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One Becomes Two and So On.....

I really had never been a fan of Lithops, but I bought a group of three last year. One died, so I was left with two, now one has developed into two plants so I'm back to three. The new thing that has helped me is that I learned the watering system for them. Since the plant is made up of so much fluid, you must be careful and not water like other succulents or cactus. When the Lithop is developing into a new plant it is receiving its moisture from the old leaves and no watering should be done, otherwise they will rot.

One of the old leaves is that little shriveled reddish piece on the right at the base of the plant in the photograph below, at one time it was about the size of the new plant. But no water was given during this time.

Still add one or two to your collection, you might surprise yourself and be able to grow them. To find out more information about Lithops check out these blogs, Gaia Nursery, Lithopsland, and Lithops Stories

Copiapoa barqentisis

This is another cacti that I purchased from Luther of Kara Nursery at the last OCSS sale that was held at Portland Nursery. Currently it has two flower buds, there were no flower buds when I brought it home, so this is very exciting. 

Copiapoas are an interesting group of plants that come from the coastal desert regions of Chile. Shape is globular, later often columnar, clumping and forms large mounds gray to green in various shades. Spines are various in amount, length and having whitish wool at the base of the spines. Flowers are short tubular, yellow to light yellow in color which is a good identifying feature for this genus. Some of the species have fragrant flowers. Copiapoas should be protected from excessive heat and sun in summer.

Gymnocactus viereckii

This is the first Gymnocactus that has been added to the collection here at Death Valley Shack, due to the fact I have not come across many that have been for sale, but there other names for this plant read below. The spine coloration is what I find interesting very similar to the new Opuntia that Loree of Danger Garden has added to her collection.

Origin is in the Tamaulipas area of Mexico and found at an altitude of around 2500 ft. Growing solitary or occasionally clustering they live in cracks in rocks, on cliff faces, getting very little nutrients, and growing nearly free of organic matter. The only naturally occurring organic matter will be leaves blown around and getting caught on the spines. G. viereckii will grow to about 7" in height and 3" in width, it's a small plant but the flowers are a bright magenta or pink with a greenish-white throat making up for the size.Other names that have been given this variety is Thelocactus viereckii, Pediocactus viereckii, Neolloydia viereckii, and Echinocactus viereckii.

Gymnocalycium cardenasianum

This is one of the other plants I purchased out of the four at the OCSS this last weekend. Besides Agaves, Gymnocalyciums are my 2nd favorite succulent to collect and I have a number of them in the Death Valley Shack.   

Gymnocalycium cardenasianum

Origin is southern Bolivia and has been classified by some as a subspecies of G. spegazzinii. The spines are long and eagle claw like. The growth is to a width of 7 1/2" and a height of about 11". Flowering is in July or June and white to pink in color.   

New Gymno from the OCSS

Friday was the kick off of the three day sale that the Oregon Cactus & Succulent Society is having at the Portland Nursery 5050 SE Stark location. The sale will be during the hours of the nursery. If anyone has the chance go by and see a great selection of cactus and succulents for sale. Plus some of the members have brought a few specimen plants from their private collection for display.

Gymnocalycium andreae v. dopianum

This Gymnocalycium is one of the plants I purchased from Luther of Kara Nursery.

It is only about 1/2 inch wide.

Seedling Update

The seedlings are about 10 days old now. Its interesting how they change, but still have no characteristics of the actual plant at this time.  I'm thinking it will be about 4 or 5 months before they start showing any detail or maybe sooner. I'll keep posting about every 10 days to keep track of changes if there is any. 

Epithelanta

Echinocereus

Mammillaria

They Grow Up So Fast

It's amazing to me that the seeds were planted on the 26th of June and I already have cactus seedlings.........actually they were up on the 4th. If you click on the name you will be taken to another page and see a photo of a mature plant.

Echinocereus rigidissimus

Mammillaria pilcayensis

Epithelantha bokei

A Flower for the 4th

First thing this morning around 7am went out and watered the plants in the Death Valley Shack. Not much going on inside..........Later in the day went out to see if the flower had opened and there it was. The open flower of the Notocactus ottonis, a beautiful butter yellow. Once again the flower is very large compared to the plant. Its what will happen with a little sunshine.

Notocactus ottonis

Very excited about this flowering, this Notocactus has been in the collection for about three years now. It will be a yellow flower, hoping there will be a second color.....but most are a single color.

Notocactus ottonis is a very shiny green globular cactus, up to five to six inches tall and the same in diameter. Spines are typically recurved toward the body and can be bright cinnamon or golden brown.  It is a cactus that likes light shade. Origin of the Notocactus ottonis is South Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. 

This cacti like many cacti has many synonyms, the most common being Parodia ottonis. 

Death Valley Shack Nursery

It has been a little more than 4 months since I wrote the first blog about the seedlings. The photos below are what they look like today. The Notos are a little bigger, but the Gymnos are the same size. 

Notocactus haselbergii

Gymnocalycium tillianum

I planted three different seeds, Echinocereus rigidissimus, Epithelantha bokei, and Mammilaria pilcayensis on the 26th.  The seeds were purchased from Mesa Gardens back in February that have been on ice since then and I'll see what the outcome is, hope its good.
I just placed another order today for Coryphantha pallida, Escobaria vivipara var. bisheeana, Mammillaria senilis, and Pediocactus simpsonii var. nigrispinus. The Pediocactus seed is a variety collected from Jefferson County here in Oregon. 

Gymnocalycium pfanzii

I love walking in to the Death Valley Shack seeing flower buds one day and SURPRISE.....Succulents and cacti play by their own rules on how soon they will open or when. I have had some cactus bloom and never have seen the flower when it opens. It seems down right mean!

 

Gymnocalycium pfanzii grows in the areas of south-east of Bolivia, north-west of Paraguay and north of Argentina. Found growing in deep, rich soil in sunny rocky areas, on slopes, or under spiny shurbs. The color on the flower is amazing, classified a white flower with a carmine/pink throat. 

Agave Parryi

I bought this Agave parryi about a month ago, wanting to post a photo of it now that it has been re-potted. I keep thinking about planting out in the front garden in the Yucca bed with the other Agaves, but I'm not sold on that idea.....yet. I had an Agave parryi that was about 24" wide and lost it in a bad freeze along with a very large Agave americana Variegata a few years ago, I was devastated. Since then I have changed my potting mix that I make so it drains faster. THE LEARNING NEVER ENDS!!!!! 

Love the blue color of this plant contrasting with the red spines that run along the sides of the leaves and that large single black center spine.

OCSS Sale

Last Saturday and Sunday the Oregon Cactus & Succulent Society had their annual June sale at the Division St. Portland Nursery. There will be another sale in July on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd at the Stark St. location. I always like to see what there is to purchase, do some admiring, and to visit with Luther of Kara Nursery and also writes the Oregon Cactus Blog. The photos below are the plants that I purchased from him for new additions in my collection in the Death Valley Shack.

Mammillaria huitzilopochtli  

Lithop bromfieldii var. insularis

Lithop schwantesii

Clueless?????

Isn't this the sweetest.......I was surprised after I bought this and about two weeks later it starting showing flower buds. It is a great looking plant from the spines to the flower.  Being a very small plant, its in a 2 1/2" pot. That's what I find fascinating about succulents & cacti, is that they can bloom at such a small size.

The flower is just a little smaller than the cacti itself. It amazing that a little plant like that has that much energy to produce a beautiful flower.

Maybe someone out there will be able to identify this one for me, I have looked at a lot of the books I have but not having any success so far.

Euphorbia Horridia

Now there is some color contrasting going on this plant.............the flower bracts are amazing with the maroon and yellow colors against the chalky color of the plant. This is the first time this Horridia has bloomed for me. 

Euphorbia horrida is a perfect example of parallel evolution. 

There are no true cacti native to the old world but many 

South African succulents

 have evolved to resemble new world cacti.

March of the Mammillarias

The Mammillarias are very busy this time of year in the Death Valley Shack with flowering of pinks and yellows. But there are also red, white, lavender, some striped, and even two tone stripes.  

Mammillaria ?plumosa

Mammillaria bombycina

Mammillaria hahniana

Mammillaria karwinskiana

Mammillaria nejapensis

Mimmillaria spinosissima

"Uno Pico"

Funny Looking Little Plants

Now this is exciting.....The photographs below are two cacti species that I started from seed around the first of November. I purchased "Gymnocalycium tillanum" from Mesa Gardens in Belen, New Mexico. The other seeds came from the Notocactus haselbergii here at Death Valley Shack. I had written an entry March 4, 2011 that the Notocactus was blooming and there were a few seeds on it that I would try and grow. That is them in the picture below. To me the cactus seedlings look like little alien or sea creatures.

Notocactus haselbergii

Gymnocalycium tillianium

It was not as difficult as I thought it would be, but the out come was not as high as I thought either. I'll have to do some tweaking on the next group which I'm planting up in the next couple of days.