south africa succulents
If you’ve read my blog for any amount of time you’d probably agree with me when I say I shouldn’t collect anymore plants this season. As it stands I have over 130+ potted plants indoors, 50+ large tropical specimens at the greenhouse, and a garden that is so over filled it’s bordering on insane. Still when I was invited to view a local cacti collector’s private stash I couldn’t resist myself. Her collection was impressive and a real treat for a sun starved plant geek in November. With the potential of moving leering overhead she wanted to thin out her collection a bit and was willing to pass along some obscurities. We ended up chatting for a couple hours, touring her various growing areas, and I left with some really great specimens.
Left to right: Sinningia leucotricha, Gasteria NOID ,Hemanthus albiflos, Echinops NOID, Rubutia muscula,
Astrophytum NOID and a Monadenium ritchiei
Sinningia leucotricha is an interesting velvet leafed plant from Brazil that forms a caudex-like woody tuber. After this photo I replanted it in a nice new terracotta pot and exposed the tuber. It looks great, and I look forward to watching it do it thing further. More info to follow
Quite an interesting Gasteria specimen, it’s leaves textures remind me of snowflake obsidan. Anyone know it’s species name?
A large flowering sized Haemanthus albiflos.
A small Echinops (white / pink flowers)
Rubutia muscula. What awesome little fuzzy orbs.
Monadenium ritchiei Another euphorbia oddity to the collection.
While I already have a small specimen of this, I couldn’t resist. This is one of largest Disocactus flagelliformis I’ve ever seen. Hoping to take some cuttings and do a small run of these next spring. Simply amazing!
Selenicereus grandiflorus otherwise known as a Queen of the Night Cactus.
What fun! I’ve jigsawed them into the collection and they look great. I’m looking forward to seeing them thrive come spring and summer.
Thank You Linda !
I recently bought this Tiger Jaw Plant (Faucaria tigrina) at Brentwood Bay Nurseries on impulse. I’m a real sucker for succulents and cacti and this winter the window sills will be packed. While haphazardly perusing the succulent area I stumbled upon this freshly budded specimen and had to have it. Within a week it’s flower opened and I snapped these photos today. Interesting!
Apparently the flowers only last a couple days so I was happy to have noticed when I did.
Another amazing succulent from South Africa. This is quickly becoming a place I must visit. The plant’s strange hooked barbs sometimes look like the snarly face of a jungle cat, thus it’s common name Tiger Jaw.
Another oddity added to the collection…
