The Great Cuddly Cactus thread

[Silas_Sancona]

 

Inspired while catching a glimpse of the morning sun through one of my newer cacti while re labeling some stuff in the shade house, it seems these prickly beasts don't always get the recognition they deserve. 

While an unavoidable sight in the desert, Cacti are a another landscape element which can contribute to almost any garden, even while mixing it up amongst more frond-y company.

Many people probably wouldn't realize that this group of rebels are among some of the most threatened plants on the planet. Spines and all, cacti are big targets for poaching both in the wild, and from gardens. 

While there are the grumpiest of spine, whom most avoid with all cost..  Teddybear Cholla anyone? ouch!  Cacti offer up a diverse array of shapes and sizes. Whether hanging from a Palmetto, or seated in a decorative planter, blooming away below Royal canopy on a table, there are few plants that can put up with some of the most punishing conditions in nature, but are almost foolproof in the garden.

So show 'em some love, and share your favorites.. no matter what corner of the globe they're growing.  ..and yes, some are almost cuddle- worthy,  ..almost.. Like the teeth on Washingtonia petioles.

The inspiration for this thread: the halo glow around Echinocereus russanthus X "Cattail Falls"

Some Echinopsis and a Hedgehog  from last spring..

-Nathan

[Missi]

Well, I can't grow a lot of the prickly cactus species due to my climate, but I do have a couple cacti.

Cereus peruvianus (I think that's what this is - I found it when exploring a nearby woods several years ago  and brought a cutting home with me ). It gets big hand-size white blooms and grows huge fruit, called Peruvian apples, that my tortoise relishes!

Next is a (spineless) Opuntia (used to have several more with different colored blooms but they got annihilated by tropical cactus borer larvae [Cactoblastis cactorum] ). The only one that survived was the one right by my chicken pen. I assume the chooks got to the little wormy bastards before they could eat that cactus' innards!

I also have dragon fruit cultivars and a climbing Cereus (no pics).

[Silas_Sancona]

...A few others from, the Desert Botanical Garden:

Totem Pole Toes

Furry Barrels, can't remember the species.

 

One grand Cardon 

 

The rarest in my collection: Harrisia fragrans, aka Caribbean/ Florida Applecactus. Critically endangered but an easy grower, even here in the Desert. Flowers are extremely fragrant, as the species name suggests. Fruit are thought to be edible, though I haven't tried them. More concerned with harvesting seed. 

 

..A pot full of babies of H. fragrans. Interesting that the seed germinated despite the fact I'd forgot about it for nearly 2 years post harvest. (  data regarding overall viability or successful germination rates is somewhat lacking atm) Germination was slow at first ( sat for 6 weeks before emerging during the summer) but, despite our cooler nights, compared to where they originate, sped up considerably.