Red Bird Of Paradise

Caesalpinia pulcherrima

The Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) is like the Energizer Bunny®, it just keeps going and going and going. These shrubs begin blooming in May and continue into mid-October, but they are at their most spectacular during the worst heat of the summer.

Since we don’t have a fall changing of the leaves here in the Phoenix area, the closest we get to the beautiful reds and golds is in the flowers of the Red Bird of Paradise. For more info on this shrub, check out a previous post.

Mexican Fence Post

It’s easy to see why the Mexican Fence Post (Pachycereus marginatus) is used as a living fence in Mexico, where it originates. Cuttings are planted where a fence is desired. They soon take root and form an effective and attractive barrier. The Mexican Fence Post will eventually reach 20 feet tall, and will remain as straight as it is in this photo.

I think it’s an exceptionally attractive cactus, and I wish I had acquired a few more. The P. marginatus does not grow arms. It branches from the bottom. I planted this specimen on the east side of my garden, as it prefers partial shade. This cactus does require some protection at temperatures below 25°. I protect the growing tips by placing Styrofoam cups on the tops, as is the practice in this region.

Euphorbia bougheyi varigate

Euphorbia bougheyi varigate

Over the years I've had a couple of E. bougheyi, but this is my first varigate form, which presents yellow veins on the stems. This plant is from Mozambique, and is commonly called Ribbon Spurge. Although it isn't obvious in the photo, the flat stems have three angles. I like it because of its architectural interest.

This Euphorbia species is popular as a house and office plant because it does not need full sun and it looks especially good in contemporary settings. It grows best in very light shade or dappled light. It can grow quite tall, but it eventually forms a woody trunk that is not very attractive. Once it gets to a good height it can get top-heavy and fall, breaking off stems. That is when most of these plants go into the trash, so it usually doesn't get old enough to see the woody trunk.

If a stem breaks, it can easily be rooted. Just cut the stem, dry the cut end to a callus, and then pot it. After a time, it will form roots. As with all Euphorbs, it has an irritating sap. This particular species is said to produce severe skin irritation, so when handling, extra precautions are necessary.

Love It Or Hate It, Yard Art Rocks!

Over the years, I’ve attended many garden tours, and loved checking out the yard art almost as much as the plants. Yard art is a way to express your personality (or the personality of your landscape designer), or to make a statement. Or, it may be junk that ends up in the yard because there’s nowhere else to store it. Anyway, I have a lot of yard art, and although I try to edit it, I have quite an eclectic mixture that draws various reactions.

The other day, a visitor mentioned to me that she thought I had a lot of ugly stuff, but that it was placed well. I was not offended; actually, I found her remark quite humorous because when I’ve visited her garden I’ve often thought her stuff was not only ugly, but also not placed well.

Other than my wind chimes and wind sculpture, it seems I’m partial to little animals and reptiles as yard art--or else I've been given a lot of the stuff over the years.


This gray armadillo, an animal that is not found in the low Arizona desert, must have crawled in from Texas, where they are abundant.

Another non-native, the pelican, has been in my various gardens for over 15 years. I used to collect all manner of pelican tchotchkes, but most of it is long gone, except this iron and colored glass specimen.

A colorful ceramic Talavera iguana rests on a boulder, where he's been hanging out for a few years. He was a birthday present and I think he's gorgeous.

My husband detests cats, so this little ball cat hides out among the lantana plants, knowing what will happen if he ventures out.

A meditating monk sitting under a Palo Verde tree is not a common sight to see.

Gila Monsters are found in the low desert, but they are not made of wire and beads like this stylized version sitting on another boulder, sunning itself.

Last but not least is St. Francis of Assisi, who looks out over my garden from his place on the flagstone grill counter.

Fond Memories Of Queen's Wreath

Antigonon leptopus

After years of resistance, I finally caved and purchased a Queen’s Wreath vine (Antigonon leptopus) and planted it today, close to a block wall in my garden. I want it to cover the bare blocks and add interest to the area of my garden that was hardest hit and left barren by our freak deep freeze this past winter.

I’ve loved this vine since I was a child. My grandmother had a pink flowered one that grew on an overhead arbor the length and height of her two-story house. By late summer, it had grown to reach into some of the nearby trees and when it was in full bloom, I thought it was just magical. At least until winter, when it became a brown, dried mess.

I always chose not to have it because of its winter dieback and the resulting clean up job. Cleaning up is not the easiest task when one has granite groundcover. Although decomposed granite looks fine in desert landscapes and requires little care, it really should be kept litter-free. Accumulated leaves and plant debris makes it look unkempt, in my view. However, my plain block walls have been bothering me more than the inevitable cleanup, so I took the leap.

Queen’s Wreath, also called Coral Vine and Rose of Montana among many other names, is a common sight in Southern gardens. In some areas, it is considered an invasive plant because in tropical climates it does not freeze back and becomes quite vigorous, choking out other plants.

This native of Mexico can grow up to 40 feet along a wall or fence. It clings with tendrils. In desert gardens it is often planted at the base of Palo Verde or Palo Brea trees so that will climb up into the trees and provide a striking burst of contrasting color to the lime green bark and foliage of the trees. The vine can have pink, white, or red flowers, but the pink variety provides the most pleasing combination with the lime green.

Rosemary ~ A Shrub of Myth And Legend

Rosmarinus officinalis

John Gerard, the 16th century writer of the Herbal or General History of Plants noted, “Rosemary comforteth the cold, weak, and feeble brain in a most wonderful manner.” The legends, myths, and beliefs surrounding Rosemary are numerous, but today, most people are familiar with it because it is used extensively in Mediterranean cooking and because its wonderful, pungent fragrance is a popular ingredient in many cosmetics products.

The name, Rosmarinus, is a Latin derivation of ros maris, which means dew of the sea. Legend says where one can hear the sea Rosemary grows best. The Latin term, officinalis, means, “used medicinally.” Herbalists use the plant to help with dandruff control, eczema, and as an antibacterial. It has many other uses, both herbally, and also in landscaping design.

This shrub thrives in USDA Zones 8b-10 and is heat and cold tolerant. It can live for over thirty years. If left untrimmed, it can reach six feet in height and width. Pruning improves the look and the health of the plant. Rosemary produces numerous small blue flowers in very early spring, and in fall. It is easily propagated with cuttings.

Of all the myths and legends, the one I find most appealing is that Sleeping Beauty was awakened not only by a kiss from Prince Charming, but also with a touch from a sprig of Rosemary.

Polaskia chichipe

Gardeners in Central Mexico grow the Polaskia chichipe for its large red fruits. Fruits are sold in markets there, as well as here in Phoenix in some specialty markets catering to Mexican immigrants. They are used in the same way as other cactus pears or fruits, but some folks prefer their sweeter flesh and larger size--more bang for the buck, so to speak. The fruits grow in a column along the edge of the ribs where the spines are located. After the numerous night-blooming, cream-yellow flowers are spent, the fruit forms and it ripens around July.

This columnar cactus can reach a height of 15 feet or more, and it can have many branches as it ages. Since it can’t take our occasional near freezing temperatures, it’s not commonly found in our local gardens unless it can be adequately protected. However, it is popular as a potted cactus in this region.

I have not learned at what age to expect flowers on my P. chichipe, which is now over a foot tall. I purchased this cactus because I like to have a few potted columnar cacti to balance the globular and paddle shaped plants that I have in pots. This P. Chichipe serves that purpose nicely.

Gymnocalycium baldianum

Gymnocalycium baldianum

Around noon each day from late April to early October, the flowers on my G. baldianum open up wide and then close up for the evening, only to reopen the next day. The flowers last several days to a week, and then more buds are ready to take over. I've written about this cactus twice before, once to describe its perilous past, and then again to describe its amazing flowering capacity. Since this is the only cactus in my garden to have flowers this week, I thought it deserved another post.


The genus name, Gymnocalycium, is a combination of two Greek words: Gymnom, meaning naked or hairless, and Calyx, meaning goblet. The genus is so named because the flower buds do not have any little hairs or spines as some cacti present. As you can see from the photo below, the bud is velvety soft and smooth. This photo was taken in the morning, and this bud opened that same afternoon. Close up, I think the buds are quite beautiful.

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Spineless--Perfect For The Timid

Astrophytum asterias hybrid

Anyone who has ever seen a sea urchin will understand why Astrophytum asterias is commonly called the Sea Urchin Cactus. If it wasn’t green, it could easily be mistaken for the echinoid; however, I understand that sometimes sea urchins have a greenish cast! It is also called Star Cactus for some reason.

The natural habitat of the A. asterias is the Chihuahuan desert along the border between Texas and Mexico. Considered an endangered plant, most of the A. asterias found in nurseries are from cultivated seed, which germinates quickly and easily.

The round body of the cactus is divided into eight sections that are somewhat triangular. The edge of each triangle has dots of short white hairs and the body is covered with white flecks. It has no spines, which makes it one of the most popular cactus species for those who don’t want to chance stabbings.

Many collectors specialize in producing hybrids. The cactus in the photo came from a local collector who loves to develop hybrids with various markings, number of ribs, and other characteristics. He then displays them for schoolchildren. His explanatory storyboard with the cacti en masse consistently wins ribbons at cactus shows.

I will soon stop watering this specimen and let it stay dry until spring. It does not require a lot of water, even in the hot months of summer, and it will easily rot if given too much. This cactus is solitary (does not produce offshoots) and stays small, usually under six inches in diameter and two inches tall. It can take sun, and will bloom better in a sunny location. The flowers are yellow with red throats, just like the A. capricorne I wrote about yesterday.

Astrophytum capricorne V. minus

This interesting cactus, called Goat’s Horn Cactus because the long, twisted spines are said to resemble goat’s horns, comes from the Northern Mexican grasslands. When in its native habitat, the cactus spines provide a means for the cactus to blend in with the grass.

The A. capricorne V. minus is a smaller version of the A. capricorne. It has fewer white flecks, and produces far more seeds in the fruit than the larger A. capricorne. The flowers are yellow with a red throat, quite large and fragrant, and they bloom in spring through late summer. My cactus has not yet produced flowers as it is only two years old. Next spring should bring its first flowers.


Although the spines look wicked, they are actually very fragile and bendable, and can easily be broken from the plant. This is one of the reasons that collectors who enter their specimens in Cactus Shows like to grow them from seed. That way, they can protect the spines from damage and have a more perfect specimen that shows well.

This cactus is sensitive to over watering, even in summer. It is not a good plant to have in areas where there is high humidity in winter, a time when it should be kept very dry.

The genus Astrophytum contains only about six species. Seed collectors like to cross-pollinate the flowers among the various species in the genus to obtain an endless number of hybrids.

Clumping Dwarf Cactus Doing Its Thing

Rebutia marsoneri 'krainziana'

Members of the Rebutia genus are true dwarfs, with the heads growing no larger than about three inches high and three inches in diameter in most species. Many Rebutia species are even smaller, growing only to one-half inch high and wide. There are about 60 species in the genus, which now includes cacti that had formerly been classified in five other genera.

I like the R. marsoneri 'krainziana' because it freely clumps and forms many heads, as you can see in the photo. The largest head is currently producing three new offsets. This cactus has already outgrown its small pot, so I have a job to do this coming weekend.

There are varying reports as to what color flowers the R. marsoneri ‘krainziana’ normally produces. I purchased this species because the vendor assured me the flowers would be red, but other sources say the flowers are normally yellow. Yet another source says the ‘krainziana’ always has red flowers, but there are cultivars going under that name that have yellow flowers. I guess I won’t know until early next spring when the first blooms are expected.

I have several species of Rebutia, one of which I wrote about previously. The flowers range in color from orange, rose, yellow, and a tiny R. rauschii that has gorgeous magenta flowers. The flowers are sometimes as large as the cactus.

Goodbye Triple Digits--At Least This Week

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace

As I have seen in one autumnal face.

~John Donne

Just Another Euphorb

Euphorbia submammillaris f. pfersdorfii

There's nothing very special about this Euphorb, except that as the stems grow, the tops become little knobby buttons. The knob forming process finally started on this one a couple of months ago during its summer growth spurt. Until this year's growth began, the stems had been uniform in size from top to bottom. As the stems continue to grow, they will become brown and woody looking, except for the green buttons on the top.

E. submammillaris is a miniature succulent shrub from South Africa. In habitat it can form clumps about two feet in diameter. I picked up this one at a Garden Center a few years ago when it was just a couple of stems. It has since clumped to the point that it has almost outgrown its pot.

Since this is just another Euphorb, in November I'll cut back on water and will keep it dry until early spring. All my Euphorb specimens get this same treatment.

Drive By

Several months ago, Matthew at ¡Ay Chihuahua! took a desert walk near his neighborhood. He brought along his camera so that his readers could see some of the flora he sees every day. Since then, other garden bloggers have provided a visual tour through their neighborhoods, pointing out the different landscape and housing styles of their areas. I really enjoyed reading those posts, so I thought I would do the same in my neighborhood.

My tour was done by car for two reasons. First, it's still too hot to walk. The properties are quite large and spread out so I would have a heat stroke before the end of the block. Second, there are no sidewalks in my neighborhood. In addition, I was nervous about blatantly taking photos of others' property--so I took the stealth approach and used the drive-by method.

I took photos that represent the prevailing architectural and landscape styles in the area. My neighborhood is new--only a few years old, so there are no towering trees, mature landscaping, or anything of historical significance.

This home is what I call faux Tuscan. It is typical of this popular style with its use of a rounded turret entry. Both the entry turret and pony-wall are faced with stone. The landscape is considered "desert landscaping" and it utilizes both artificial turf and granite. The house color is a common southwest color.

This home is considered a Southwest Traditional style with a pony-wall courtyard entry. The landscape ground cover is granite and rip-rap, another common feature in desert landscaping. The small blue-gray palm tree on the left is a Mexican Blue Palm.

This is another faux Tuscan with the rounded entry turret and clay tile roofing. It has a paver stone circular driveway. The landscape granite is a darker color to match the dark neutral color of the house. Notice the ubiquitous pony wall--something that is used extensively to create a modified front courtyard. The palm on the left is a Queen Palm, commonly used in the Phoenix area, but not really suited to this climate. These palms never really look good here. It's just too hot and dry for them.

This is a Southwest Contemporary with a high pony wall and courtyard entry. The circular driveway is decomposed granite that has been treated with a product that hardens it. The landscaping plantings are all native to the Sonoran desert.

The deciduous Chinese Elm shown here is another popular tree in the Phoenix area. It takes more water than the typical desert trees, but homeowners like it because it grows fast and can provide a tremendous amount of shade as it gets older. The house and landscape have all the elements that are common here; granite, riprap, courtyard pony-wall, stone facings, and iron entry gate.

This is my favorite. It is a combination Pueblo/Santa Fe/Southwest Ranch with a wood entry gate. It's a great example of well-balanced desert landscaping. This place also has artificial turf, which is being used more and more.

This home has two other elements that are very popular here, a rounded iron and glass entry door and a courtyard fountain.

Well, I got through the tour without anyone calling the police to report suspicious activity, and I think I've hidden any identifying elements that neighbors would find objectionable. Hope you saw something interesting.

Bumper Crop

Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis

The numerous fruits on this Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis are now ripe and ready to eat if one is so inclined. This site provides all the information necessary for harvesting, however, the description of the harvesting process is far more complicated than need to be in my opinion. Their approach is better safe than sorry. Sorry means a mouthful, or handful, or noseful of glochids. Not a pleasant thing to be sure, so maybe their cautious approach is the best!

The O. engelmannii var. linguiformis is commonly called Cow’s Tongue Prickly Pear, and for those familiar with a bovine's tongue, it’s easy to see why. The elongated pads can grow to two feet long. This cactus can reach a height of 10 feet and spread out to 10 feet in width. It has yellow orange flowers in the spring, followed by the fruits, which ripen at the end of summer.

This species variation, found in the low elevation desert areas of Arizona and California, is native to a very specific (Bexar) county in Texas. This is somewhat unusual. As a rule, cacti have a larger native distribution area.

Mother and Babies

Kalanchoe daigremontiana

“Mother of Thousands” is an apt name for the species, Kalanchoe daigremontiana. The little plantlets that form on the edges of the leaf-like stems easily root to become new plants, and then the cycle continues. The plant in the photo is a fifth generation descendant of an original plant I had years ago.

It seems that every gardener in the world has some species of Kalanchoe. Several species in the genus are regularly used as houseplants. The Kalanchoe genus has over 130 species that are found in areas of Africa, India, Madagascar, and Malaysia. K. daigremontiana, native to Madagascar, is considered a perennial. Succulents in the Kalanchoe genus can also be annual or biennial.

This succulent is relatively care free. Since it does not do well in Phoenix in direct sun, I keep mine in light shade all year. It cannot take frost, and needs moderate water year round. This is definitely a container plant. If left to its own devices in the garden, it will become invasive. Every time one of the little plantlets drops, there is the likelihood of another plant! In the course of a year, the plant can produce hundreds of the plantlets. This plant is also called Maternity Plant for good reason.

The grandmother of the plant in the photo was a spectacular specimen, with curved stems that were three feet long. The plant was in a plant stand, and the stems formed a dipper-shape downward and then upward, ending with the “leaves” and all the babies. (The leaves are not really leaves, but part of the stem.) Unfortunately, the grandmother plant succumbed to last winter’s hard freeze. It was of an age that it would have soon produced flowers, and afterwards, would have died.

I’m sorry I didn’t get to see the flowers as they are said to be a gorgeous purple-orange with some yellow tinges. I would have rather lost it to a natural death and had a chance to see the flowers rather than see it go because of frost. No one I know who has the K. daigremontiana species has ever seen a flower. One of the reasons may be that this plant likes to be root bound, which seems to bring on flowering.

This is not a good plant to have around small children or certain pets. They are tempted to eat the tiny plantlets, which are toxic, along with the stems and "leaves". It certainly isn’t a plant for a chicken yard!

Tanzanian Zipper Plant

Euphorbia anoplia

This little colony of Euphorbia anoplia received some frost damage this past winter, as you can see by the yellow areas on the skin. The minimum temperature it should receive is 50°, but I had it protected on the patio and thought that was going to work, but it just got too cold, even with a circulating fan and overhead protection. The damage doesn’t really hurt it, except cosmetically, and this species needs all the cosmetic help it can get.


This clumping succulent, called the Tanzanian Zipper Plant because of the zipper-like pattern on its skin, is native to South Africa, and it is one of the succulents that require a water rest during winter. I planted four E. anoplia in this container, hoping they would quickly clump and make a little forest of succulents. They are off to a good start.


While taking this photo, I wondered why I ever purchased these Euphorbs. They are ugly and they don’t have any unique features other than the zipper pattern on the skin. It’s funny that I never really noticed before just how unattractive they are. Maybe I’m just not in a succulent mood today.

Pleiospilos nelii ~ Split Rock

Pleiospilos nelii

It took about six dead Split Rocks (Pleiospilos nelii) in about as many years for me to get the hang of keeping one alive. The specimen in the photo is my first and only surviving Split Rock out of all those tries. It is thriving, and it even flowered in 2006. The flower was a pale yellow with an orangey tinge. This plant didn’t produce any flowers this past spring for some reason, but it’s definitely healthy and thriving. One sign of good care is a firm, round, symmetrical plant with no old leaves still attached at the end of summer.

The secret to keeping a Split Rock alive, I have learned, is to control the urge to water it all year long. I water this plant lightly in the fall for a couple of months and then again in early spring, and very seldom the rest of the time. In the winter, it grows new leaves from the center of the split, and the new leaves then consume the old leaves. If the plant is over watered, the old leaves remain and the plant usually rots and dies.

I took this photo today, and as you can see, there are no old leaves left at all, which means it received the proper amount of water in the summer. I watered the plant today, for the the first time in quite some time, now that fall is beginning. Even with no watering the leaves don't shrink and prune up like some succulents do when they are not watered. The Split Rock stays plump--even after months with no water.

The P. nelii is in the Aizoaceae family, but it is not in the Lithops genus, as some believe. Lithops are similar, and they are also in the Aizoaceae family, but they are a separate genus. The Pleiospilos genus, native to South Africa, contains well over 30 species, and as far as I know, all have various degrees of speckling on the leaves. I think the Split Rock has the most attractive markings of all of them. It's just cute, and I'm glad I've learned how to properly care for it.

'Maverick' Is Its Name

Opuntia monacantha variegata V. montrosa

This interesting Opuntia species with marbled cream and green pads with tinges of pink is probably Opuntia monacantha variegata V. montrosa. Sometimes sold as O. vulgaris ‘Maverick’, the cactus is popular as a novelty because of its coloring and seeming lack of spines. Don’t be fooled. It does have both spines and glochids. The spines are sparse, but what few it has are long and sharp and the glochids are just as numerous as with other Opuntia. They are almost transparent, but they are there.

The pads on the O. monacantha are not uniform in shape or color. Some pads are mostly cream colored while others have only small blotches of cream. The pads have a definite pinkish tinge, which is quite defined when the pads are young. All the pads are somewhat elongated, but no two are the same.

I’ll soon have to repot these three. They have grown faster than I expected, and they need a larger home. I’m tempted to try one in my garden, but this is not the climate for them. O. monacantha is native to South American tropical forests. This species is common in the gulf region of the United States from Louisiana to Florida. The species, considered invasive in Madagascar, was introduced there centuries ago as a barrier plant that then got out of control.

The common name of O. monacantha is Joseph’s Coat. The reason is obvious. Its other common name is Irish Mittens. I have no idea why.

Baja Fairy Duster

Calliandra californica

I didn’t catch the flower of the Calliandra californica (Baja Fairy Duster) at its prime in this photo. The little puff-shaped stamens are already wilting and the red color is fading. In this heat the flowers go fast, but as you can see, there will be some more blooming in a day or two. The bloom cycle continues from early spring through September as long as it receives supplemental water. Before the flowers start to fade, they are a brilliant red, and they are a real hummingbird magnet. Bees, butterflies, and even hummingbird hawk moths love them too.

The Calliandra genus is part of the Pea (Fabaceae) family. Not surprisingly, the seedpods on this shrub resemble a pea pod. When ripe, the pods pop open and the seeds shoot out in a mini-explosion. Occasionally when I'm in my garden I’ll hear a soft cracking sound when the seedpods pop.

My 24-inch shrub froze to the ground during this past winter’s hard freeze, and I thought it was gone, but in early spring, it started growing again and is now about 12 inches tall. It is usually hardy in normal winters, so barring any more freezes it will reach, at maturity, a height of about four feet, and will be just as wide, or wider. Its branches grow in a criss-cross fashion so it’s not an easy shrub to prune. I just let it do its thing. I’ve located it in an area so pruning won't be necessary.

There are well over 100 species in the Calliandra genus native to Baja California, Madagascar and India. Another popular Calliandra species popular in the Phoenix area is the Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla) that has bright pink flowers. I prefer the bright red flowers and darker green foliage of the californica species.

Thimble Cactus: Too Tender To Touch

Mammillaria gracilis var. fragilis, commonly called Thimble Cactus, is a tiny clumping cactus that usually gets no larger than about four inches high. It is a fast grower, and the new offsets easily separate from the main plant with the slightest disturbance. The cacti in the photo are offsets that I started last year from an older cactus. I also have many more growing in small pots. If I planted all the disarticulated offsets, Thimble Cactus would overtake my garden.

In its native habitat in Mexico, this cactus forms large clusters as it clumps. As the offsets are disengaged from the parent plant, they too will start producing their own offsets. I would like to try this in my garden, but probably in a large wok planter rather than in the ground. That way, I could easily protect it from frost and make sure it received the proper moisture.

This cactus has pale yellow flowers that appear in early spring. I think the star burst arrangement of the white spines is actually prettier than the flowers. For some reason, this cactus is a hit with kids. I entered an herb container filled with Thimble Cactus in our local Cactus and Succulent Society show this past spring. Kids just flocked around it. I think they like the tiny size more than anything.

What is your idea of a perfect garden? Find out what style best suits you by taking a quiz at the Monrovia (the plant people) website. After the quiz, it gives great ideas in plant choices and garden accessories to attain the ideal garden. In my case, the results indicated my ideal would be a tropical garden. Oh well. It was fun.

Nasturtium ~ Time To Say Goodbye

Tropaeolum minus

After struggling through a long hot summer, the last of my Tropaeolum minus (Nasturtium) is ready to "buy the farm" so to speak. I should have cleared them out long before now as they were becoming leggy and scraggly even in July. Moreover, flower production became sporadic as summer dragged on, and the leaves were chlorotic. Their bedraggled appearance signaled the end was near, or should have been, but I just let them be until now.
Although the flowers of Nasturtium are attractive and colorful--I like the 'Dwarf Jewel' mix--my major reason for growing them is that I love to use the leaves and flowers in salads. The taste reminds me of watercress; others think Nasturtium tastes like radishes. Some even think it's too bitter to eat. It definitely has a spicy, peppery flavor. The name, Nasturtium, is of Latin origin and means "nose twister," no doubt referring to its pungent flavor.

Nasturtium leaves are especially good when the plant is young. As the plant gets older and the weather gets hotter--so does taste of the leaves and flowers. Since I am not a cook, I haven't expanded beyond salads and Nasturtium Vinaigrette, but there are numerous recipes using Nasturtiums that sound delicious. I wonder if I could convince my nieces, who are quite the chefs, to whip something up for me!

Madagascar Palm: Patio Pal

Pachypodium lamerei

When I attended the Desert Landscaper Certification Course at the Desert Botanical Garden, our classroom was located right in the Garden. Outside on the patio was a 12 ft. tall Pachypodium lamerei, or Madagascar Palm. It was a beautiful specimen, and our instructor told us it was over 20 years old. Despite its common name and its palm-like foliage, it is not a palm at all, but part of the Plumeria family.

When I had a chance to pick up a nice sized one for my own patio, I purchased it and it’s been on my patio ever since. My P. lamerei keeps its leaves year round. As long as it has leaves, it needs water, but not often. I water mine about every nine days in summer, and I never fertilize it. This plant needs some sun and frost protection in Phoenix, so it’s best to keep it in a container on the patio or in the house if there is enough light. I did bring it in during our hard freeze last winter, but other than that, it lives outside.

The specimen at the Garden blooms occasionally. It has large white flowers that have a nice fragrance. The P. lamerei will not flower until it reaches at least six feet tall. Even at that height, it is not common to see flowers, and it will not bloom at all if grown inside. In its native Madagascar, it produces huge numbers of flowers.

This plant’s trunk is loaded with spines, which makes it hard to pot, and it does need repotting every few years as it grows. Although advertised as a fast grower, I don’t find that to be true. My plant has grown all of six inches in three years. Maybe it is putting all its energy into producing year-round foliage!

The Madagascar Palm is a popular succulent around the world, and is readily available at nurseries. I think every patio should have one.

One Too Many Mysteries For Me

Opuntia basilaris

Julie over at Succulents by J commented today about one of my previous posts where I discussed my peculiar Beavertail Prickly Pear with its oddly shaped pads and unusually large size. This cactus came as one of the 62 one-gallon plants I had chosen to have installed by the landscape company. It was clearly marked as O. basilaris, and it looked completely normal at the time it was planted. As soon as it began growing, I knew something just wasn't right about it. At the time of the post, I hadn't been able to identify the problem with this cactus, and although I still don't know for sure what's going on with it, I have discovered a possibility.

A couple of months after my post, I saw an Opuntia sp. at the nursery called "Crazy Wavy Davy." It was a hybrid of some sort. It definitely wasn't an O. basilaris, but the pads had wavy, scalloped shapes. I've done some research on this name, but find nothing. Of course, when I went back to the nursery it was gone and they had no more of them. It got me wondering if my Beavertail could possibly be a hybrid. I've checked out Opuntia hybrids to no avail. Recently I snapped off a pad and planted it in anothor part of my garden as an experiment. So far it is normal looking, and it is producing new pads. If those are normal, then I'm going to assume the problem is environmental.

My sister took this photo of her new O. basilaris this past spring. The flower color is the reason I chose this species. If I don't get flowers on my so-called "Crazy Wavy Davy" next spring, I'm going to be really disappointed. I wasn't looking for another cactus oddity or another garden mystery. I just want some fuchsia flowers!

Cylindropuntia fulgida: Does It Jump?

Cylindropuntia fulgida

One of the hosts at a spring garden tour offered cactus cuttings, pads and segments to tour participants, and I decided I wanted a segment of her beautiful Cylindropuntia fulgida, or Chain Fruit Cholla. I planted it immediately when I returned home, and now, almost six months later, I've decided my choice of location for this cactus was not a good one.

I don’t mind the fact that the cactus has wicked barbed thorns, or that it drops segments often. I like the way the fruits form pink-lavender flowers, and from that another fruit grows, then another flower, then another fruit, etc. This growth on top of growth forms a chain-like cluster of fruits that stay on for years.

The problem is I didn’t really allow enough room between the mature size of the cactus (15 feet high and six feet in diameter) and an adjacent Palo Verde tree. As the two grow, they will compete for space, and it will be hard to prune the Palo Verde tree with the Chain Fruit Cholla so close. Next month, I’ll relocate the cactus while it’s still manageable. Even with all the downsides, I do want a specimen in my garden.

The video below discusses the Chain Fruit Cholla—the dreaded “Jumping Cactus” of myth and legend.

Jumping Cholla- host Kim Stone

Desert Spoon

Dasylirion wheeleri

The Dasylirion wheeleri is a favorite butchering subject for landscapers. It seems everywhere I go this plant, commonly called Sotol or Desert Spoon, is pruned up to look like a pineapple. I can’t figure out what compels landscape crews to do this, as this plant looks quite nice in its natural rosette shape.

After years, it will form a trunk of sorts naturally. These plants can get huge—up to six feet high and in diameter. They have no business in street medians and in small landscapes. Perhaps this is the main reason for the pruning—wrong plant in the wrong place.

D. wheeleri, sometimes mistaken for a Yucca or Agave, is part of the Agavaceae family. After sending up a flower stalk, it doesn’t die like most Agave. The Dasylirion genus contains about twelve species, and is native to the southwestern U.S. This plant is drought and frost tolerant and needs no care. I have several in my garden, where I use it as an accent plant to contrast with columnar and pad cacti. I've made sure the shrub has a wide berth in order to grow naturally. Since my plants are young and still relatively small, the open space around them looks rather barren, but I've planned for its future size.

This plant had many useful purposes for native peoples. Its stem fibers were made into baskets and other household items. Sotol parts are edible for both humans and livestock. Today in Mexico, parts of the plant are made into an alcoholic drink called Sotol.

Ferocactus emoryi, A Native Son

Ferocactus emoryi

Although my Ferocactus emoryi (Emory’s Barrel or Coville Barrel) is still too young to produce flowers, I look forward to the day of its first large, yellow-red blooms. It will probably be several more years before that happens—some species of barrels take up to 20 years before producing flowers.

As this cactus matures, the tubercles (the pointy areas where the spines are located) will combine to form about 25 ribs. At this young age, it’s hard to tell that it will first obtain a barrel shape, and then at maturity, it will be cylindrical and stand about five feet tall. As with all barrels, it needs full sun.

F. emoryi, native to Arizona and Mexico, is one of the 25 species of Ferocactus found in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. In Mexico, this species is used to manufacture cactus candy. The pulp is also used there as livestock feed.

Although flowers in the Ferocactus species can be quite spectacular, most collectors value them for their large colorful spines, which, depending on species, range from off-white to red. The spine charactistics also vary from straight, hooked or curved. The spines can be sparse or numerous.

I like them because they are easy to attain in Arizona cactus nurseries and their variations provide some interest in my garden. As far as candy, I’ll stick to Snickers®.

For Gardeners on Labor Day

Eucalyptus kruseana

RESULTS AND ROSES

The man who wants a garden fair,

Or small or very big,

With flowers growing here and there,

Must bend his back and dig.

The things are mighty few on earth

That wishes can attain.

Whate'er we want of any worth

We've got to work to gain.

It matters not what goal you seek

Its secret here reposes:

You've got to dig from week to week

To get results or roses.

~ Edgar Guest

Mystery Cactus

Just when I was despairing that I would not have a photo for my blog my mystery cactus produced two beautiful blooms on Saturday. This is its fourth flowering this year. Each time, it presented fewer flowers, but they are still something to see.

I've tried to identify this cactus since I acquired it, and I'm still not sure what it is. Two folks that I consider cactus experts have given me their opinion that is was an Echinopsis, and for a while, I thought I finally had the answer.

Recently, I sent two photos to the Desert Botanical Garden for help with identification, and as an afterthought, sent along an earlier photo of this cactus in bloom, but with the cactus body showing. They believe it is of the Echinocereus genus, species unknown. So, who knows? And really, what does it matter?

Euphorbia milii

Euphorbia milii var. splendens

What most folks believe are colorful flowers on the Euphorbia milii are actually bracts. The tiny center portion is the actual flower. No matter, this succulent from Madagascar is a popular houseplant throughout the world. It is easy to grow and the bracts/flowers are available in many colors. (Its relative, the E. pulcherrima has the same bract/flower structure. Most everyone knows that plant by its common name—the Poinsettia.) The common name for E. milii is Crown of Thorns, for good reason. The stem has many sharp thorns that can puncture skin.

I keep my potted E. milii under the covered patio in the summer. The leaves don’t do well in full sun, so it doesn’t make a good landscape plant in this area. Since I water it all summer, it keeps its leaves, and will occasionally flower, but most flowering occurs during mild winters. If I withheld water, it would become dormant and actually look like a dead stem. Once watered, it grows leaves and begins to flower. There is a limit to this treatment—withhold water too long and it really will be a dead stem.

The plant in the photo started as a cutting from a large plant that succumbed to the hard freeze this past winter. I trimmed that plant in late summer last year and planted several of the cuttings. All are doing well. This is one of the easiest plants to propagate—rivaled only by oleander.

As with all Euphorbia species, the sap is poisonous and can be very irritating, especially if it gets in the eyes. My husband got some Euphorbia sap in his eyes last year and spent several painful hours in the Emergency room having his eyes irrigated. He then had to take pain medication and use an antibiotic ointment in them for several days to prevent infection, which apparently is a common occurrence with Euphorbia sap.