Wednesday, November 30

Gymnocalycium quehlianum var. albispinus

echinocereus dasyacanthus
Echinocereus dasyacanthus, I have had maybe a dozen of these plants over the years, they seem to struggle with humidity and are prone to rot when we get too much rain.


Gymnocalycium quehlianum var. albispinus
Gymnocalycium quehlianum var. albispinus - Hardy and reliable bloomer, may bloom three times a year, Spring, Summer and Fall.

Gymnocalycium quehlianum var. albispinus
Gymnocalycium quehlianum var. albispinus



Dyckia velascana
The delicate blooms of  Dyckia velascana, look like little candy corns.


Tuesday, November 15

Yucca pallida






Pale-leaf yucca
Yucca pallida - I dug this yucca out of the caliche (limestone dirt) in Fort Worth, Texas where fields were being cleared for new houses.


Echinocereus fasciculatus
Echinocereus fitchii




Echinocereus fitchii

Wednesday, November 9

Echinocereus fasciculatus



Echinocereus fasciculatus

Horse crippler
Echinocactus texensis



Horse crippler
Echinocactus texensis


Echinocereus dasyacanthus




Echinocereus fasciculatus


Horse crippler
Echinocactus texensis

Friday, October 21

Chrysalis

Some butterflies over winter as a chrysalis and wait for spring warmth to eclose (emerge) as a butterfly.  I believe the chrysalis above is a Black Swallowtail.




Thursday, October 13

Some New Bloom Colors

Torch Cactus
Trichocereus grandiflorus - from Lowes, I was looking for some new flower bloom colors.  This Torch cactus is readily available at any "Big Box" store for $5 to $10 and has giant flowers that can't be beat, but enjoy them quickly though, they last for only one day.




Rebutia flavistyla - Orange blooms are quite rare among cacti.


I like this picture, sort of has a candy shop of shapes and colors feel to it.

Thursday, October 6

Texas Rain Bombs

Mammillaria heyderi - One of the pitfalls of growing cactus in Austin, Texas is the occasional "Rain Bomb".  Over the last three weeks I have recorded over 12 inches of rainfall at our house, filling the elevated cactus garden to overflowing and not giving the cactus adequate time to dry out.  Several cacti have turned to mush including this formerly handsome Mammillaria.


Echinocereus reichenbachii var. fitchii - from far South Texas

Claret Cup Cactus

Claret Cup Cactus