Is the first the last?

[WayneByerly]

This is the very first cactus of my collection. It was grown from seeds that I planted (and that germinated) in 2009. I find myself completely mystified as to how I have managed to Identify the cacti/succulents that I have without identifying the first. So wish me luck, that this cactus is the LAST cacti to do without identification, and help me identify it please.

Feel free to request additional info/pics.

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[ElieEstephane]

Looks like an echinocereus engelmannii to me or something similar but i'm not expert in that area. Did ever flower?
It must be very rewarding to get it to this size from seed!

[stefan m.]

Reminds me of a saguaro or pachycereus. http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... s_pringlei or http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... a_gigantea
Checked all echinocereus types, none seemed to be an exact match. Spines are curved, or too bright, or different growth patterns.

[ElieEstephane]

Reminds me of a saguaro or pachycereus. http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... s_pringlei or http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... a_gigantea
Checked all echinocereus types, none seemed to be an exact match. Spines are curved, or too bright, or different growth patterns.

Look closer at the areoles first

[stefan m.]

I did. type A http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/ECHINO ... ii_810.jpg
type B http://www.llifle.com/photos/Echinocere ... 8061_l.jpg
type C http://www.llifle.com/photos/Echinocere ... 8056_l.jpg
closest match seems to be http://www.gardeninginarizona.com/Plant ... nnii2.html
a single cultivar from a single unconfirmed source. Either way the plant should have bloomed by now judging from its sheer size and age anyway.

[ElieEstephane]

In any case, it's definitely not a saguaro or cardon

[stefan m.]

I checked some compatible echinopsis types too. None were matching.
* evidence for echinocereus
-short stem
-protruding areoles
-spine length
-spine appearance
*evidence against
- no offshoot
-no flower
-wrong spine color
-wrong spine arrangement

[stefan m.]

it just hit me- could it possibly be an austrocactus?

[ElieEstephane]

Turns out it's from a hardware store mixed seed packet. So that answers everything
The amount of dedication to get it from seed to this size is amazing! I'm truely impressed wayne!

[WayneByerly]

...The amount of dedication to get it from seed to this size is amazing! ...

Planted in the summer of 2009, pretty much all I have ever done with them is to put them in a low organic, fast draining mix, water them, set them in the sun and wait. They have never required that much of me, and so I'm afraid I cannot take much credit for their success. The tallest is only about 8" tall. A maximum of 8 inches in eight years is nothing much to crow about. But I thank you for your very kind thought.

[7george]

These look like saguaros to me.

Here is one from Arizona.



Some seedlings too.

[WayneByerly]

Here is one from Arizona.

A bit of insight... Wow... Maybe i started growing cacti because i missed the Sonoran Desert... I went to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum once (I lived in Tucson from 1973 to 1977) and they had a saguaro cactus seedling on display that they said was 5 years old and it was of no more size than the fingernail length of my pinky finger. The cactus I'm trying to identify here is about 9" tall and is only 8 years old. That is not the same growth rate i think. And the saguaro is much greener than what i am trying to ID. Thanks for posting these pics, but i doubt the ID somehow.

[WayneByerly]

Looks like an echinocereus engelmannii to me

I looked at a bunch of E. engelmannii pictures in a google search, and i'm not finding anything like those really dark top spines like mine has. Or the plethora of spines that mine has to the extent that you cannot even see any green on the cactus body. I'm kinda leaning to an Echinopsis or Echinocereus genus though.

Are you aware of any sites that specialize in Echinopsis or Echinocereus identification?

[stefan m.]

http://gypscoprotheres.blogspot.mk/2012 ... antea.html
so the one on display was likely a hoax.

[stefan m.]

And bear in mind pringlei is faster.