Tag Archives: Crassula tetragona (Miniature Pine Tree)

Fall 2020 Update Part 2: Cactus & Succulents Part 2

Hello everyone. I hope this post finds you well. This is the second part of the Fall update with more photos and measurements from October 15 when I moved the plants inside.

The former Western Auto building is being torn down so I decided I would get some boards from the building to make a couple more plant shelves. The shelves will replace the tables I have been using in the two front bedrooms. I may write a post about the old building in a future post… I think the old building, which is on one corner of Main and Benton Streets, was originally a bank (there was once a bank on all four corners). After the bank closed, the building was rented by Western Auto in 1938. The building itself is 140 years old. I may do a future post about the building so maybe I should take a few photos before it is completely gone… When I was in the building last week I was amazed by the number of laths on the walls and ceiling. Can you imagine how long it took to put them there?

OK, enough about the building. I am updating the plant’s pages as I go along and you can go to them by clicking on their names under the photos (not in the captions).

Let’s get started with…

<<<<Cereus forbesii f. monstrose ‘Ming Thing’>>>>

Cereus forbesii f. monstrose ‘Ming Thing’ at 2 3/4″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide on 10-15-20, #747-18.

The Cereus forbesii f. monstrose ‘Ming Thing’ is still alive and well and looking very good. This controversial little gem is very-slow growing and has FINALLY made it to 2 3/4″ tall. It was 2″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide when I brought it home from Wal-Mart on February 1, 2016 and has remained 3 1/2″ wide… I brought home my first ‘Ming Thing’ from Wal-Mart in Greenville Mississippi in 2009 when I was living at the mansion in Leland. I was glad to find another one to replace it, although MUCH smaller. I really like this cactus because it is so odd-looking being a monstrous form of the species. It has been doing much better since I started putting the cactus on the back porch during the summer. The crickets really did a number on this poor guy where it was before but it has healed nicely.

<<<<Cereus hildmannianus subsp. uruguayanus>>>>

Cereus hildmannianus subsp. uruguayanus (Fairy Castles)at 8 tall x 6 3:4 wide on 10-15-20, #747-19.

I must say the Cereus hildmannianus subsp. uruguayanus (Fairy Castles) has done much better over the summer on the front porch. I brought this plant home from Wal-Mart on January 28, 2016 and it was in a plastic sleeve and it was soaking wet. I removed the entire plant, dirt and all, from the pot and let it dry out for a few days. It has a lot of scars from crickets in 2017 but they haven’t been a problem on either the back or front porches. It has had issues growing because new growth from the scars on top of the stems are more fragile. When it was on the table on the back porch sometimes a cat would hit the top of the plant and knock new growth off while jumping on the railing. This summer I had this plant on the front porch in less sun and its color is looking much better. It actually grew 1 1/2″ taller and 2 1/4″ wider over the summer to 8″ tall x 6 3/4″ wide. Bravo!

This is the species that gets confused with the Acanthocereus tetragonus ‘Fairytale Castle’. Both are miniatures of their species. I am not sure if Fairy Castles is a cultivar or a common name of Cereus hildmannianus subsp. uruguayanus. It is a common name, but it may be a cultivar name as well since this subspecies can grow to 33′ tall in the wild… The species, Cereus hildmannianus, is usually a spineless cactus and there is an AWESOME monstrose form.

I could go on but I better move along because I really have no idea what I am talking about… I am not sure anyone really does. It would be great to see both species in the wild…

<<<<Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’>>>> 

Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’ at 8 1/4 tall x 4 1/4 wide on 10-15-20, #747-20.

I really like the Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’. I brought my first one home from Lowe’s in Greenville, Mississippi while I was living at the mansion in 2010. It looked nothing like this one and was much bigger around but not this tall. I brought this one home from Wal-Mart on March 19, 2018 when it was 5 1/2″ tall x 3 3 3/8″ wide. It is now 8 1/4″ tall x 4 1/4″ wide. So, it grew 1/4″ taller and 1/2″ wider in the last year. The industry is still using the name Cereus peruvianus f. monstruosus ‘Ming Thing’ although Cereus peruvianus has been considered a synonym of Cereus repandus for a while. Plants of the World Online lists 28 synonyms of the species…

<<<<Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’>>>>

Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ at 8 1/2″ tall x 9 1/2″ wide on 10-15-20, #747-22.

The Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ did very well during the summer despite a little neglect. I brought this unlabeled plant home from the Kuntry Store (one of the Amish owned stores) on May 5, 2018. I was hoping it was a ‘Lady Fingers’ like I had before but it has turned out to be ‘Gollum’. At least it seems to be ‘Gollum’. Some of the leaves look like ‘Lady Fingers’ but most of them look like the photos of ‘Gollum’. Anyway, it measured 8 1/2″ tall x 9 1/2″ wide which is an inch taller and 1/4″ wider than a year ago. I neglected to measure it when I brought it home but it was MUCH smaller. The leaves are much different than the classic Crassula ovata (Jade Plant, ETC.) which gives them their uniqueness.

<<<<Crassula tetragona>>>>

Crassula tetragona (Miniature Pine Tree) at 9 3/4″ tall on 10-15-20, #747-23.

My first Crassula tetragona died last winter for some reason. I had brought it home from Wagler’s in September 2018 and it grew to 16 1/2″ tall. When I finally gave up on it recovering I went to Wagler’s and brought home another one on March 28, 2020. She has a HUGE plant she uses for cuttings but she only had one smaller one. Its stem is crooked because it was growing sideways (I turned the pot so you can’t tell) but it was a nice plant otherwise so I brought it home. It measured 7 3/4″ tall at the time and now it is 9 3/4″ tall. It grew 2″ over the summer. It is quite common for the leaves to fall off and root in the pot as you can tell in the photo.

<<<<Echinocactus grusonii (var. albispinus)>>>>

Echinocactus grusonii (var. albispinus) at 3 1/2 tall x 2 3/4 wide on 10-15-20, #747-24.

When I measured these two characters they seemed to be the same size… The Echinocactus grusonii (var. albispinus) (Golden Barrel Cactus) are always joking around with me so I thought they were doing it again. The green pot is a little shorter than the other one, but oddly enough their measurements were the same. Usually one is a little taller and one is a little wider but I measured several times and I kept coming up with 3 1/2″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide for both of them. Last year one was 3″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide and the other was 2 7/8″ tall x 3″ wide. I always called one “Greater” and one “Lessor” but I can’t tell which is which. When I ask them which is which they point their fingers at each other. I always ignore the spines when I measure cactus otherwise they would be much bigger. They are intimidating enough as it is. Oh yeah, and if you water them a lot a day or so before you measure them they will be bigger than if they have been dry for a while. Maybe that’s just my opinion…

Echinocactus grusonii (var. albispinus) from the top on 10-15-20, #747-25.

These spiny guys always show a little color on their heads but their spines are whiteish. The species has smaller spines and are more yellow. Plants of the World Online listed “var. albispinus” as a synonym mainly because the variety name was invalidly published in 1981. When you sit the different varieties of a species together you can definitely tell there are differences which should be recognized with different variety names. Just makes sense but they didn’t ask me… I have had this discussion with “the guy” and I am told I can call them what I choose. GEEZ!!! Are there no rules? 🙂 Maybe I better check the link on the page for this plant to see if the intraspecific name is accepted yet…

WHOA! WAIT A MINUTE!!! 

I just checked the link for the species and the name has changed!!! Echinocactus grusonii is now Kroenleinia grusonii!!! How did that happen?

OK, so with that, I am going to bed. I was on a good roll and it is late. I was going to finish this post before I went to bed then I hit this snag. GEEZ! Now I will have the THREE “W’s” on my mind while trying to sleep… WHY, WHO, AND WHEN.

DAY TWO…

The history of this species is interesting because it is one of very few that have had the same name since it was named and described the first time. It was named by H. Hildmann was back in 1886 and has remained unchallenged. The genus, Echinocactus, was named in 1827 and there were never very many species included. My last update on this species page was October 11, 2019 when I added the photo from when I moved the plants inside. There were still only six accepted species in the genus and Echinocactus grusonii only had three synonyms. Two of the synonyms were other Echinocactus species that were determined to be E. grusonii and the third synonym was… you guessed it… Kroenleinia grusonii (2014). Even though the later name was validly published due to findings from testing, there is a lengthy process and it sometimes takes SEVERAL YEARS for the name to be “officially” accepted. Testing proved that Echinocactus grusonii was actually more closely related to the genus Ferocactus than Echinocactus and was given its OWN genus… So, the new scientific name is supposedly…

Kroenleinia grusonii (Hildm.) Lodé

It was named and described as such by Joël Lodé in International Cactus Adventures in 2014. Joël Lodé has quite a website called Cactus Adventures International and has written several books and… Well, there is A LOT of information on his website. His latest work is “Taxonomy of the Cactaceae” which seems to be an ongoing series. So far I think there are four volumes. The first two are mentioned on his website and include a total of 1,436 pages and over 9,500 photos. He has been publishing journals since 1988 but only in English since 1996.

So, now I guess I have a little updating to do…

<<<<Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’>>>>

Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’ at 4″ tall x 7″ wide on 10-15-20, #747-26.

Hmmm… The Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’… Somehow I am at a loss for words whenever I look at this cluster. Every time I pick up this pot I look at and say, “Yeah, I know.” I don’t really know but I am just trying to be supportive. When I bought this plant from Walmart on February 1, 2016 it was only 2 1/4″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide. There were a few small, umm, offsets clinging all the way around it. The tag said it was an x Echinobivia ‘Rainbow Bursts’ and that it was a cross between Lobivia and Echinopsis. Well, the Lobivia genus became a synonym of Echinopsis quite some time ago and most of the species in the genus were determined to be synonymous with various Echinopsis species. At first, some of the species were transferred to other genera, but later they also became synonyms of Echinopsis. SO, as it turned out, ‘Rainbow Bursts’ has been an Echinopsis the whole time. Of course, the industry is still selling these incorrectly labeled plants. The interesting thing is I have no way of telling what species of Echinopsis it is. Echinopsis species flower in several different colors and they are spectacular. There are posts online from several people who bought this plant with photos of various colors of flowers. Llifle lists Echinopsis ancistrophora subs. arachnacantha that produces flowers of various colors that used to be Lobivia arachnacantha… This is a fairly new listing on Llifle because it wasn’t there before. Plants of the World Online does not list this subspecies as an accepted name.

<<<<Echinopsis huascha>>>>

The smallest Echinopsis huascha at 3 7/8″ tall x 2 1/4″ wide on 10-15-20, #747-27.

I checked to make sure this is still the correct name. The smaller Echinopsis huascha (Desert Blooming Jewel or Torch Plant) in the pot by itself measured 3 7/8″ tall x 2 1/4″ wide. So, it grew 5/8″ taller and lost a little around the waist. It’s not uncommon for cactus and has a lot to do with the amount of water they have retained. This plan measured 3″ tall x 2″ wide when I brought it home from Lowe’s on September 2, 2018. I accidentally took a photo of its bad side. Hmmm… Brown spots can be caused by several things but this looks like possibly fungal lesions that can be caused by cool, damp weather.

 

The pot of six Echinopsis huascha. The largest plant in the center measured 6 7/8″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide on 10-15-20, #747-28.

The pot of six Echinopsis huascha are all doing fine and have grown a lot. The largest plant in the center measured 6 7/8″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide when I measured it on October 15. It was only 3″ tall when I first measured it on November 29, 2018 when I took the plants outside for a photoshoot.  It is weird, but in the above photo, you can’t tell how big they are really getting. Well, let me take another photo and sneak it in…

 

Echinopsis huascha inside 10-23-20, #750-2.

A few of the plants are nearly touching and this is an 11″ diameter pot. I spaced them out evenly in the beginning and a few are growing really fast.

 

Echinopsis huascha offset on 10-15-20, #747-29.

The big plant in the center has a kid… I am a grandpa again. GEEZ! But, the baby is not growing on the side like E. ‘Rainbow Bursts’.

My Echinopsis huascha companions resemble the description Llifle (Encyclopedia of Living Forms) gives for Echinopsis huascha var. grandiflora but that infraspecific name wasn’t validly published. Plants of the World Online currently lists 43 synonyms of the species (up one from the last time I updated its page). This species has moved from one genus to another since it was first named Cereus huascha by Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber in 1893. When I brought the plants home the label said they were Trichocereus grandiflorus hybrids. Hmmm… Anyway, it was given its current name in 1974.

The reason I have so many of this species is because I kind of screwed up. I was shopping for new cactus at Lowe’s and found the small one on a discount rack. Then I walked around a little and found a big pot of six cactus and a bigger one in the center that was dead. The whole pot was discounted quite a bit so I put it in my cart as well. When I got home I saw the label on the big pot was the same as the smaller one…

OK, I will stop here and get ready for the next post. It is 2:22 AM.

Until next time, be safe and stay positive, stay well, and always be thankful. COVID is in our midst. 🙂

Cactus & Succulent Update Part 2

Plants mentioned in Cactus and Succulent Update Part 2 on 10-26-19, #645-1. On the railing, from left to right, Cereus forbesii f. monstrose ‘Ming Thing’, Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’, and Cereus hildmannianus subsp. uruguayanus. The large pot in the center is Echinopsis huascha (var. grandiflora ?). Plants to the left of the big pot are Cotyledon orbiculata ‘Silver Storm'(rear) and Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’. To the right of the big pot are Crassula tetragona (rear) and Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’. In front are the twin Echinocactus grusonii (var. albispinus ?), Echinopsis mirabilis (small pot), and Echinopsis huascha (var. grandiflora ?) on the right.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. This is part 2 of the cactus and succulent update. After the light “F” we had during the night on October 11, it warmed up again. The plants were giving me crazy looks and probably talking behind my back. I know this because they would get very quiet when I walked in the room and start looking at each other. They had that guilty look… Then sometimes they would be staring out the window with a bit of drool funning down their chin, or a tear in their eyes. ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH, so I put them back outside for a few days. This time, the temps were chilly, it was cloudy and the wind blew every day. I was going to make sure they were ready to come inside and knew “W” was on the way. Even though another “F” wasn’t isn’t in the forecast for a few days, the temperature was going to get below 40 on Thursday night (by morning), so I brought them back inside. This time, they were ready and thankful.

I am continually updating, so if you click on their pages they may or may not be updated with these current photos.

Here we go…

 

Cereus forbesii f. monstrose ‘Ming Thing’ at 2 1/4″ tall x 3 1/2″wide on 10-11-19, #639-13.

The last Cereus forbesii f. monstrose ‘Ming Thing‘ I bought from Wal-Mart in February 2016 is definitely taking its time growing. I suppose that is petty normal when it started out so small in the first place. It has only grown 1/4″ taller since I brought it home and is now at 2 1/4″. The width is the same at 3 1/2″. It is scarred for life from the crickets in 2016… It has no good side… Maybe the crickets stunted its growth. My complete history with Cereus forbesii f. monstrose ‘Ming Thing’ from 2009 to present can be seen by clicking HERE.

 

Cereus hildmannianus subsp. uruguayanus (Fairy Castles) at 6 1/2″ tall x 4 1/2″ wide on 6-11-19, #639-14.

The Cereus hildmannianus subsp. uruguayanus (Fairy Castles) is one of very few cactus companions I have whose name has not changed or isn’t controversial. I write that while laughing because there are 27 synonyms associated with this species. At least it hasn’t changed since I brought it home from Wal-Mart in January 2016. This subspecies is also an accepted name because it pretty much only grows in Uruguay (Syn. Cereus uruguayanus). Growing this plant has definitely been an interesting experience from the start. It looked pretty good when I brought it home but it was sopping wet. Then it was nibbled on by crickets in 2016. It turned pale instead of remaining nice and green and I thought it would die. Well, it didn’t die and many of the offsets are almost as tall as the original main stem. Any new offsets don’t seem to be coming from around the plant but within it. Damaged stems produce new growth that sometimes falls off. Since it seemed to sunburn even in light shade, I tried growing it in more shade to see if the color would get better. Well, that didn’t help. So, this year I kept it in full sun on the back porch. Nothing changed one way or the other. It still looks rather odd to me and it is definitely not a showstopper (unless you are a cricket). On the back porch, which is actually a deck 4′ above the ground, there are no cricket issues… I always measure the cactus from soil level to the top of the plant. This one shrunk because the top of the oldest and tallest trunk was damaged and the new growth fell off. Last October it was 7 1/4″ tall and now it is 6 1/2″ tall. It is still the same width as last year at 4 1/2″.

You can view this plant’s own page by clicking HERE…

 

Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’ at 8″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide on 10-11-19, #639-15.

The Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’ hasn’t been fooling around! It was 5 1/2″ tall x 3 3/8″ wide when I brought it home from Wal-Mart in March 2018. It had grown to 6 7/8″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide by the time I brought the plants inside in October. Now it measures 8″ tall but it is still 3 3/4″ wide. I bought my first Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Ming Thing’ in 2010 when I lived in Mississippi and it didn’t look anything like this one. As with all monstrose forms in any species, no two are alike. 

 

Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’ from the top on 10-11-19, #639-16.

I really like this plant’s growth habit and reddish-brown spines. It is interesting anywhere you look at it.

If you have or encounter a cactus that says Cereus peruvianus f. monstrose ‘Rojo’, it is the same. Cereus peruvianus has been a synonym of Cereus repandus for quite a while but the industry is still using the same old name. The infraspecific name is not an accepted scientific name. Monstruosus forms appear in nature as well as cultivation.

To view this plant’s own page, click HERE…

 

Cotyledon orbiculata ‘Silver Storm’ on 10-26-19, #645-2.

“I saw her before with her silvery glow, tempting me to bring her home. Not just for the evening, but for much longer, maybe a lifetime. Maybe not mine. For I knew parasites may soon come and take her away… So, I hesitated, then went home without her. She haunted me from far away until I returned and gave in. Now she is here with me, her flesh now loaded with brown scale.”

Ummm… While most of the plants are doing well, the Cotyledon orbiculata ‘Silver Storm’ (Pig’s Ear, etc.) is not. For those of you who may have a Cotyledon orbiculata ‘Silver Storm’ that is healthy and growing well, I congratulate you! When I first saw several of these at Wagler’s Greenhouse in 2017, they were AWESOME. Every year they have a few and they have big, beautiful, silver leaves are so amazing. However, although I haven’t asked, I think they purchase them every year. Commercial growers sell to retailers that are unaware of what lurks yet to be seen. The problem is, local greenhouses have a clientele that come often and soon learn to avoid certain plants.  After a few years, they can’t sell certain plants unless they sell them to new customers. This plant, in particular, can lead to frustration because of what happens next. Being very prone to brown scale, and likely invisible when buying, they soon develop these brown spots and the plant starts ailing.

 

Cotyledon orbiculata ‘Silver Storm’ with a big problem…

I have had only a few plants that have had issues with brown scale. One was the HUGE Crassula ovata (Jade Plant) that always has a few brown scale that I could easily remove with my fingernail. They never became an issue. Then there was the Crassula arborescens ssp. undulatifolia (Ripple Jade Plant) that I brought home from Pleasant Acres Nursery while living in Leland, Mississippi. It looked great when I brought it home, but soon the brown scale started appearing in greater numbers I could remove with my fingernail. I treated the plant with Garden Safe Fungicide 3 (fungicide, insecticide, miticide) which is OMRI listed. I went to the nursery and the plants she had were completely infested as well and MUCH WORSE than mine. The spray helped a lot but the plant was never the same. I brought the plant with me when I moved back here and after a while I ran out of spray. I went to the local hardware store and found a similar product but it wasn’t OMRI listed and smelled of alcohol. It killed the plant within a few days.

To me, I don’t even think the Cotyledon has brown scale. It is something else. I posted the photos on the group Succulent Infatuation on Facebook to see if I can get some answers. I hate to discard this plant because it wants to survive. Last fall I was tempted to leave it outside, but my conscious wouldn’t allow it. Last August I have it a good trim and took several cuttings. Once it regrew the same issues came back as well. I was busy over the summer and somehow I don’t remember what happened with the cuttings.

I hadn’t taken photos of this plant for A LONG TIME because I was wither embarrassed or ashamed. Not sure which… So much for my “green thumb” status. LOL!

To view the Cotyledon orbiculata ‘Silver Storm’ page click HERE. You can see what it looked like when I first brought it home.

 

Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ at 7 1/2″ tall x 9 1/4″ wide on 10-11-19, #639-20.

I brought this Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ (Jade Plant ‘Gollum’) home from the Kuntry Bulk Grocery (one of the local Amish stores) last May. It was unlabeled and I originally thought it was a Crassula ovata ‘Ladyfingers’ like the one I had previously. The more it grew the more “Gollamy” it appeared. I like rolled-up leaves and tree-like growth habit. Somehow I didn’t measure this plant when I brought it home, but it is currently 7 1/2″ tall x 9 1/4″ wide.

Click HERE to view the page for the Crassula ovata ‘Ladyfingers’. Hmmm… I put the photos of the current plant on this page because I thought it was ‘Ladyfingers’ at first. I suppose I either need to change the name of the title or add a separate page for this plant.

 

Crassula tetragona (Miniature Pine Tree) at 16 1/2″ tall on 10-28-19, #645-4..

Hmmm… I forgot to take photos of this plant on October 11 and didn’t realize it until I went to write about it. There were no photos! The Crassula tetragona, Miniature Pine Tree, has changed quite a lot since I brought it home from Wagler’s Greenhouse last September. For one, it has grown from 11 1/4″ tall to 16 1/2″ tall. It lost A LOT of leaves while it was inside last winter making me wonder if it needs a little more water than other Crassula species over the winter. In their native South African habitat, this species grows in both areas with summer rainfall and areas with winter rainfall. I put the Crassula tetragona on the back porch for the summer with the cactus and it did very well. It was first on the north side of the porch, but as the cats jumped from the raining to the table they kept knocking off the tops of the stems. So, I moved it to the potting table on the south side of the porch.

 

Crassula tetragona (Miniature Pine Tree) on 10-26-19, #645-5.

Even though the leaves are now concentrated to the top of the plant, I think it looks pretty neat.

 

Crassula tetragona (Miniature Pine Tree) on 10-26-19, #645-5.

Every time I found a broken stem I put them in the pot. Soon there will be a forest in the pot.

According to information online, the Crassula tetragona is reliably cold hardy down to 28° F or even colder for short periods. They are also popular as bonsai candidates.

Click HERE to view the page for the Crassula tetragona page.

 

Echinocactus grusonii (var. albispinus ?) on 10-11-19, #639-21.

The twin Echinocactus grusonii (var. albispinus ?), commonly known as the Golden Barrel Cactus, are both doing quite well. As always, they are the comedians of my cactus companions. I had named them Greater and Lesser because one is a little taller and narrower than the other. Greater is taller and narrower while Lessor is a little shorter but wider. They always try to confuse me when I am measuring them. Occasionally, Lessor will stand on its toes and Greater will puff out its stomach. Their long thorns don’t make it any easier. Since last October, Greater has grown from 2 7/8″ tall x 2 1/2″ wide to 3″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide. It was 2 1/2″ tall x 2″ wide when I brought it home from Wal-Mart in February 2016. Lessor has grown from 2 1/2″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide last October to 2 7/8″ tall x 3″ wide. It was 2 1/8″ tall x 2 1/4″ wide when I brought it home the same day as Greater. Those measurements are without the spines…

To view Greater and Lesser’s own page click HERE.

 

Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’ at 3 3/8″ tall x 6″ wide on 10-11-19, #639-22.

The Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’ (Syn. x Echinobivia ‘Rainbow Bursts’) has grown A LOT this past summer and so have its kids! The parent is now 3 3/8 ” tall and the whole cluster is 6″ wide. That is 3/8″ taller and 1″ wider than last October. The real change has been the size size of the offsets which you don’t notice by measuring the whole cluster. It was only 2 1/4” T x 3 1/2” W when I brought it home from Wal-Mart in February 2016.

Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’ was an intergeneric hybrid between Echinopsis and Lobivia species (or cultivars). That was until Lobivia became a synonym of Echinopsis. Actually, species of Lobivia were moved to several different genera. They are known for their AWESOME flowers and I am STILL waiting…

Click HERE to view the Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’ page.

 

Echinopsis huascha (var. grandiflora) at 3 1/2” tall x 2 1/2” wide on 10-11-19, #639-23.

ALL of the Echinopsis huascha (var. grandiflora) are doing very well. Common names include Red Torch Cactus and Desert’s Blooming Jewel. Hard to imagine, but this plant, according to Plants of the World Online, has 42 synonyms and has been in 8 different genera!

 

Echinopsis huascha (var. grandiflora) on 10-11-19, #639-24.

Ummm… How did I wind up with this many Echinopsis huascha (var. grandiflora)? Well, I wrote about this before, but I will do it again. I was at Lowe’s looking at cactus on September 12 last year and noticed several cactus on a rack I didn’t have. One of those plants was the one pictured above the above photo. When I was walking around the garden center, I spotted a bigger pot with a very large dead cactus in the middle surrounded by 6 offsets. The pot was on clearance for $5.00 and I figured I could repot them. SO, I put the pot in the cart. When I got home I started taking photos, writing the names down and measuring the new companions. Hmmm… I brought home several plants that day… Anyway, I kind of slipped (AGAIN) and wound up with two pots labeled Trichocereus grandiflorus Hybrids. As it turns out, Trichocereus grandiflorus is a synonym of Echinopsis huascha which looks more like photos of the variety Echinopsis huascha var. grandiflora. Well, the later infraspecific is neither approved or listed as a synonym… Anyway, that’s how I came up with seven of these plants. 🙂 I am waiting for their AWESOME flowers!

When I brought home these plants, the one in the pot by itself measured 3″ tall x 2″ wide. It now measures 3 1/2″ tall x 2 1/2″ wide. The largest plant in the center of the pot of six now measures 4 3/4” tall x 3 1/8” wide. It was 3″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide when I brought them home.

Click HERE to view the Echinopsis huascha var. grandiflora page.

 

LAST ON THE POST

BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE LEAST!

Echinopsis mirabilis (Flower of Prayer) at 3 1/2″ tall on 10-11-19, #639-25.

I have and have had some of the neatest plant companions and will certainly have more to come. I have identified more wildflowers this past summer and some have been really neat. I may never see another pink-flowered Achillea millefolium in nature like I did this past summer. Even so, I would have to say the highlight of this past summer was when the Echinopsis mirabilis started flowering.

Watching and waiting for the bud to open when the flowers only last one night is is quite an ordeal. Especially when I missed the first one. I saw the second and then missed the third. Then the fourth was the day after the third which I did photograph as well. The flowers are AWESOME and worth the anticipation. Like my cousins Cereus, they are night bloomers…

Even though it looks like the plant hasn’t grown to me, it has. When I brought it home, it measured 2 5/8″ tall x 1 1/8″ wide. It now measures 3 1/2″ tall. It needs a new pot…

To view this plant’s own page with the flowers, click HERE!

Now I am finished with part 2. Part 3 and 4, maybe 5 or 6, are coming up. 🙂

I hope you enjoyed this update as much as I enjoy sharing it. Until next time, be safe and stay positive. Make a comment or click like if you can because I really enjoy hearing from you.