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Cactiphilia

Although I have mixed feelings about arid landscapes such as the southwestern region of the US, I do really like cacti and succulents. There is just something about the uniqueness of their forms, their ways of adapting to their environment, and their prickly way of saying “don’t mess with me!” IDK, maybe it’s also because I have such a prickly personality!

Anyway, I used to have quite a few cacti when I was in college, but I lost many of them to an outbreak of black rot, and I haven’t messed with them since.

I’ve recently been working on putting some landscaping info together for my condo HOA, and that has reignited my interest in growing cacti and succulents.

I’ve recently bought four (these are not my photos, just examples I found online):

A Clothed Opuntia – Opuntia vestita

A Kalanchoe Panda Plant – Kalanchoe tomentosa

A Zanzibar Aloe – Aloe zanzibarica

A Split Rock – Pleiospilos neii

Is there anyone here who loves cacti and succulents, too?

Tags: catci, container gardening, plants, succulents

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on May 11, 2012 at 12:51pm

Looks like it could be a good ground cover.

Permalink Reply by Michael R Mills on May 11, 2012 at 5:44pm

Not sure about that - but it does make a beautiful hanging basket.

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on May 14, 2012 at 10:13pm

Dallas has done it again. This one is called a Kalanchoe Maternity plant. Here are some pics. The little round things you see on the end of the leaves are babies (spores/seedlings?). Apparently they drop off and fall to the ground where they grow into new plants. Rather unique way of reproducing, I think. These photos don't match mine exactly, but it's close.

And got one of these, a torch cactus, or tricocerus grandiflorus.

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on May 21, 2012 at 4:49pm

I passed a house today with this prickly pear in their yard. They had one on each side. It had to be over 6 ft tall. I never knew they could get that big. I can only guess at its age.

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on May 29, 2012 at 10:27pm

I love that!

I had them in my yard for a few years then there was a hard freeze followed by rains and they rotted out. The flowers were beautiful. They didn't have edible fruits, and they were too woody for nopales, so I gave up/.

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on May 29, 2012 at 10:37pm

Those are huge. Unbelievable.

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on May 29, 2012 at 10:57pm

Maybe the men are just small?

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on June 16, 2012 at 7:44pm

Pachycereus Pringlei on the left, unnamed Opuntia on the right.