Flowering cactus and succulents

[miguynmkoi]

My cactus and succulents are still blooming during our unusually cool weather.  I don't care what DH says but Cactus and roses are very pretty and I love them in my garden.  He doesn't like the thorns 

Slowly but surely, I'm incorporating more cactus and succulents and roses into my garden.  So take that, Honey!

[tugo]

Very nice plants and good arrangement. I also love cacti and succulents. Thanks

[KatFish]

I love them too.  I'm even going to attempt a cactus bed this year (assuming I ever get a free moment  )

[tootsie]

Very pretty How long have you been growing them? I was given some pear catus, I planted them outside in the garden. They grew for several years, then they were gone, nothing was in the spot where they grew

Tootsie

[moondivatx]

what is the tall green one that looks like a tree, in the pot with black prince?  Love your use of rocks.

[Kittyzee]

Love your succulents Annette, I love them too but they aren't hardy here.  I bought a couple of hens and chicks (so the tag said) but now looking at your succulents I believe they won't be hardy for me here...   they were expensive too and here I was hoping to fill up the container I had them in with lots and lots of babies...

[Holldoll]

Kitty, my mom has had Hens and Chicks in her yard for 30 years, she lives in Zone 3 in UT.  They have lots and lots of babies!

[Jerry]

m

[Kittyzee]

What I tried to say but didn't explain very well was:  I bought a couple of what the tag said was hens and chicks--but after looking at Annette's succulents I don't think they are.  I think they are succulents that won't be hardy here like the hens and chicks I already have are.  I thought they might be a different variety of hens and chicks, to add to my collection.   

[miguynmkoi]

Sorry Moon, I don't know the names of many of my succulents or cactus    But I do know they grow pretty well here and what a bit of fertilizer can do!  I just learned that one. 

Glad I ID'd a non C&H for you, LuAnn.

Ok, I've never seen it but who knew that fire sticks has what looks like a berry?  It has minuscule flowers but is this a berry or a deformity?

[miguynmkoi]

Jerry, I love epi's!  But couldn't you find photos of your great cactus and succulents!  I know you have lots and lots and lots....

Here is a collection on my cooking table, which will need to find new places to reside.  Not enough room to place stuff from the barbi!    The plant in front/center is sending up a flower stalk and the on the very right almost out of the picture has spent blooms.  I keep the guys in pots in a less than sunny location so they don't dry up during the heat (we don't have yet....but we're expecting it any time soon!).

[Pondering]

Thought i'd bump this up a bit... finally took a pic of my very first Cactus    This is the second time it's blooming this year. 

[Kittyzee]

Wow Pondering, what is that cactus called? 

Thanks to some California ponders/gardeners I have a great start on unusual plants.  Annette's epi's, Mikey's air plants, I have a staghorn fern that's doing well outside right now in this humidity under a tree, and several orchids.  I'll try and get some pics in the next few days to share..

[Indiana Karen]

I missed this post earlier.  Annette your cactus are beautiful.  I love the way they are arranged in the pot with the stones and also on your table.

I have a hen and chick that was really big this summer, now the very middle of the biggest "hen" has sent up a stalk with buds on it.  It looks like the loch ness monster!  I hope when the buds open it looks better cause I sure don't like it now. 

[Pondering]

Kittyzee - ya know... i'm not sure    i bought it from Home Depot and the tag is from Costa Farms.  The tag says "Cacti & Succulents Dishgarden" but no specific name, so they must use it on all their stuff.  I'll try to post a pic later of the stems 'cause they have thorns on them like a rose bush.    I don't think a succulent would have thorns, so i just figured it was a form of Cacti.  Hmmmmmm.....

Indiana Karen - don't get your hopes up, i'm not all impressed how my hen and chick looks now that it's near the end of blooming... looks like it darn near sucked the life out of the hen!    Although then again... maybe it's the heat wave we're having. 

[Jerry]

One of mine.  I cut a big tree branch and the poor plant burned. I moved it and it will recover

[Kittyzee]

Well, it's a beautiful plant even tho' ya don't know what it is!     I have a LOT of those....I even bought succulents thinking they WERE hens and chicks, but now I'm pretty sure they are not and they will never withstand the winter up here.  I will have to bring them indoors I think and probably kill them over the winter..

[Pondering]

Here's a pic of those thorny stems... if anyone knows the name i'd sure appreciate it! 

[Kittyzee]

Aack!     That looks like a tree!

[Pondering]

   I know! do you think maybe it's not a cactus? Although i must say... i've seen cactus in Ariz. that look like trees.  It's still a pretty little thing, and it blooms multiple times    I sure hope i can keep it over winter for next year. 

[Mikey]

if anyone knows the name i'd sure appreciate it!

That appears to be one of the Euphorbia milli hybrids, sometimes called Crown of Thorns.  I have a red one in the ground that is now 5' tall.

[Kittyzee]

After seeing your pic of the plant with 'thorns'--I walk thru WalMart tonight and guess what I see?  This same plant with the thorny stalk and the soft leaves and blooms (not the same color) but has to be the same plant.  The plant tag listed it as a cactus.  Don't you think that considering it's a euphorbia, they'd caution about the sap?  Or is this one not full of fiery sap?...

[Mikey]

I would liken Euphorbia sap with spider bites.  Some are poisonous and some have no effect.  The common Poinsettia is also in the Euphorbia family.   My experience with the Crown of Thorns Euphorbias indicates the sap is not as readily flowing nor has it had a negative effect on my skin.  Some Euphorbias seem to be more caustic than others.  The only reason I wear gloves when taking cuttings from the Crown of Thorns is........well because it has thorns.....duh....      By the way, Euphorbia milli is extremely easy to propagate from cuttings.  Just let the cutting callous over and then stick in the dirt.....  I presently have a couple rooting in a planting mix.