Cylindropuntia echinocarpa “a really nasty thing that has a tendency to share its spines with anyone, especially as a cutting” (love that description!)
Cylindropuntia imbricata which he’s pretty sure is white blooming, if so then it’s going to be gorgeous! Check out a picture and a great story here.
Cylindropuntia imbricata x davisii…
And Maihueniopsis darwinii which “forms a cushion, or mound; this is from very high elevations in Argentina, in Patagonia I think, and sat in pure ice water for half of last winter.” Here’s a link to post on his blog with a picture of its “very serious spines”…which indeed are very serious!
I unpacked the plants and potted them up for the winter, as I was doing so the C. echinocarpa captured the sun and magnified it’s light times at least 100.
The best part is its still glowing, even indoors.
A little burst of warm spiky sunlight to carry me through winter’s dark days.
Thank you for the spikes Bob! And thank you to our hostess for Foliage Follow-up, Pam. Visit her blog for a round up of all those participating in the foliage fun this month. I wonder if anyone will “out spike” me?
I think you must win this round of spiky celebration, Loree. Those thorns are wicked! They sure do capture the light beautifully though, don't they?
ReplyDeleteYes they do...they also look a little wintery too don't you think? Like sharp ice crystals...
DeleteLucky, lucky you! What wonderful spikiness you received. Surely you know no one will ever out-spike you. Thanks for the link to the miserable gardener, I'm always looking for new blogs to check out! His looks like an entertaining, informative one.
ReplyDeleteI can't get to complacent you never know what new spiky "kid on the block" just might try to take my crown of thorns...
DeleteSerious spiky plants in that box so those would be hard to top. I like the light catching C. echinocarpa to brighten up your winter days.
ReplyDeleteWe are seeing the sun for the first time in three days, I was so tired of gray skies.
Yesterday it was so dark here the whole day seemed to be about 4pm, thankfully today we've seen a few sun breaks. Enough to lift my spirits at least, I'm glad you're experiencing the same...
DeleteBeautiful glowing C. echinocarpa spines! You are the spine queen so no one would ever describe you as spineless. What a great package to receive!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to use that line about my not being spineless, it's too good!
DeleteI really got the point of your post!
ReplyDeleteReally, it's just so great when bloggers all connect. Miserable gardener left me a comment, now I'm leaving you one...
You're almost as good as the outlaw with the wordplay!
DeleteOmg! That is an epically heart warming package!!!!
ReplyDeleteA heart with spikes...there's a mental picture!
DeleteA care package for sun-deprived winters in the PNW...gee, even a nice care package for me! Cool choices you got.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. BTW when I Googled "Cylindropuntia echinocarpa" a picture of your cool plants in the black containers against the purple wall was one of the first images...
DeleteSeriously spiky plants! I'm starting to be swayed into the opuntia side of spiky plants courtesy of your posts...
ReplyDeleteYay! You know that makes me very happy...
DeleteI don't think anyone could wrest that spiked sceptre from your grasp :-)
ReplyDeleteBut remember I only use my spikes for good.
DeleteAre all those spikes the reason that gardener is "miserable"? I'm off to see for myself. Seriously...did you use tongs to handle those lovely gifties?
ReplyDeleteHaha, no tongs, where's the fun in that? Actually he packed them in paper grocery bags which made handling them really easy. I could just tear down to the plants and create a sort of strap for carrying them. Then when it comes to planing it's all about knowing where to grab the spikes...
DeleteOhhhh ... that makes me jealous. You will love the M. darwinii ... they are fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dustin!
DeleteI told the story of the white cholla on my blog, but to recap briefly, it has what you might call a serious pedigree, having come from half of the original plant that the late Mary Ann Heacock collected near Canon City, Colo. Mary Ann was highly respected in the cactus world, had a species named after her, knew Claude Barr, etc.
ReplyDeleteShe collected the hardiest form of Agave parryi near Flagstaff in the 1950s.
I think all white chollas in the trade, like 'White Tower', come from her original collection. And possibly the crosses, too, like C. imbricata x davisii.
She used to pick up cactus with her bare hands. I've tried that. Not something I'd recommend.
Enjoy.
It's all in where you place your fingers!
DeleteSpeaking of Mr Hogan has been known to re-pot Opuntia bare handed. Makes me wince just thinking about it.
I was gifted three cholla recently myself from a friend who grows them here in North Carolina. The C. imbricata was especially brutal to me while I was trying to plant it in a pot where it will spend its first winter. I had thick leather gloves on and I SWEAR those needles slowly worked their way through the leather and into the flesh of my fingers. There then ensued a crazed and comical episode trying to get those gloves off while trying to get the cholla to let go. After said episode my husband looked at me and said very seriously (we have two small dogs) "you are not seriously thinking of planting those outside in a garden?"
ReplyDeleteAnd you've just described exact why my blog is called danger garden! We have a pug mix and all my spikes are quite a danger to her eyes. I hope you are able to keep your spikes...maybe in a container?
DeleteI am still undecided. I have agaves both in pots and in the ground. I have not had any problems with them thus far. It was my intent to do a new desert-like bed with the cholla as well as lots of new agave and hardy cacti. I work at a nursery with an extensive collection of agave that we add to every year so I have lots to choose from. I was thinking of trying a scree bed similar to what they use at plant delights in Raleigh, if it is raised a bit like a hill the pups might stay off of it.
ReplyDelete