Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii

This is a up-date.

Way back in November 5, 2011 I got 2 very rare Cryptanthus Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii
at the  Plant Auction at the 12th Annual International Cryptanthus Society Show

 Photo taken November 10, 2011 wide leaf clone

 Photo taken November 10, 2011

Photo taken June 29 2012

Now I know why this Cryptanthus is so rare. It's Very slow.

I was hoping for offsets by now. 

Maybe its slow because of the way I grow it. I don't want it to rot, so I careful with the water. Plus they were not very well rooted to start with. I do think they look better with more silver on them.

In the background is Cryptanthus warasii.

Old Items

Old Items on this blog seen to have dropped the photos.

So if your looking at some old blog listing and the photos are gone just let me know and I'll try to find the photos that go with it.

Hechtia glauca

This is one of the most succulent of the Hechtia, but is a slow grower.

UPDATE: 7/31/2012

At one time I thought it was a slow grower but if you grow it the correct way it's not a slow grower after all.

The soil mix was the key in this plant. You go and buy a plant bring it home, so you think it's going to do the same for that it did from the place you got from.

Not always.

The way I tried to grow it was not the same way.
So it didn't do much for me.
Once I re-potted it in my soil mix it started to do a whole lot better.

Leaves thick, fat, recurved and have spiny hooks along the leaf margins.
Leaves get up to 18" across.
Leaves are a yellow-green with a turquoisey cast on them (thin dusting) giving it a bit of blue color in the right light. Drought tolerant, but appreciates water.

From: Michoacan, Mexico

Dyckia goiana sp. goiana

 This dyckia has the tallest flower stem of any dyckia I have, with a flower stem over 4 feet tall.
I know it's a little hard to see it all in one photo but it was the only way to get it all in one photo.

 Some what slow to make offsets  and doesn't make alot of them.

 Flowers are orange but the orange is so bright they almost look kind of orange red.

They don't open up that much.

Hechtia 90km

Hechtia 90km
This Hechtia comes from Oaxaca, Mexico. The 90 km means it was 90 kilometers from Oaxaca. I have had this plant for maybe 8 or 10 years now and it never flowered.

It grows slow. I have not re-moved any offsets or pup in all that time. Started with one but only the two plants after all that time.

Leaves are very succulent, very Stiff, and very spiny-toothed leaves are well armed with marginal spines.

Has wax like on the leaves with just a little red.

I just Divided a small clump of 2 so there is no roots.


Terrestrial bromeliad plants growing along side cactus and succulents on rocky slopes in deserts and other arid habitats.
They are Xerographic and survive long periods without water by slowing their growth rate. These plants are tough. Have a large root system, and generally need to be overpotted, remember that the larger the pot the larger the plant will grow.
Hechtias are dioecious, so a male plant and a female plant are needed to produce seeds.


Keep in Full sun to keep it looking it's best it will stay white with very little green.

Keep the plant well watered when they are actively growing. Cut back on the water during the winter when the temperatures are on the cool side
Grow in a well drained mix.

Aloe

You don't see aloe's in landscapes in Florida for some reason. Some do well here in Florida and flower in the fall, winter or spring time.  There are lots to pick from, they come in small to large sizes. Aloe Vera should be in every yard just for stopping the mosquitoes itch and burns.

This is my smallest

This is my meanest

This is my largest

Unfortunately I have no idea what the names are of the aloes I have.

 

Spaces to fill

I loss a lot of large bromeliads in the last few years due cold.

So to fill in some, I'm using some large  Uncarina's that were busting there pots.

Sansevieria ehrenbergii

I have had this Sansevieria over 30 years and this is the 1st time flowering.

I know the plant looks like crap, The only water it gets is rain water. It was in a part of the yard I don't go to much. It's one of the plants on it's way to compost bin.

Epiphytic ficus

Their is something about growing epiphytic plants.

I don't care if it's bromeliads,  orchids,  ferns, cactus or what ever.

Lots of different kinds of plants can and do grow as  epiphytes.

 Some are very easy to grow as epiphytes others not so easy.

 In Florida I get this ficus that comes up in pot ever so offen.

 In the wilds of Florida you can see this and other ficus growing on trees and in time it over takes them. 

I like to grow this weed ficus on rock. Wish I had more rock to grow a few more.

Don't know the name of it.

Don't be afraid to leave a comment or a flike.  

Cactus Explorers Club Journal

I don't have many Cactus but you might.

The Best Part  
IT'S FREE

The Cactus Explorers Club Journal

Issues of the free journal Cactus Explorer can be downloaded here

http://www.cactusexplorers.org.uk/journal1.htm

Don't be afraid to leave a comment or a flike.  

Home grown

To grow dyckia's from seed is not that hard.

Some times the seed will start to come up in pot close to where a plant had flowered.

I have 3 plants that started that way.

I have not tried to grow them from seed it just happened.

I don't grow many dyckia's from seed. Below are all most all the seedling I do have. 

Some of them were sent to me from a friend. The plants with no name are the ones I started from seed or shouls I say they started by them self..  

Dyckia Ice Follies f2

Dyckia Burgundy Ice f2

 

Dyckia Big Brazil f2

Dyckia brevifolia f2





Dyckia encholirioides f2

Dyckia Green

Dyckia Disney Tri-color

Dyckia Leslies Red

Dyckia no name yet

Dyckia Dakota f2

Dyckia no name yet

Dyckia no name yet

Dyckia Brown

Don't be afraid to leave a comment or a like.  

Sansevieria kirkii

I started this on the "other blog" but now I need to up-date with photo's.
This part is re-printed from the  "other blog"  the photo's are new.

I still have some Sansevieria that I haven't dumped. This is Sansevieria kirkii that is starting to flower. It's in a large 5-gallon pot that has spilt open. Also in the picture is a Glories Lily.

It's big plant with leave about 30 inches long

seeds coming along one month later

Navia

I like to visit a few Forums about plants, like:

Garden Web at http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/

Daves garden at http://davesgarden.com/tools/mail/

http://dyckiabrazil.com/

The Bromeliad & Airplant Forum at http://www.bromeliadforum.za.net/

 Anyway on The Bromeliad & Airplant Forum they were talking about Navias and this made my ears stand up. I kindof  like  Navias but they are very hard to come by.

If you have a interest in Navia igneosicola which is the most common  Navia, this should be of interest.

http://www.bromeliadforum.za.net/forum/index.php?topic=1706.msg11552;topicseen#msg11552

Did I say I am a lurker. Well I am. I can't help it.

Navia igneosicola April 23 2012 in 3 inch pot



This is my one and only Navia look how big it has got in less then 2 months. It was in a 3 inch pot when I got it moved it to a 6 inch pot the same day it came home.