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Cactus Blog Archives

Road Kill Cactus

Posted November 17, 2017 10:40 am & filed under Cactus.

Consolea rubescens is the flat cactus known as the Road Kill Cactus
…
Because it’s flat!
😍 👏 🐝 🦋

Interesting Framing

Posted November 14, 2017 10:35 am & filed under Photography, Succulents.

Aloe ferox at the Cactus Jungle on a sunny day.

It’s all good.

Common Name: Cape Aloe

Single large toothy rosette on tall stalk, outdoor up to 8ft.

Hardy to 20-25F

Full Sun to Part Sun

Black Rose

Posted November 12, 2017 11:51 am & filed under Cactus Jungle, Succulents.

Aeonium “Schwartzkopf” is a classic, selling well at the nursery every year, forever. It is beautiful, it is tall and lanky, it is a large rosette this time of year as winter moves in. Nice!

Saturday Morning Succulents

Posted November 11, 2017 9:27 am & filed under Photography, Succulents.

What’s the best succulent for a Saturday morning? Some might say a Euphorbia anoplia is appropriate for a Saturday morning.

Friday Whippet Blogging

Posted November 9, 2017 8:55 pm & filed under Whippets.

It’s Jason!

Small Succulent

Posted November 7, 2017 8:35 am & filed under Plants in Production.

Crassula “Chiquito”

Common Name: Dwarf Red Carpet

Origin: South Africa

Description:
C. radicans “Chiquito”

Spreading groundcover to 6″ high, small ½” paired leaves turn red in sun; tiny yellow flowers

Cardon

Posted November 4, 2017 12:21 pm & filed under Cactus.

Pachycereus pringlei

Common Name: Cardón

Origin: Baja California

Description: Tall and spiny to 40ft. with 2ft. trunk, slow growing. Edible fruit, medicinal stems.

Temperature: Hardy to 25F

Los Altos Euphorbias

Posted October 20, 2017 7:33 am & filed under Bay Area Gardens, Reader Photos.

We recently delivered a giant 9ft tall Euphorbia “Ammak” down all the way to Los Altos. At least we thought it was giant. It sure looked giant in our store greenhouse!

But as you can see it is the small Euphorbia there! They’ve been growing them for many years and the new one looks tiny! Nice.

Thank you for our new 9ft Euphorbia Ammak. She is settling in nicely next to her larger family members!
Best,
Lorilynn

Gorgeous Tiny Stapeliad Flowers

Posted October 18, 2017 9:06 am & filed under Photography.

Cynanchum marnierianum

Amazing little flower, but look there’s 8 more buds too!

The plant itself is all hanging bare stems. Practically a “stick plant” I’d you ask me.

Prickly Pear Pests

Posted October 16, 2017 10:16 am & filed under Questions.

Hi-
I got this guy from you a couple months ago. I’m worried it has developed a fungus. What do you think those dots are?
Thanks!
Stephanie

Stephanie,

That is Scale, a small hard-shelled insect that sucks the juices out of cactus. We recommend spraying with natural pyrethrins. We sell Don’t Bug Me which will kill them on contact. They have a hard outer shell so you can clean them off with a spray of rubbing alcohol which will break down the shell, and then use a soft brush to wipe them off. Be careful not to scrape the cactus.

Peter

Berkeley Yucca Garden

Posted October 10, 2017 8:40 am & filed under Berkeley Gardens, Berkeley Succulents.

Heinz Street, Berkeley

A nicely blooming Yucca in the Aquatic Park Gardens with a beautiful red Leucadendron in front. Sweet!

Aeoniums, Berkeley

Posted October 9, 2017 11:19 am & filed under Berkeley Succulents.

Heinz Street

Aeoniums in a rock planter, as seen in Berkeley

Star Cactus

Posted October 8, 2017 8:47 am & filed under Cactus, Photography.

Ariocarpus fissuratus vibrantly blooming in autumn.

Common Name: Star Rock, Chaute

Origin: Big Bend, Texas; Mexico

Description: Slow-growing to 10″d; hairy center; summer blooms; keep dry in winter

Hardy to 25F
Full Sun
Extra Chunky Cactus Soil
Low Water

Umbrella Flower

Posted October 7, 2017 10:23 am & filed under Photography, Succulents.

Ceropegia sandersonii has giant umbrealla, or parachute-like flowers! Very unusual vining Stapeliad.

Common Name: Parachute Plant, Umbrella Flower
Origin: Mozambique, South Africa, and Swaziland
Description: Vining Stapeliad with massive unusual parachute-like flowers.
Characteristics:

Hardy to 45F
Part Sun
Low Water

Blooming Cactus Flowers

Posted October 6, 2017 1:21 pm & filed under Cactus, Photography.

Beautiful Ariocarpus retusus flowers!

Ariocarpus retusus

Common Name: Living Rock Cactus, Seven Stars, Chaute

Origin: Mexico

Description: Highly variable, possibly through hybridizing. Slow-growing to 10″d; hairy center; summer blooms. Keep dry in winter

Temperature: Hardy to 15F

Crassula “Buddha’s Temple”

Posted September 28, 2017 8:01 am & filed under Nursery, Succulents.

People ask if we have Crassula “Buddha’s Temple” available and for a number of years we’ve had to say “no”. Until now. We finally have a real crop ready, to size and on the floor and ready for sale. Nice! Hopefully we will be able to keep these growing on for years to come so that anytime anyone anywhere (Berkeley, Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area) wants one we will have it available. Now and forever.

Nice!

Crassula “Buddha’s Temple”

Miniature square-shaped vertical stems to 8″, drops bottom leaves

Hardy to 25F
Part Sun to Part Shade
Low Water

Succulents, San Francisco

Posted September 26, 2017 4:07 pm & filed under San Francisco.

More of the Aeoniums of Divisadero St. in San Francisco.

San Francisco Succulents

Posted September 25, 2017 10:32 am & filed under San Francisco.

Divisadero St., San Francisco

Sunday Turtle Blogging

Posted September 24, 2017 8:29 am & filed under Whats New.

Tyrone has come to stay for a few years.

Friday Whippet Blogging

Posted September 15, 2017 9:10 am & filed under Whippets.

Jason!

Los Angeles Area Cactus Show

Posted September 9, 2017 3:33 pm & filed under Cactus, News, Succulents, Weekend.

Were you wondering what to do next weekend? Are you going to be in Encino next weekend? You are in luck!

If your garden yearns for crazy, colorful, drought-hearty plants, the Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society aims to satisfy at its first Fall Sale Sept. 16 in Encino.
A variety of cacti and succulents are up for sale. (Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times)

I say, “Woot!”

Dragonfruit Recipe

Posted September 4, 2017 7:00 am & filed under Cactus, Recipes.

I found this delicious Dragonfruit Sherbet recipe from our local Berkeleyside!

It’s been a very hot weekend (Record heat throughout Berkeley, San Francisco and Oakland? Yes!) so it’s what you want. Right now.

Incredibly addictive, this sherbet offers a celebration of refreshing and complementary flavor in every spoonful. The cool dragon fruit is faintly milky, citrusy and herbal with its gentle infusion of lemongrass. Meanwhile, the strawberry layer offers a hint of tartness and a welcome trace of classic berry sweetness.
Dragon Fruit Sherbet with Lemongrass and Strawberry
Makes about a quart
1 1/2 ounces (about 1 1/2 stalks, depending on size) fresh lemongrass
3/4 cup canned light coconut milk (not full-fat)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces fresh ripe strawberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons light, somewhat neutral liquor of your choice, at least 80 proof (think vodka, light rum or a clear fruit brandy)
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds dragon fruit (about 3 medium dragon fruit)

As always, click through for the full instructions.

Million Hearts

Posted September 3, 2017 6:37 am & filed under Plants in Production, Succulents.

Tiny little pinkish-white flowers appear all along the vines of this epiphitic jungle succulent.

Dischidia ruscifolia
Common Name: Million Hearts
Origin: Philippines

Vining epiphyte; good for hanging baskets, or terrariums.

Hardy to 40F
Part Sun
Jungle Cactus/Orchid Blend
Low Water

Sagebrush

Posted September 2, 2017 6:36 am & filed under Travel.

Artemesia tridentata with a moth visitor.

Chickens and Succulents

Posted September 1, 2017 5:38 am & filed under Misc.

Zebra striped Haworthia and Sedum burrito, plus chickens, in Idaho, near Twin Falls, but not in Twin Falls. Idaho.

Delicious Prickly Pear Fruit

Posted August 27, 2017 9:55 am & filed under Cactus, Recipes.

That is some delicious looking large red cactus fruit, aka Tunas, Prickly Pears, Sabras, nōchtli and more names! This is on one of our larger Opuntia robusta plants. When they get in the ground they can produced a lot of fruit, just for you if that’s what you want, or for all your neighbors and friends too, if you have neighbors and friends. I always prefer to eat my prickly pears by blending them in with my margaritas. Delicious, and healthy!

Prickly Pear Margarita Recipe
Using Prickly Pear Juice
Restaurant Cocktail Recipe

Preparation time: 3 minutes. Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 ounces Tequila
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce prickly pear juice
1/2 ounce Cointreau
Lime slice for garnish
Ice
Kosher salt

Instructions: Click through for the rest of the instructions!
Note that I always leave off the salt, because that’s just the way I prefer my margaritas, without salt.