Euphorbia antisyphilitica

Euphorbia antisyphilitica

Euphorbia antisyphilitica, or Candelilla, is a Chihauhaun desert native that does well in USDA Zones 8-11. In addition to being used as a landscape plant, you may be surprised to learn that many common cosmetic, household, and art products contain Candelilla wax. The wax is found on the stems of the plant, and it acts to seal in and conserve moisture to help the plant get through drought conditions. According to folk lore, E. antisyphilitica cured venereal disease, hence its name. (Since all succulent Euphorbiaceae contain a very irritating latex sap, perhaps the cure was as bad as the disease!)

This plant tolerates alkaline soil, drought conditions, and excessive heat, so it does well in this region. In Phoenix, some afternoon shade makes for a more attractive plant. It is frost sensitive, so it should have some protection on the coldest days. In February, or after rains any time of the year, tiny white flowers with pink-red centers appear along the stem.

In west Texas and Mexico, E. antisyphilitica is harvested for its high quality wax. The dried stems are then used as fuel. In some areas of Mexico, over-harvesting of this plant has caused the E. antisyphilitica to become scarce there. For a very comprehensive view of the harvest of Candelilla wax, check out this University of Texas at Austin publication.

Next time you check out the ingredient list on lipsticks, face creams, crayons, gum, or car polish, more than likely, the list will include Candelilla wax.

Austrocylindropuntia verschaffeltii

Austrocylindropuntia verschaffeltii

Austrocylindropuntia verschaffeltii is an unusual Bolivian native that turns a reddish purple color in full sun. This particular specimen suffered some freeze damage to the growing tips last winter, so it has formed new segments off to the side of some of the stems. Normally, the segments are stacked. New stems grow up from the base portion that is under the soil.

Little cylindrical leaves form at the tips, and after awhile, will drop off. Although this specimen does not have spines, some specimens can have one to five that grow from the glochids. This cactus can take cold if kept dry. I will not water this cactus again until mid-spring. In summer, it can take full sun, but it seems to go dormant in very hot months.

Dark red flowers will appear in late spring. With some specimens, the flowers are more orange than red. The flowers can last several days, and are over an inch in diameter, which is quite large for a plant of this size. This specimen does not bloom every year. Last year, probably because of the freeze damage, it did not have flowers. I’m hoping it has recovered enough to burst out in bloom in 2008.

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A True Sportsman

The woods were made for the hunters of dreams,
The brooks for the fishers of song.
To the hunters who hunt for the gunless game
The woods and the streams belong.

There are thoughts that moan from the soul of the pine,
And thoughts in the flower-bell curled,
And the thoughts that are blown from the scent of the fern
Are as new and as old as the world.

~ Sam Walter Foss

Phoenix Snow

Lobularia maritima

I can pretend can’t I? Along one walkway in my garden, Lobularia maritime (Sweet Alyssum) has taken over. I had a couple of bedding plants there a couple of years ago, and they readily reseeded and since the weather has cooled, the Sweet Alyssum has carpeted the area in white.

This common annual, used mostly as a border plant, has a wonderful sweet honey aroma that rivals the fragrance of the nearby Willow Acacia blooms. Their fragrances are so similar it’s hard to tell them apart.

Sweet Alyssum is found all over the world and surprisingly, as a member of the Brassicaceae family, it is related to such diverse plants as cabbage, radish, and watercress, as well as flowers such as stocks, candytuft, and nasturtium.

I’ve only seen white and purple Sweet Alyssum, but there are red, pink, and lavender varieties as well. White is by far the most popular. It does look kind of like snow, don’t you think?

I

Mammillaria karwinskiana ssp. nejapensis

Mammillaria karwinskiana ssp. nejapensis

Dichotomous branching, i.e., forking or dividing into two parts, is one of the characteristics of the M. karwinskiana ssp nejapensis. Although it is not a common occurrence in cacti in general, it happens for some reason in this particular subspecies. What is interesting about this cactus is that it began as a single head, and it has now divided twice, forming what will be four separate branches. When the division process started, it was obvious that four heads would appear, but I don’t think the one head divided quadruply. Most probably, one head became two, and then those two immediately divided.

This subspecies is native to the area around the city of Nejapa in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, hence the subspecies name. It has small white flowers with a red middle-stripe, which appear in early summer. It requires light shade in summer in Phoenix, and regular watering. Another characteristic of this subspecies is the abundance of wool at the areole. This cactus also branches from the base.

There is one other Mammillaria, M. parkinsonii, commonly called Owl Eye Cactus, known for dichotomous branching. I wrote about it in an earlier post. Look at the photo and you will understand why it’s called Owl Eye!

Radiation

Lantana camara 'Radiation'

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Lantana hybrids out there. Only a handful of those do well here in the Phoenix area. Of those, 'Radiation' is my favorite. It doesn't do well in summer, but come late September, it bursts out in blooms, along with the purple trailing variety, Lantana montevidensis ‘Imperial Purple’. These last until the first frost, then I cut them back to a stump. Come spring, they put on foliage and burst out in bloom again, only to fade in early summer. By then, the 'New Gold' hybrid is blooming in full force, providing color all summer.

It seems the most commonplace plants are the ones we depend on to keep a garden beautiful most months of the year. I guess that's why everyone uses them. Wow. That statement is a blinding flash of the obvious, but since I already typed it--I'm not going to delete it!

Mammillaria bocosana ~ RIP

Mary Sarton once said, “A garden is always a series of losses set against a few triumphs, like life itself.” That is certainly true for me. Some of my experiments to correct problems are successful—others fail miserably, such as with this Mammillaria boscana with the long nipples that I wrote about a few months ago.

Still green, but not quite right

I thought that those extra long nipples signaled a problem, so I gradually moved it into a brighter location and watered it more frequently, but didn’t overdo it. It probably received water 10 percent more frequently than before. It grew more “hair” because of increased light, and all seemed well. I stopped watering most of the Mammillaria earlier this month as they transition into winter dormancy, and this cactus was no exception.

Today as I surveyed my cactus collection, I noticed the M. bocasana looked a little odd—sort of shrunken and discolored on one side, and some of the hairs and spines were loose. The nipples were still green, but something just wasn’t right with it. I poked it a bit with a probe stick, and could tell immediately that it had rotted. In fact, the center was completely dry rather than the putrid mess usually found inside a rotting cactus, so it had been rotting for quite some time.

Yikes!

So much for experimenting. I’m not even sure the extra water caused the demise of this cactus. Over the course of 10 weeks, it only received one extra watering, hardly enough to result in rot. There are also other causes of cactus rot, but I don’t perform cactus autopsies. The cause of death will remain unknown. There will be no funeral.

Desert Museum Palo Verde ~ Flowering Fools

Parkinsonia x 'Desert Museum'

Here it is, late November, and the Desert Museum Palo Verde (Parkinsonia x ‘Desert Museum’) trees are flowering again. Flowering normally occurs in early to late spring. Although ‘Desert Museum’ has a longer bloom period than many Parkinsonia species and hybrids, flowering this late is unusual. My trees still receive regular watering. That, plus unseasonably warm weather, may be contributing to this very late showing.

Although I usually follow good cultural practices in my garden, I will admit to over watering my trees to attain maximum growth in a short time. This is not a good practice. It causes shallow roots and weak branches from too rapid growth. The rapid growth then makes frequent pruning necessary to thin and maintain shape. I’ve had numerous over watering problems with all the other tree varieties in my garden, but the Desert Museum Palo Verde trees have sailed through wind and rain and excessive pruning with nary a broken branch or uprooting. (I did have a large branch that split from excessive weight during a heavy spring flowering, but I bolted and braced it, and within a year, it was good as new.)

I have a theory as to why the Desert Museum Palo Verde trees have done so well even with the rapid growth. I placed all four on contoured mounds of dirt formed to give my garden the natural desert look of small hills and depressions. These mounds are three feet higher than the rest the ground, and about twelve feet long. Since the new mounds have loose soil compared to normal hard desert soil, water is able to move downward quickly. This means the roots of the Palo Verde trees grow deeper than the other trees that are on level ground. Just a theory--can't prove it.

I am going to start weaning the trees from supplemental water starting in December. After about nine months, only an occasional summer watering will be necessary. So, it's probably goodbye to future November flowers.

The Present Hour

Zephyranthes candida

One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year. He only is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with worry, fret and anxiety. Finish every day, and be done with it. You have done what you could.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Thanksgiving

Red Yucca: A Paper Producer?

Hesperaloe parviflora

This is the second flowering for one of the Red Yucca plants in my garden. A spring and fall flowering are common, but not all of my plants do this. It seems the ones with the southern exposure are more likely to produce flowers twice a year than those in other locations.

The birds have eaten all the seeds from last season's flowers, so the second flowering will provide more food for them in a few months. In the meantime, I'll have some nice color in my garden.

A few years ago, the University of Arizona began research on the Hesperaloe funifera, or Giant Red Yucca, to see if the long fibers it produced could be used to make strong paper products. The H. funifera is a very close relative of H. parviflora. If the research turned out to be positive, then perhaps it could become a crop plant much like cotton.

Mammillaria mystax

Mammillaria mystax

The Mammillaria mystax is one of the 12 or so Mamm species that are easy to find in any garden center in the United States. According to mammillarias.net, a website devoted to the genus Mammillaria, the species are M. bocasana, bombycina, elongata, haageana, magnimamma, microhelia, muehlenpfordtii, mystax, prolifera, rhodantha, spinosissima, and zeillmanniana.

M. mystax, a Mexico native, needs little water and light shade in Phoenix. It will grow to 12 inches tall. It occasionally clumps, but should remain solitary for many years. In early summer, it produces numerous deep pink flowers in a ring around the cactus stem.

In the photo, the darker green area near the top of the cactus is new growth. The flowers are always located on new growth. Further down on the cactus stem, the dried flower remnants from last summer’s flowers remain.

Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii

Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii

If you look closely at the top of the Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii, also called M. celsiana, you will see that the areoles are whorled in such a way that they resemble the seed arrangement of the sunflower.

When I got this cactus, it was listing to the right. Even after I transplanted it and tried to straightened it out, it continued to lean. At the rate it's going, it will soon be horizontal! It will remain solitary for a few more years, and then it will begin to divide and get another head. This will continue until there are a number of stems.

The M. muehlenpfordtii, a Mexico native, requires shade in Phoenix, and needs protection when temperatures get below 50°F. It requires little water. In summer, small dark pink-red flowers will appear in a ring near the top of the cactus on new growth.

There is nothing spectacular or rare about this species. It is easy to find and easy to care for, so most every cactus collector has one. Come to think of it, my cactus is rare. You probably won't find many specimens that list to the right.

Willow Acacia

Acacia salicina Flowers

When I went into my garden today, the fragrance of honey permeated the air, and I knew the Willow Acacia (Acacia salicina) trees had bloomed overnight. The flowers are actually little clusters of yellow puffballs that will last for several weeks and then develop into pods which hold beautiful black and red seeds. I love the sweet fragrance of blooming Willow Acacia. It almost makes up for some of the negatives I’ve discovered regarding these trees. However, some find the fragrance too cloying, and since this tree produces blooms several times a year, those folks best avoid it.

The positives:
· Good tree for narrow locations, where height is needed over width.
· Fast growing with a willow-like appearance, and is evergreen in Arizona.
· Needs little water when established.
· This Australian native can take extreme heat, and once established cold to the mid-teens.
· Fragrant flowers and interesting seeds.

The negatives:
· Constantly suckers. I spend a good deal of time pulling up or clipping numerous suckers that grow from shallow lateral roots. Suckers may be 20 feet from the tree!
· Prone to wind damage. My three trees all suffered severe wind damage during our monsoon season. Two trees toppled, and had to be drastically pruned and restaked. Restaking causes its own problems, so I’ll be dealing with that for a couple more years. Another tree totally lost its crown, so it was unsalvageable.
· Although considered a low litter tree, the suckers, the volunteers from seed, and the leaf drop in very cold or hot weather and pods several times a year put it outside the low litter category in my view.



If I had to do it over again, I think I’d pass on the Willow Acacia. My back hurts from pulling suckers all morning. I suppose if I want to smell honey, I can open a jar and save myself a lot of work!

Twin-Flowered Agave

Agave geminiflora

Unlike most other Agave species, the Agave geminiflora, or Twin-Flowered Agave, does not produce offsets. Once it blooms it will die, but that may not happen for ten years or so. Trying to predict when an Agave will bloom is like trying to pick a good penny stock. Sometimes they bloom when quite young, other times decades pass, but around ten years seems to be average.

This Agave gets about three feet high and wide, and has a beautiful rosette shape. The dark green leaves are leathery and only about ½ inch wide. When it sends up a flower spike, the spike can reach 18 feet high. A. geminiflora gets its name because there are two flowers at each bract along the spike.

The A. geminiflora takes full sun, but it is somewhat frost sensitive. It is hardy in Phoenix, but in areas of USDA Zones 9-10 that have colder winters, it must have frost protection. For that reason, it is popular as a container plant. The four plants I have are in large wok planters that rest atop four courtyard entry pillars. Since they need very little water, they are ideal plants for their location.

As the A. geminiflora ages, it may form a short trunk, but that doesn't always happen. Most mature specimens maintain the rosette shape and look like a round spiky ball. They are quite striking in their natural form. Unfortunately, they are frequently the target of landscaper’s loppers. They remove the bottom leaves and artificially form a trunk. After a few trims, the perfect rosettes look like miniature palm trees.

Need Cheap Incense? Try Brittlebush

Encelia farinosa

Brittlebush, (Encelia farinosa) also called Incienso, is a common shrub in Arizona. It is often used on the sides of roadways to minimize erosion, and by developers who must revegetate desert areas disturbed by construction. Although it is short-lived, it reseeds easily, and doesn’t need supplemental water once established.

The silvery gray leaves have hundreds of little hairs on them, which act as protection from heat and cold. This shrub looks best in the fall, and although it is considered deciduous, it normally doesn’t lose its leaves. From March to June, yellow daisy-like flowers will grow on long, bare stems above the plant. The stems are so thin the flowers look as if they are floating above the bush.

Brittlebush is an appropriate name for this shrub. The woody stems are extremely brittle, almost as if they are dead wood. If shaping is necessary, it should be done in late fall. After the flowers are spent, the remaining long stems should be trimmed back to keep it looking good.

Brittlebush stems were used as incense in early missions, and Native Americans used the stems to make gum, glue, and topical medicine for skin lesions. The stems were also ground up and used as tooth powder, or made into a poultice to relieve pain. I’ve tried the stems as incense, just to see what it smells like. To me, the scent is like a very mild sage. No sweetness to it at all. I'll continue to buy my toothpaste and gum at Walgreens, thank you.

Like some other desert shrubs, the Brittlebush emits a substance that inhibits other plants from growing near it. In the competition for scarce water, anything goes in the plant world.

Around My November Garden

A common honeybee (Apis mellifera) takes advantage of the pollen on the numerous stamen tips of a Baja Fairy Duster shrub (Calliandra californica), which is currently in full bloom. When spent, the flowers won't reappear again until early summer. This shrub also attracts hummingbirds, which have been a rare sight this year.

I am not well versed on dragonflies, but I believe this to be a Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens). Its flight period is April to early November, so this is probably the last of them to visit my garden this year. For some reason, most dragonflies like to rest on the tips of Agave leaves.

As the temperature cools, the Desert Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus magisteris) will soon go into hibernation. In the meantime, on warm days, lizards will rest on rocks to absorb the heat. Last winter when we experienced record-setting cold weather, many lizards died from the prolonged cold, so it was nice to see a few new babies in early summer. The population is still sparse compared to previous years but barring any record cold, their numbers should increase rapidly next spring. Although these lizards don't change color to match their environment, their natural color blends in with the desert rocks and soil.

Black-Spined Prickly Pear

Opuntia macrocentra var. minor

Opuntia macrocentra var. minor is a Texas native. It is a smaller version of the O. macrocentra, found in Texas, New Mexico, and eastern Arizona. I didn’t go to Texas to get this cactus. When I volunteered at a Master Gardener cleanup earlier this year, the owner gave me a pad because I showed an interest in the species and had not seen the minor variety before. It has formed a few new pads since, and they are already showing the characteristic long dark spines of this species.

Although the long central spines are not completely black, the common name for this cactus is Black-Spined Prickly Pear. The long spines are only located near the top of the cactus pad. As with all Opuntia, it has numerous almost invisible glochids at each aureole. Although the central spines look scary, the glochids are far more problematic. I always wet prickly pear cactus when I handle them in order to cut down on the possibility of airborne glochids.

The regular O. macrocentra can grow to four feet high, but the minor variety will be about 30 percent smaller. When it blooms in spring, the flowers will be a bright yellow with a red center, followed by pink-red fruit. This cactus requires no supplemental water unless we have an unusually dry summer. It loves the Sahara desert heat, even though it is native of the Chihuahua desert.

As you can see in the photo, the pads are taking on the purple tinge common to the Opuntia genus in cooler weather. During warmer months, the pads are a blue-green.

Desert Loving Emu Bush

Eremophila maculata aurea

There are over 200 plants in the Eremophila genus, all native to Australia. In Arizona, several species of Eremophila are found in many gardens, most notably Eremophila maculata var. brevifolia and E. maculata ‘Aurea’ or Yellow Emu Bush.

Eremophila means desert loving, and these plants certainly do love our climate. The Yellow Emu starts blooming in fall, and continues through spring with intermittent flowering into early summer. They are drought resistant, and the Yellow Emu can grow as large as five feet high and wide. The tubular flowers attract all sorts of insects as well as hummingbirds.

Many folks believe that the Emu bush got its name because the Emu bird eats the hard fruits, but that is not true. The Emu bird does consume fruits from some Eremophila species, but the Emu bushes we are familiar with in Arizona nurseries are not those species.

The various species and cultivars available come in five flower colors—red, yellow, blue, pink, and bicolor—making this one of the most popular landscape plants in this region. The yellow and red Emu bushes are the most common, but another one that is gaining in popularity is E. racemosa, or Easter Egg Bush. Its flowers change as they mature, from yellow, to orange and then to pink and purple. It is quite a sight—all those colors on one bush. I plan to acquire the E. racemosa next spring to add to the red and yellow varieties already in my garden.

In Flanders Fields

Poppies by danielemusella Morgue File

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the dead
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

~ Colonel John McCrae

When I was young, everyone wore a paper “Buddy Poppy” on Veterans Day. The sales proceeds from the poppies helped living veterans in need, veteran’s widows and widowers and children. The Buddy Poppy was a tribute to those who had given their lives for the nation’s freedom.

This tradition has since changed, and the poppy has become a Memorial Day symbol for remembering and honoring military personnel who died serving their country. Veterans Day is to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the military, whether in war or peace, as well as those who died.

Regardless of the current practice, I decided to do both today.

Chuparosa

Justicia californica

Ten Reasons to Love Chuparosa:

It's an Arizona Native

No supplemental water needed

Blooms most of the year, but most prolifically in fall and winter

Hummingbirds love it

It can take full sun and reflected heat. The more sun, the more flowers.

Easily propagated with vegetative cuttings in early summer

The medium size is easily controlled by pruning only once a year

The gray-green leaves provide wonderful contrast to surrounding plants

Hardy to 20°F and will recover quickly if frozen to the ground

Chuparosa flowers are edible, either raw or cooked.

Echinopsis pentlandii longispinus

Echinopsis pentlandii longispinus

The Echinopsis pentlandii longispinus is an interesting species with its hundreds of helter-skelter extra long spines, some of which are four inches long. I don’t know any other species of Echinopsis that has spines like this, which is what attracted me to this cactus. This long-spined form has a more elongated stem than E. pentlandii, whose stem is ball-like.

E. pentlandii longispinus needs little water, and in Phoenix, light shade. Actually, it’s not suited for Zone 9b gardens because it is frost tender, but potted specimens do well if protected during the coldest weather. USDA Zones 10-12 are ideal for this species.

I purchased this cactus just last month, so I’ll have to wait until spring to see what color the flowers turn out to be. This species can produce flowers that range from pink to red and orange to yellow. I would love it if they turned out to be a bright yellow or deep pink.

More Than Just A Name

Stenocactus crispatus

Here is a cactus that needs water in the winter. It prefers sandy soil, so as long as the soil is fast draining, year round water works well for it. The Stenocactus crispatus, a northern Mexico native, has had about 30 names, but this genus and species name seems to be the latest. The other name frequently used is Echinofossulocactus lamellosus, and more often than not, nurseries call it by that name. Cactus growers and even collectors get tired of the constant renaming of cacti, so they just label it, as they know it.

The Stenocactus is related to the Ferocactus. Stenocactus that had previously been called Echinofossulocactus have a characteristic feature of many ribs, sometimes up to 100. This species can have 25 to 60 ribs, depending on age and variation. It will eventually reach four inches high with a diameter of two inches. Although this cactus doesn’t have a common name, others of its type are called “Brain Cacti” because of the wrinkled, wavy appearance of the ribs.

This easy care cactus is good for beginners. Although easily propagated by seed, this may produce plants with different characteristics than the parent plant. It flowers in May, and the flowers are white with a violet median dorsal stripe.

One source, 500 Cacti by Ken Preston-Mafham, suggests that if you like this genus, just forget about the names and purchase plants or seeds from a known origin and then write habitat details on labels to act as a name. Since it already has 30 names, what’s a few more?

One Mean Agave

Agave lophantha

The Agave lophantha is a beautiful agave with its dark green leaves and yellow middle stripe, but the curved downward facing marginal spines are brutal. We have a natural tendency to jerk back when something punctures the skin, and that’s when those spines dig in a rip the flesh. Because of this, my A. lophantha usually has mesquite leaf litter and other trash around its base. As far as I’m concerned, it can stay there. I’ve been punctured and torn too many times to be bothered by it.

I purchased two A. lophantha several years ago. They were in 24-inch wooden boxes, with numerous pups growing out of the spaces between the slats. The nursery sold both of them to me for the price of one, along with a 40 percent discount on top of that, just to get rid of them. Then to sweeten the deal they offered to deliver and plant them for me. I just couldn’t pass it up. However, if I had it to do over, I wouldn’t have purchased them, regardless of the bargain, now that I know how freely they offset. In the past two years, I’ve removed 55 pups from the two.

This South Texas and Eastern New Mexico native, commonly known as Thorncrest Century Plant, does better in light shade in Phoenix. My A. lophantha have a southeast exposure, and suffer some sun scorch each summer, but it’s only temporary. They quickly recover in the fall. It is hardy to 10°F, and sailed through our hard freeze with no damage, unlike other Agave species that I have in my garden.

One of these summers, the A. lophantha will send up an unbranched flower stalk that can reach 12 feet high. The flowers will be a greenish-yellow. Once that happens, the plant will die. If there are any pups around it, they will then replace it. If not, then that’s ok with me.

The Glory Of Gardening

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul. Share the botanical bliss of gardeners through the ages, who have cultivated philosophies to apply to their own--and our own--lives: Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are.

- Alfred Austin, 1835-1913

Gymnocalycium schickendantzii

Gymnocalycium schickendantzii

With a name like this, you gotta have spines! This cactus is similar to the Giant Chin I wrote about yesterday, but the skin is a brighter green and the ribs are more distinct, but without the chin like dimple under each areole. I think it’s far more attractive than the G. saglionis.

The G. schickendantzii is smaller than the Giant Chin. This species can reach seven inches in diameter and about six inches high. It has reddish spines, which can vary in length from specimen to specimen. These are quite long in the range of possibilities.

This Gymno does not have a common name. It has yet to bloom, so I'm not sure what color the flowers will be. They can range from white to red. They are funnel shaped with a longer throat than those of the Giant Chin. In August, a bud formed, but never opened. I would love it if it turned out to be red. Maybe next year I’ll know.

All Gymnocalycium should be kept on the dry side, even in summer. They do better when a humus-rich soil potting soil is used, as long as it has enough pumice or other material to help give it excellent drainage.

G. saglionis ~ Giant Chin

Gymnocalycium saglionis

The G. Saglionis, called Giant Chin, is the most common of the genus. The Giant Chin, so named because the indentations between the areoles look something like a chin, is usually used as a potted specimen. In our 9b zone, it can take full sun and it's frost tolerant, so it's also a good landscape cactus.

Over time, it can become relatively large, over two feet tall and a foot wide. I saw one at a cactus show that was half that height, and the owner said he had acquired it over thirty years before. The flowers are urn shaped and close to the body of the cactus. They are a dirty white with just a tinge of pink.

I like this South American genus and have several of its species. However, this Gymno species is not my favorite. It grows so slowly that I don't notice a change from year to year. My cactus blooms only once a year, usually in mid-summer, and never has more than three flowers each season, unlike other Saglionis specimens that bloom repetitively over the summer. I don’t know why it performs this way. It's sort of like a green rock with spines.

Mammillaria saboae

Mammillaria saboae

No flowers this week, but I think the spines on this miniature cactus are as beautiful as a flower. This Mammillaria saboae is in a hallowed out limestone rock, where it has resided for over two years, according to the vendor from whom I purchased it from last week. He says it can probably remain in this rock for up to five more years it is so small.



This tiny Mexico native has downward curved radial spines, so it is touchable. In the spring, it will have large lilac pink flowers that will totally cover the cactus stems. If one didn’t know it was a cactus, it would be easy to assume that is was just a nice miniature flower arrangement. The cactus stems are only ¼ inch in diameter and get about ½ inches high. The funnel shaped flowers are about 1½ inches across.

This little cactus is susceptible to red spider mites. Since it is very sensitive to over watering, I have to be diligent about using a moisture meter to gauge its watering needs until I’ve had it awhile. The shallow hollow and limestone help with fast drainage. It also needs to be kept in light shade.

Bougainvillea 'Barbara Karst'

Bougainvillea 'Barbara Karst'

Usually, Bougainvillea has the most bracts in summer. For some reason, my two plants were sparse bloomers this year. Now that the weather has cooled, the plants are loaded with bracts, just opposite from the normal pattern. I can add this fact to the list of odd growth and flowering patterns that many of my plants, including cacti and succulents, displayed this year.

Perhaps the Bougainvillea, which froze to the ground this past winter during our hard freeze, just spent the summer trying to catch up on stem growth rather than producing bracts and flowers. Whatever the reason, it's now making up for its summer lull and blooming nicely.

'Barbara Karst' is the most popular cultivar in the Phoenix area. It can be grown in full sun with a southern exposure and flourish. The brighter the sun, the brighter its hot pink color. When planted in other exposures, the color is less intense, and takes on a more purple hue.

Bougainvillea is a wonderful xeriscape plant. It can do with very little water, in fact, the less water it has, the more plentiful the bracts. If it gets a lot of water, it produces plenty of thorny green branches, but that's about all.

Echinocactus grusonii ~ Golden Barrel

Echinocactus grusonii

If you’ve ever purchased a small, potted cactus in a two-inch container, chances are it was a baby Golden Barrel. Folks are attracted to this cactus because of its symmetrical ribs and the thick golden spines. As it ages, it becomes more barrel-like and even more beautiful. It will eventually produce bright yellow flowers among the wool at the center of the cactus.

The Golden Barrel, alternately called mother-in-law cushion, is a Central Mexico native that does well in USDA zones 9-11. It takes full sun, but is prone to scorching. Younger specimens can’t take frost. When older, this cactus can withstand temperatures into the teens. I have several Golden Barrels that did fine during our record lows of last winter.

It is a slow growing cactus, but it can eventually reach three feet wide and tall, and weigh several hundred pounds. When it is mature, it will sometimes produce offsets. Most folks like to see the Golden Barrel planted in multiples, with enough space allowed for their mature size. I prefer to see them planted near boulders that have been placed on the slopes of large soil mounds.

The Golden Barrel is probably the most frequently used landscape cactus in Arizona, along with the Saguaro, whose blossoms are our State Flower.

Oooooooooh….Blue Ghost!

Since this is Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, I thought this would be a good day to show my Pilosocereus azureus, or Blue Ghost. Sometimes called Pilosocereus pachycladus, this cactus, with its beautiful pale blue coloring, can appear almost ghost-like on a moonlit night. As it gets older, the bottom portion can get brown and woody. As you can see in the photo, each stem isn’t all blue. This is a typical appearance for this cactus.

This columnar cactus can reach 30 feet tall if placed in the garden, but it is very frost sensitive, so I keep mine in a container. It makes a nice focal point in a potted cactus garden, planted with a variety of cacti. It enjoys full sun, but it also does well in very light shade. I’ve kept this cactus garden on my patio, and it’s obvious by the way the cactus is curving that it really wasn’t getting enough light, and had started growing toward the sun. It’s now in proper light.

P. azureus has yellow spines, and is winter dormant. It needs very little water in winter. During the growing season, it produces large, white short-lived night-blooming flowers with a very strong, sweet fragrance that attracts moths needed for pollination.


With our large population of Hispanics, Day of the Dead rituals and celebrations are common here on November 1 and 2nd, as is the Dia de los Muertos symbolism, usually in the form of skulls or skeletons. This tile mural of two of the departed celebrating and sipping Margaritas is typical. This mural, hand fired in Tucson, Arizona, is on the wall of my outdoor barbeque area.