Echinopsis cactus

Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Trichocereeae
Genus: Echinopsis

Echinopsis grows pretty much anywhere. Here in South Africa they can tolerate summer temperatures of 30°C or greater, which is hot enough to spur growth of both Echinopsis pups and their amazing flowers. They also tolerate cold temperatures well during winter months. However, I bring my potted ones inside during hard freezes or their water-filled bodies will freeze as well.

Compared to most cacti, Echinopsis bloom fast and furious. They typically begin blooming in spring. Most blooms only last one or two days and they frequently open at night. But it’s common to have several buds on one plant developing at different rates; so a single plant can be in bloom for several weeks.

As a general rule, the smaller the diameter of the blooms a Echinopsis species produces, the more blooms the plant produces. Species that produce monster blooms (some over 6” in diameter) tend to have fewer blooms as so much plant energy goes into producing each one.

Echinopsis generally begin to produce flowers when they are two or three years old.

Echinopsis is a large genus of cacti native to South America, sometimes known as hedgehog cactus, sea-urchin cactus or Easter lily cactus. One small species, E. chamaecereus, is known as the peanut cactus. The 128 species range from large and treelike types to small globose cacti.

Echinopsis are greatly hybridised, but the species I have in my garden do well throughout summer and winter, always bearing huge, beautiful pink blooms in spring.

 Echinopsis flowering next to my Golden Barrel cactus

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Pachypodium lamerei

Camera : Fuji FinePix 2800Zoom
Taken in my garden (Tarlton,Gauteng, South Africa)

Pachypodium lamerei has a tall, silvery-gray trunk covered with sharp 6.25 cm spines. Long, narrow leaves grow only at the top of the trunk, like a palm tree and is often marketed as the “Madagascar Palm”, despite it not being a palm at all. It is a stem succulent and comes from the island Madagascar.

It rarely branches, except here in Tarlton! With every consecutive frost it got a new branch in Spring. Sadly to say, after being in my garden for several years at a height of 3 meters, a particularly severe frost killed it a couple of winters ago. Plants grown outdoors will reach up to 6 metres. When grown indoors it will slowly reach 1.2-1.8 m tall.

Plants grown outdoors will develop large, white, fragrant flowers at the top of the plant. It rarely flowers indoors.

I don't usually replace plants that die or are not suitable for our area, but shortly after my Pachy died, I came upon one at a succulent show in 2008 and guess what? I couldn't resist buying it!

New Pachypodium in 2009 

It has now grown from a 6" baby into almost a meter tall. I've been bringing it into the house every winter, but after it's first transplant into a bigger pot, it has grown so big that it is a problem carrying it in. Will have to drag the old garden trolley out of the store room...

Pachypodium lamerei in 2010 

Pachypodium lamerei, having out-grown his pot and just before being transplanted late 2012

My Pachy after being transplanted in Oct 2013 

Pachypodium lamerei in March 2014 (see how the Echeverias have grown also!)

If you have a frost-free climate, these are one of the most stunning succulents to have in your garden and makes a beautiful feature plant.

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Echeverias thrive on Love and pampering

These Echeveria imbricata have virtually trebled in size! I took from the garden a selection of Aloes, cacti and succulents and transplanted them into a wooden box and I brought it into the house for over-wintering last year. They’ve all thrived so much that I didn't plant them back outside in Spring but kept them in the wooden planter on my patio. It’s amazing what a bit of love and pampering does!

I must say, if I HAD to, I would do quite well in a 10th Floor apartment, I just LOVE container gardening!

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Old Man Cactus (Cephalocereus senilis)

Cephalocereus senilis (Old Man Cactus) is a species of cactus native to Guanajuato and Hidalgo in eastern Mexico. It is threatened in the wild, but widespread propagation and popularity in cultivation have reduced the demand on wild populations. Cephalocereus senilis is a tall, columnar species with clusters of stems that may grow to 5–15 m tall but in cultivation they rarely exceed a height of 3 feet; the individual stems are usually unbranched, being unable to withstand the weight of side branches adequately.

The most striking feature is the shaggy coat of long, white hairs suggestive of unkempt hair on an old man. Don’t give in to the temptation of stroking its soft fur, though, as the dense fleece conceals some rather wicked spines! If your Old Man Cactus gets dirty, you can clean its fur by dipping an old toothbrush in soapy water and give it a good shampoo. he he! And did you know that, in Mexico, they make wool-like sweaters from the hair? Wonder if it’s soft and warm…

The coat is a particularly striking silvery white on the young cactus; as the plant ages the stem begins to lose its covering. The flowers are red, yellow, or white, though the plant may not flower until 10–20 years old.

These cacti can be grown outdoors in mild climates where the temperatures remain above 40º F; otherwise, they may be grown in a home or greenhouse. Mine comes inside every winter. I’ve had it for about 10 years but it has never flowered yet. Pieces of shoot or stem, taken from any part of the plants, will form roots. When cacti form offsets, they can carefully be removed after they’ve grown to a decent size, and potted. When cuttings are taken, they should be laid in the sun for a day or two to allow a corky skin to form over the cuts, which prevents rotting. Then they can be inserted in pots of equal parts moist peat and sand, or in sand alone. Place the pots on a bench or a shelf in the greenhouse or in a light window.

My Old Man was out-growing his current pot, so I transplanted him into a larger pot, still easy for handling and bringing inside and if he does well, I will try to remove the offset and plant in another pot.

 

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Too much rain!

I never thought I would EVER utter those words - too much rain. For a gardener there can never be such a thing as too much rain!

But my garden has been flooded with rain over the past 3 weeks and yesterday I noticed that many of my Echinopsis cacti weren't doing too well because of all the water, some of them turning yellow and rotting from the inside. In a panic I lifted them, only to find that I had no pots to put them into! This calls for drastic action, so I scouted around my store room and found this fan cover from a fan that wasn't working any more (how come we don't throw those things away...?). A piece of plastic in the bottom with some holes punched in and bob's your uncle! I had a temporary place to plant the cacti (which might just become their permanent place!)

They are now under cover until all signs of rain is gone, when I'll move them back into full sun.

However, the rest of the garden is not complaining. In fact, my garden seems a bit confused - autumn was already really showing and the Marigolds are all but dead and on their last legs with seed heads everywhere. And now their are hundreds of new Marigold seedlings coming up everywhere which, of course, will not survive the winter.

The lawn is loving all the water and we can't keep up with mowing it. I actually would like to get rid of all the lawn for two reasons - one, it is an enormous water-sucking monster and in drought times looks really terrible and two, to cut out the hours spent mowing it. But unfortunately this area is part of our entrance and drive-way to the garages so if I took it all out, it would mean having to make a concrete drive-way, which could end up looking terrible.

Below : Thankful for all the rain...

 

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Carpobrotus

I used to have stretches of this wonderful ground-cover in my last garden. This easy-to-grow succulent, native to South Africa, is a wonderful ground-cover, ideal for low-maintenance and water-wise gardens.

Leaves are eaten by tortoises. Puff-adders and other snakes such as the Cape Cobra are often found in Carpobrotus clumps where they ambush the small rodents that are attracted by the fruits. Flowers are pollinated by solitary bees, honey bees, carpenter bees and many beetle species. Flowers are eaten by antelopes and baboons. The clumps provide shelter for snails, lizards and skinks, so it’s a wonderful plant to have if you want to attract wildlife to your garden.

CARPOBROTUS C. acinaciformis (sour fig, elandsvy, goenavy, Hotnotsvy, strandvy, suurvy ) has purple flowers, robust, short, greyish green, sabre-shaped leaves and tasty edible fruits, used to make a delicious jam, and grows in coastal sands usually close to the sea, in the Western Cape, from Saldanha to Mossel Bay (South Africa).

Carpobrotus juice (from leaves) can be used as a mild astringent. When mixed with water the juice can be used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery and stomach cramps. It can also be used as a gargle for sore throat and laryngitis, and mild bacterial infections of the mouth. The leaf juice can also be used externally, much like Aloe Vera for burns, abrasions, open cuts, grazes, mosquito bites and sunburn. It is also used to treat ringworm, eczema, dermatitis, herpes, thrush, cold sores, cracked lips, chafing, skin conditions and allergies.
Info from Wikipedia

 
CONSERVATION STATUS 
Carpobrotus edulis is not regarded as threatened in its native habitat, but it is invading natural areas in other parts of the world and threatening the survival of other species. In California, where it has been used since the early 1900s to stabilize the soil along railway tracks and roadsides and as a garden ornamental, it has naturalized and is invading coastal vegetation from north of Eureka to Rosarita Bay. It is known as the highway ice plant in the USA. It has naturalized along the west coast of Australia from Perth to Albany where it was also used for soil stabilization and is known as pigface. It has naturalized in parts of the Mediterranean and on the south coast of England.

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Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusonii)

Camera : Fuji FinePix 2800Zoom 

Taken in my garden – Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa 2005

According to Wikipedia, Barrel cacti are classified into the two genera Echinocactus and Ferocactus, both of which are found in the Southwest Desert of North America. Echinocactus grusonii, popularly known as the Golden Barrel Cactus, Golden Ball or, amusingly, Mother-in-Law’s Cushion, is a well known species of cactus, and is endemic to east-central Mexico. Ferocactus is a genus of large barrel-shaped cacti, mostly with large spines and small flowers. There are about 30 species included in this genus alone, so it is very diffucult to put an identification on a Barrel, but I think mine is Echinocactus Golden Barrel and he is about fourteen years old now.

One should approach a barrel cactus with extreme caution. A puncture to human skin from one of the spines is considered a ‘dirty wound’. If the puncture is deep enough to draw blood, antibiotics may be needed; and could take several months for the wound to heal properly.

The Barrel Cactus does not take very kindly to shade. When I originally planted my barrel in my new garden in 2005 (brought him with me when we moved from our previous property), he was in full sun and doing beautifully, but over the years the trees grew bigger and after a while he was in dappled shade. By 2010 he was grey on his crown and it looked like he was dying. In a panic I lifted him (with great difficulty!) and transplanted him to a sunny spot, just hoping for the best. The next year he was sporting new growth, which I thought was flowers, but it turned out that he was now producing new pups on his crown, to my utmost dismay. This means my barrel is never going to be one big, huge plant. Which I would never have seen anyway, a four year old barrel can be 3 inches high and 2.5 inches wide and they can live up to 130 years old, The barrel cactus easily reaches over a meter in height at maturity, and have been known to reach 10 feet in some regions.

 My Golden Barrel in 2013

Water is a very important component to caring for barrel cactus. The plants are native to arid desert regions and usually have only rainfall to supply their moisture needs. Water your barrel cactus once per week in summer. The barrel cactus doesn’t need much water in winter when it is dormant.

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Cactus splendour

All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. Simply put, what separates cacti from succulents are the organs that produce the spines.

Cacti are native to the United States and usually, when one thinks of cacti, one thinks of hot deserts and high temperatures.

But many smaller cacti live in the shade of rocks and other bigger plants and receive very little direct sunlight until they are big enough to fend for themselves. So be careful not to place your potted cacti in a full day's sun or on heat-reflecting patios, this can put a lot of stress on your plants.

All cacti need a well-draining soil. It is always better to water well and thoroughly, letting water pour out of the drain in the pot. Never let cacti sit in standing water. Let them go thoroughly dry between waterings and water sparingly during winter months as cacti do very little growing when cold.

Echinocereus rayonesensis - Hedgehog Cactus. Thick, upright stems forming a mound. 

Typically, these are the Echinocereus, which have stems from two inches to 24 inches tall that grow from a single base. The first part of the genus name Echinocereus comes from the Greek word for 'hedgehog', while the second part 'cereus' comes from the Latin for 'large candle'.

Echinocereus is a genus that is much loved by cactus growers world-wide. There are several characteristics that collectively account for their popularity. All Echinocereus are small plants that are quite suitable for growing in pots and greenhouses. The stems of this genus are more often than not under a foot in height and perhaps 2 or 3 inches in diameter. Some are slightly bigger, some smaller.

Echinocereus rayonesensis 

 A small pot containing Echinocereus rayonesensis, two Haworthias and some Sedum (on the left)

 

Echinocereus scopulorum 

Echinocereus Scopulorum has single, cylindrical stems, 10 to 40 cm long, nearly hidden by the closely set spines that are devoid of wool. The species occurs in a small region of a south-eastern portion of the state of Arizona and in the Chihuahuan Desert, USA, mostly on foothills and rocky slopes.

They are unbranched (rarely branched), the stems are erect, short cylindric, with 13-19 ribs. It carries 5-8 × 7-10 cm flowers; the blooming time is Spring to summer Fruits: Dark green, brownish tinged, 15-23 mm, pulp white, fruiting 2 months after flowering.

Echinopsis cactus with new pups

Echinopsis is a large genus of cacti native to South America, also known as hedgehog cactus or  sea-urchin cactus. Echinopsis consists of over 100 species and plants range from very small, flattened-globose plants to quite large, treelike giants. As a result, there is a long list of synonymous names for many of the species. Some synonyms referring to other synonyms that refer to a subspecies of some seemingly distinct species. Sorting through these names often makes one feel like you're on a wild goose chase!

The main attraction for Echinopsis collectors is their very large, showy flowers. These flowers are all  funnel–shaped, with hairy/wooly scaled floral tubes which are normally much larger than the mother plant.

Old Man Cactus and Echeveria glauca

After years and years of being 'single', my Old Man Cactus (Cephalocereus senilis) has developed a friendship and branched out a second cactus. Native to Guanajuato and Hidalgo in eastern Mexico, it is threatened in the wild, but widespread propagation and popularity in cultivation have reduced the demand on wild populations.

The old man cactus takes its name from the long, white hair-like strands which grow out of the spiked column that makes up the plant. Like most cacti, the old man cactus is easy to care for. Give an old man cactus as much light as you can provide and allow it to have a dormant period in the winter. Old Man was getting a bit top-heavy in this narrow pot, so I have just recently transplanted him (them) into a larger pot and I am keeping a close eye on them.

This is Opuntia subulata cactus, a member of the most geographically widely-spread genus of Opuntia. Some folks call it Austrocylindropuntia, but you'll find all cacti have at least two if not six names! I haven't had one of these in the garden for years an this was given to me by a dear friend recently so I'm looking forward to seeing it grow. These get rather large, the true species is tree-sized and has four inch spines. But be careful where you plant this cactus - it spreads like wild fire by dropping branches and sending up shoots next to the mother plant and here in South Africa it has actually been put on the list of unwanted aliens.

One of my Rattail cacti (Aporocactus-flagelliformis) has spent the whole summer outside in the garden in stead of on the patio and has been gracefully reaching for the sun before getting too heavy and hanging down. Soon it will be time to take them inside and then, in spring, look forward to the myriad of gorgeous flowers.

 

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Echeveria beauties

At the onset of Autumn, Echeveria imbricata does this wonderful thing of turning pink on the tips of its leaves. The flowering period is almost finished now and soon it will be time to move them to their over-wintering spot in my flower room. These lovely succulents, hailing from Mexico, cannot withstand the severe frost we get in our area.

Echeveria is a large genus of succulents in the Crassulaceae family, native from Mexico to North-western South America. Many of the species produce numerous offsets, and are commonly known as 'Hen and chicks', which can also refer to other genera such as Sempervivum that are significantly different from Echeveria.

Many Echeveria species are popular as garden plants. They are drought-resistant, although they do better with regular deep watering and fertilizing. Although they tolerate winter quite well, the winter frost here in Tarlton is quite severe and often I take them out of the garden, putting them into pots and bringing them into the house, especially those that have got long stems and are not compact and dense any more.

Profuse flowering and large rosettes after plenty of rain

 

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