Tis' the season for Cactus Flowers, 2022: A steady pace

[teddytn]

My pics, not my plants. 
Echinopsis rose quartzEchinopsis subdenudata

[Is that alive]

A very wet and cool spring.  I didn't know if mine would bloom. Finally happened at the beginning of July. 

[Meangreen94z]

Thelocactus bicolor, a Texas native.

[Tom in Tucson]

5 hours ago, Meangreen94z said:

Thelocactus bicolor, a Texas native.

T. bicolor is one of my favorite species. As you may know it has the largest distribution of any species in it's genus. It ranges from central Mexico to west Texas. One of my favorite forms (or varieties) is one from the Big Bend region. It has had many names since it was described by George Engelmann in 1856. It is currently called Thelocactus bicolor var. schottii. Search for some images of it and you may agree why I think it looks gnarly. If you want to grow it, try collection number SB567 from Brewster county.

Hi 98˚, Lo 72˚ afternoon T-storms

[Meangreen94z]

13 hours ago, Tom in Tucson said:

T. bicolor is one of my favorite species. As you may know it has the largest distribution of any species in it's genus. It ranges from central Mexico to west Texas. One of my favorite forms (or varieties) is one from the Big Bend region. It has had many names since it was described by George Engelmann in 1856. It is currently called Thelocactus bicolor var. schottii. Search for some images of it and you may agree why I think it looks gnarly. If you want to grow it, try collection number SB567 from Brewster county.

Hi 98˚, Lo 72˚ afternoon T-storms

Thanks, it’s one of my favorites as well. It looks like Mesa Garden still has seeds from that collection. I will order and give them a try. Thank you for that.

[Silas_Sancona]

A few from the flat..

Echinocereus sp.





Interesting combo:

Echinocereus and Nolina microcarpa  up top in the sun,



....Myriopteris sp. (  Likely M. lindheimeri )  hangin' out below where more shaded..



Near perfect Ferocactus wisilzeni specimen



Mammillaria barbata  New one for me..

[D. Morrowii]

Man these cactus flowers are really something! I had one open ip the other day. Are they all so short lived? 
 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, D. Morrowii said:

Man these cactus flowers are really something! I had one open ip the other day. Are they all so short lived? 
 

Depends on the species / Genera..  Flowers on some will stay open an entire day then fade.. Others can stay open another day or two ( closing each night before opening again the next morning ) before they fade out.  Have some things where the flowers are open for a few hours, then fade.. Heat plays a big part in that though..  less heat, flowers can last longer, sometimes adding another day to their lifespan.

[D. Morrowii]

35 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Depends on the species / Genera..  Flowers on some will stay open an entire day then fade.. Others can stay open another day or two ( closing each night before opening again the next morning ) before they fade out.  Have some things where the flowers are open for a few hours, then fade.. Heat plays a big part in that though..  less heat, flowers can last longer, sometimes adding another day to their lifespan.

Gotcha, thanks! Seeing all the beautiful examples in this thread make me want to try some others. Such bright and vibrant colors.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, D. Morrowii said:

Gotcha, thanks! Seeing all the beautiful examples in this thread make me want to try some others. Such bright and vibrant colors.

Have never understood why many people have ignored cacti when it comes to showy, flowering things..  Like Orchids, even if they could only grow them in a dry greenhouse, there are so many different things that can live out their lives in pots ..and add nice splashes of color almost year round..  

And that isn't even counting things like hybrid Epiphyllums, Dragon Fruit, Christmas, and/ or Easter cacti ..aka " Jungle cacti "  ..Which is it's own universe..

When you look around, you should be able to find some nice stuff that will handle Florida's humidity to try.. Echinopsis hybrids did pretty well for me there  as long as they were sheltered from too much rainfall, and grown in a soil mix that drains very well.  Some of the true Desert cacti might have a tough time w/ the extra, year round moisture though..  Species of  Echinocereus, etc that grow in parts of Mexico where it is generally more humid / rains more during the summer would be good things to trial though. Stuff from the Caribbean too of course. 



 

[Silas_Sancona]

Some " Monsoon Season " seed batches: Sown on the 20th.

Saguaro, 2020 Rock Tank collection



Mammillaria grahamii, some of this year's seed.

[Meangreen94z]

Echinocereus reichenbachii in Central Texas.

[Meangreen94z]

Another Thelocactus bicolor bloom

[Darylrsv4]

[Silas_Sancona]

Ever wonder what Baby Saguaro look like?  Now ya know..  White " fluff " on the bottom of the seedlings are seed roots, not Mold. 

Reddish " Blush " evident in some seedlings is the most obvious detail than connects all Cacti with all other plant families that are in the order Caryophyllales ( Caryophllales  = plants like Beets, Pitcher plants and Sun Dews,  Four o' Clocks and Bougainvillea, Jojoba, Purslane, Cacti, Carnations, etc... )




Interesting how the seedlings resemble those of Opuntoids / Cylindropuntia,  rather than others like Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Mammillaria, etc...  which often lack noticeable fleshy, leaf-like " seed leaves " and look like Cacti right out of the gate.

[teddytn]

Had this cactus a few years, saw it getting ready to flower a week or so back I guess. Guessing it’s in the cereus family? Hard to nail down an exact species hoping some cactiphiles can help…wink wink @Silas_Sancona @Tom in Tucson @Meangreen94z Cool regardless. 

[Meangreen94z]

The two on the left are Cereus repandus , the “Peruvian Apple Cactus”

[teddytn]

3 hours ago, Meangreen94z said:

The two on the left are Cereus repandus , the “Peruvian Apple Cactus”

Thank you sir! I’ve thought so and then not, labeled specimens are always way thicker, these two are kinda thin and spindly, especially when they go inside for the winter. Can’t wait for the San Pedro to flower, few more years maybe. 

[Meangreen94z]

Echinopsis oxygona 

[Silas_Sancona]

A quick update:

Saguaro and Mamms. coming along nicely, despite the heat.. Other two?, 🤷‍♂️.  Don't sprout?, No worries ...i've got a ton of seed harvested since 2018 to play with.



@SailorBold  After a looonngg wait, Hedgehog seed you'd sent sometime ago are on the cooker..  1st picture are a couple batches started right out of the bag.. Since there was bits of the fruit still mixed in w/ them, not sure how these will develop..



No worries though, cleaned the rest of the seed and got it down last night. We'll see what happens.. 🤞

[amh]

One of my Opuntia ellisiana flowered this year and I'm hoping the fruit will ripen soon. I haven't tried the "tunas" from this species, so I am curious as to quality. I'll also harvest the seeds and see if the offspring remain spineless.

Going to be removing lots of pads as soon as the snake, scorpion and black widow season is over.

[Silas_Sancona]

Next update:

Saguaro seedlings jusst starting to look like ...Saguaros, lol.



Had these Ferocactus wislizeni down since spring.. Taking their sweet time to pop.



@SailorBold  Cleaned seed = much better germination.

[amh]

Some flowers on my Thelocactus setispinus. I'll have to save seeds and start some more.

[SailorBold]

On 9/20/2022 at 12:27 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Next update:

Saguaro seedlings jusst starting to look like ...Saguaros, lol.



Had these Ferocactus wislizeni down since spring.. Taking their sweet time to pop.



@SailorBold  Cleaned seed = much better germination.

That is awesome!  The tersckii x flying saucer was not successful.. I will try again next year... im really hoping I can get that one to work.

Thanks for doing that Nathan.. cool.!. I do wonder how long it will take to see the differences from the mother..

[Silas_Sancona]

13 minutes ago, SailorBold said:

That is awesome!  The tersckii x flying saucer was not successful.. I will try again next year... im really hoping I can get that one to work.

Thanks for doing that Nathan.. cool.!. I do wonder how long it will take to see the differences from the mother..

  Btw, more of the seed has sprouted since that last post. I also had a bunch of the Ferocactus seed pop up out of nowhere.

If what i have heard regarding growing Echinocereus from seed, it could be 4-7 ..or even 9 years before they flower for the first time. Obviously, the longer time length could be under certain, less optimal conditions / in cooler parts of the world. Still, hoping for the 4 or 5 year time length, rather than waiting out 7 / 7+ years.

That said, Pretty sure i won't be alive to see any of the Saguaro i started flower though ...so even 7 years is pretty quick, lol..

[Silas_Sancona]

Echinocereus sp.



Fire-roasted Barrel, Ferocactus wislizeni





Green-Flowered Pincushion / Nipple cactus, Mammillaria barbata / viridiflora ..Or whatever species name some use. Somewhat uncommon in collections.. Not for long.

[aztropic]

Ariocarpus flowering season has begun!

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

Edited November 2, 2022 by aztropic

[tiburcio]

On 11/2/2022 at 9:52 AM, aztropic said:

Ariocarpus flowering season has begun!

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

woaw, those are ancient!! like 40 yo

 

[aztropic]

5 hours ago, tiburcio said:

woaw, those are ancient!! like 40 yo

 

Yep.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[aztropic]

Have a few of these oldies but goodies! 

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[tiburcio]

On 11/2/2022 at 9:52 AM, aztropic said:

Ariocarpus flowering season has begun!

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

just noticed not only these are ancient but they´re a lot !!!

[tiburcio]

On 11/5/2022 at 6:42 AM, aztropic said:

Have a few of these oldies but goodies! 

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

you left these outside the greenhouse for by passers take one for free??

do you pollinate these, make hybrids? or do you let wasps do their things?

[aztropic]

16 hours ago, tiburcio said:

you left these outside the greenhouse for by passers take one for free??

do you pollinate these, make hybrids? or do you let wasps do their things?

I DO hand pollinate the flowers when I catch them open,but they don't always produce seeds.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

[Silas_Sancona]

So, awhile back, i'd mentioned the sighting of a lone Senita, Lophocereus schottii   growing near a Church i pass each time i'm on the road between home ( here in Chandler ) and Tucson / the Borderlands..  Today i managed to get a picture of it.. Looks like it has added more growth since i noticed it.

Yes, these are supposedly quite hardy ..able to survive down into the upper-most teens  but i've not seen any ..besides this one..  outside of yards around Phoenix.  As long as this specimen continues to grow w/ out any serious setbacks, it will be interesting to see whether not any seed it produces in the future finds it's way to the nearby slopes on that side of the San Tan Mountains,  which are a zone / zone and a half warmer than where this cactus is growing. ( 9b / 10a ..in a few ideal spots in the hills, vs. 9a where the Church is located, according to what is seen when looking at the 2012 Plant Maps map. ) 

Entire area is within the boundary of the Gila River Indian Community / Reservation so habitat on the mountain slopes / adjacent desert areas in between is intact w/ only minimal disturbance -if any- over time, and likely to never be trashed / developed ( Little concern this area would ever be a site for some new subdivision anyway )..

Yes someone from the church could have plated it but ..wayy out there?,  by the road?? ...vs. closer to the building?..   Doubt any water is provided other than what runoff from the road might collect after a good storm. Might be a degree or two cooler out here due to very little development compared to developed areas of Chandler at the height of summer. 

Very interesting regardless..

I see you..


 

[aztropic]

More flowers.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

[Meangreen94z]

Opuntia strigil Opuntia hybridNotocactus sp.Echinopsis hybridEchinocereus pentalophus Echinocereus pectinatus var. coahuilaOpuntia azureaEchinocereus reichenbachii Mammilaria heyderiEchinocereus coccineus Echinopsis hybridGymnocalycium Gymnocalycium 

[BillAndy]

Notocactus magnificus

First time this one bloomed for me.

[BillAndy]

Echinopsis chamaecereus (peanut cactus)

[BillAndy]

Gymnocalycium bozsingianum?

[BillAndy]