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.

Neoporteria gerocephala OR Eriosyce senilis

Like so many cacti, names can be many. Neoporteria gerocephala is the name on the tag and the name I will catalog it under. The origin of Neoporteria gerocephala is the Valley of Rio Chapoa in Chile located in South American. It is a solitary cacti with a dense covering of spines, it hybridizes easily in habitat and cultivation. The body is purplish and globose to a short columnar shape, 2 1/2"-7" tall, 2"-3" in diameter. The spines are very dense, glassy, variable in color from blond/white, yellow, brown to almost black, with darker tips; straight to strongly curled and tangled, some hairlike soft and flexible, other needle-like and stiff, of variable length, obscuring the plant body and becoming longer with age. Tubular bright colored flowers in the spring being 1"- 2"in length. Will tolerate full sun to light shade, but extremely prone to root rot, needs good drainage.

I will call you Nova...........

EUPHORBIA HORRIDA
"NOVA"

Picked up this Euphorbia the other day, once again the color is amazing. Very pale, chalky, ghost-like, also named the African Milk Barrel. This one is in a 4" pot and I have another larger specimen that is about 6" tall. When I think of it I will take a picture and post in the blog. If you would like to read about the E. horrida, click on the name for an earlier posting.

Stone Faced

LITHOP

Derived from the ancient Greek words
lithos meaning "stone," and ops meaning "face"

This is the only collection of Lithops that I have, they are very charming. I will have to look into adding more to the collection. Kara Nursery offers a great selection if you are looking for something special to add to your own collection.


Lithops are found across wide areas of Namibia and South Africa, as well as small bordering areas in Botswana and Angola, from sea level to high mountains. They are perennial plants which develop a new pair of leaves each year. The leaf markings of any one particular plant change very little from year to year, and no two plants have markings exactly alike. They begin growing during the fall, continue throughout the winter and into the spring. In late spring or early summer, the plants will begin to go dormant. If a plant does not flower the first year you have it, it is perhaps not quite old enough. Lithops usually must be three to five years old before they begin flowering which will be a spicy-sweet scent and white or yellow in color.

In Honor of Danger Garden...........

PACHYPODIUM GEAYI

"Madagascar Palm"

What an awesome looking plant, the structure is amazing. Looking similar to a palm but not even close in the plant kingdom. This looks like a plant that would be in the Danger Garden because of the spines. It is stated that all parts are poisonous if ingested. P. geayi comes from the Southwestern area of Madagascar, has a metallic grey trunk, thin grey-green leaves with a bright pink mid-rib. Bloom time is any time of the year on a plant that is at least 6 feet tall. Flowers are white or near white with a yellow throat and lightly scented. A deciduous tree that can reach a height of 15 feet. This will be a great addition to the patio next Spring. It is planted in a 6" pot, about 18" tall and the leaves extend out about 2 feet.

Baby Pickle?

This little gem was a present from good friends. Some websites call it a Pickle Cactus.......that's one of the dumbest comments. The tag reads Euphorbia Horrida Hybrid. Love the colors of this plant, I think it will live happily at Death Valley Shack. The pot size is 2 1/2".

EUPHORBIA HORRIDA HYBRID
Euphorbia derives from Euphorbus,
Greek physician of king Juba II of Numidia

Hybrids of Euphorbia horrida are very common. The hybrids involves several different species (often resulted from accidental crosses) and are widely propagated for their quality. They are a very strong and easy to grow spiny succulent that looks a lot like an American cactus and will readily form large clumps. They are extremely variable due to their hybrid origin and have many varieties and forms. Many of the plants sold are actual hybrids. If you are looking to add any Euphorbias to your collection remember they are poisonous and need to be handled with care. It is a pretty easy plant to manage, grows well in a very good draining material and isn't picky about soil. The area of South Africa (lower Great Karoo) where the E. horrida plant is native from receives rains in both winter and summer, so it can be watered moderately all year around (except in the coldest month of the winter as it rot easily especially if over wet ) During the summer, they enjoy average feeding and watering.

A Clean Greenhouse!!!!!!!

What a job..............I spent Monday and Tuesday evening and all of Wednesday afternoon cleaning Death Valley Shack. Moving all the plants, wiping the benches down, spraying all the spider webs away, and inspecting the plants for PESTS.

I only had one that I needed to dispose of and two I had to spray down with Death Valley Shack Elixir (if it does not cure ya, it just might kill ya), I hope it works. I HATE MEALYBUGS! The greenhouse looks so nice now, ready for Fall and Winter.

Its always a good idea to clean a greenhouse at least a couple times a year. It is a good way to inspect plants and the surroundings to make sure you do not have any surprises down the road. DID I MENTION I HATE MEALYBUGS?

Also moved all the big specimen cactus from the patio, since cooler weather is here. I wanted to have it done and not have to do it later since we are now starting into the rainy season. If we get hit with an early frost I do not have to worry about those plants.

So now that it is done, I can sit back, relax, and add to the collection.