First Time Flowers

Dolichothele sphaerica

This cactus comes from a small genus that comes from Mexico. It used to be classified in the Mammillaria genus. Its common name is Longmamma Nipple Cactus. Since it has a long, thick taproot, I planted it under a Palo Verde tree, rather than worrying about pot depth. It is doing so well that it flowered its first year in the ground. Since I took this photo, it has had two more rounds of blooms. The flowers are said to be strongly scented, but I can't detect much fragrance, probably because I can't get close enough to the flowers. I would have to get right down in the gravel to get a whiff, which is easy enough. Getting back up is always the trick for me!

This fast-growing cactus readily clumps and forms mounds up to two feet in diameter. It takes no special care.