dying business, but I’m not bitter.

This was quite the website odyssey to find this amazing Spanish balcony photo. From 7×7 San Francisco to Apartment Therapy to Flickr, and there it was!

And now you get the joy of Cactus Blog to 7×7 SF to Apt Therapy to Flickr, all in one fell swoop!

(Image: Flickr user Manuel M. Ramos licensed for use under the Creative Commons)

The Examiner, whatever that is, has a nice article about lowering your water usage. This is a nice complement to this morning’s article about drought tolerant plants.

Cactus and succulent gardens, when thoughtfully designed with paths, boulders, rocks, even sculptures, can become a maze of fascinating texture and color, created in diverse scenes. California natives can be selected to be as ornamental as any other flowering plant….

So, now’s the time to do a little research into drought tolerant landscaping. Don’t be limited by preconceived ideas.

I always say read 2 articles before making all your decisions. Now you have the 2 articles at your fingertips.

From Santa Rosa comes instruction in not watering your garden.

In light of the water crisis, the Sonoma County Master Gardeners have put their heads together to compile a list of super-drought-tolerant plants….

These tend to be natives or plants that originated in Mediterranean climates not unlike California that experience only minimal rainfall in summer…

Among favorites… are manzanitas, of which there are varieties not only native to California but native to Sonoma County….

Another plant that will take water neglect is Dudleya, a native succulent, similar to echeveria.

They put together a good list of locally climate-appropriate plants. Go check it out.

While consulting on a garden in SF, we peeked over the fence to a neighbor’s urban succulent garden.

From the Plain Dealer we get a story about Africa

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo re-creates animal habitats with plants …

“We use a lot of succulents and grasses that provide a visual impression similar to Africa…

OK, so the thing is, if you use succulents from Africa, then there is a good reason you’re giving a visual impression similar to Africa. It’s as if when wearing my Boston Red Sox hat someone comments that I’m giving the impression of a Boston sports fan. Or when using water in an aquarium I’m giving a visual impression of a watery environment.

I like this game.

It’s as if I ordered toast for breakfast and someone said I was giving the impression of someone who likes toast for breakfast.

That’s enough.

They get questions in Oaktown (i.e. Oakland).

Q: Dear Beegirl,

I wanted to know…is it possible to make mead out of agave nectar? It was something I wanted to experiment with. Do you have any experience with this? –Tia

A: Dear Tia,

There is a long tradition amongst indigenous peoples of making fermented beverages with cactus juice. When the Papago people of the Sonoran desert make their sacred fermentation from saguaro sap, it is called Tiswin, when the Tarahumara Indians use agave it is called Pulque….

Read the rest, it includes a recipe! I love recipes!

It turns out that Jason is a “shadowy” figure, so to speak.

Another Agave blooms and dies, and the press takes notice. This time in South Carolina. I should probably have an entire separate category for these news items, they’re so common. At least this one includes a photo.

Impressive.

Brenda Turner stands with her 20-year old Century Cactus in the backyard of her West Marion home. Recently, Turner’s plant began sprouting the spike filled with buds. Once the plant blooms, it will die.

I wonder why this is news? I mean, I know why I post it - it has a photo, and it has the spectacle of a “legitimate” newspaper writing about a single succulent in someone’s backyard, but why does the newspaper publish it? Maybe this is the very cause of their impending demise.

Anyway, congrats to Brenda for getting into her local paper with a dying plant.

Hi!

I recently purchased some Ultra Soil and noticed that it contained lots of seeds. Do you know what these might be (photo attached)? The seeds in the photo are from one trowel-full of soil.

Thanks!
TVN

Tracy,

The seeds are “Grape Pomace” which is the seeds and skin solids of wine grapes left over after the “wine crush”. It is used as an organic way to adjust the pH of the soil and compost. It is a long lasting component in the rice hull compost we use in our soil blend, the rice hulls which are the bulk of the compost, are the little slivers that sort of look like tiny canoes that you can see in our mix. Occasionally we also have to add additional Pomace to our finished blend, if the lava and coconut coir we use in the soil mix, are not acid enough to get the pH where we want it. As the Pomace breaks down it also gives micro-nutrients to the plants. Grape Pomace is also great to use on blueberries, rhododendrons and azaleas because it acidifies the soil. And since it is a local by-product it also helps us fulfill our goals of sustainability.

Take care,
Hap