My Cacti 2012

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hegar
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Location: El Paso, Texas

Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

Well, it has been a while since I last posted any images. There was a little lull in flower production. In the meantime, however, several kinds of cacti did go into flower.
The first one is a plant that I have killed twice in the past. Both plants were "rescued (salvaged) native specimens", which could be used for an excuse of my failure in keeping them alive.
The one flowering though was purchased a year or so ago.
Here are some images of Sclerocactus uncinatus (Ancistrocactus uncinatus, etc.):
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The first three images were taken on April 12th and the last one early this afternoon (April 15th).
In another small cactus flower bed things are going well.
Here are two images showing the quarter circle and some plants therein.
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Harald
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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

One kind of "early flowering" cacti is Fendler's hedgehog (Echinocereus fendleri). This plant does occur in the wild where I live. Here are some digital images of it being in bloom.
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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

Next are a series of photos showing the native Texas Rainbow cactus (Echinocereus dasyacanthus). It produces a larger flower than E. fendleri and the color can range from very light yellow, almost white to lemon yellow. One of my plants did produce seven big blossoms on two stems, another will have 5 flowers on one stem. First is an image that shows the large size of the flowers this species produces. The last four images were taken today around noon time, while the first ones were obtained at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 13th.
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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

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Here is the last set of images. These were obtained from my oldest cactus. This plant has been with me since 1986 or 1987. I do have an even larger specimen of Echinocactus texensis, commonly called "Horse Crippler", but that one has not flowered for over three years. When we had our roof shingles replaced one of the workmen stepped on it and damaged its crown. The plant is now producing a bulge where it was injured. So there is no felty crown from which the flower buds are generated.
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Harald
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hoteidoc
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hoteidoc »

Big & Gorgeous, Harald! Must be from Texas :wink: :lol:
Peter
Once bitten by the cactus collecting/growing bug, there is no known cure!
There's no 12 step programme for Cactaholics...so I shall just have to get some more!!
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Arjen
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by Arjen »

wow! very beautiful plant and flower! how long did it take you to grow it to this size?
With apologies to the late Professor C. D. Darlington the following misquotation springs to
mind ‘cactus taxonomy is the pursuit of the impossible by the incompetent’ - Fearn & Pearcy, Rebutia (1981)
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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

Hello Peter,
not everything here in Texas is big. At least not when it comes to cacti. There Arizona has us beat by a good margin.
StrUktO,
I am not sure about the age of the E. texensis plant. It was about 4 inches across when I rescued it from the incinerator. That was in 1986 or early 1987. Now it measures 17 cm (about 7 inches across). My other plant has a diamter of 20 cm (8 inches). That is the one that used to flower but has not done so in years.

Well, there were a few open flowers today. Both showed up on prickly pear cacti. The first one was a red flower produced by a plant I received from the former curator of the local Plant Rescue Center. It is most likely some kind of hybrid. Unfortunately, the two blossoms were already closed. Perhaps this Friday I can photograph an open one.
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Also flowering the first day was my Opuntia violacea. Image
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I was not aware of the terrible light conditions that show one side of the plant with its blossoms overexposed, while the other half is lit correctly. When I used the macro setting, however, both blossoms pictured are fine.
Actually, the formerly overexposed duo turned out to be nicer, because the background is darker.

Harald
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John C
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by John C »

Looking good Harald! Great garden you have! Hopefully I can get mine to look as good as your in a few years!
John In Fort Worth, Texas
"Where the West begins"
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Artur89
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by Artur89 »

Very nice Echinocereus flowers (my favorite genus). I look forward to the next photo :)
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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

Hello John,
thus far I am not too disappointed with my cacti. Some seem to have produced more blossoms than I have ever before experienced. I counted today and just the Echinocereus dasyacanthus plants are loaded with 39 flower buds. Some of them have already finished flowering, others have yet to open.
Hi Artur,
I shall try to post a good number of additional Echinocereus spp. flowers within the next few weeks. Some are of plants that I have not owned for a long time, but that are going to bloom for the first time at my place. Others are old stand-by's.
As you most likely already know, the genus Echinocereus is a big one and it does produce some spectacular blossoms. :)

Harald
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Arjen
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by Arjen »

great flower colour on that opuntia!
With apologies to the late Professor C. D. Darlington the following misquotation springs to
mind ‘cactus taxonomy is the pursuit of the impossible by the incompetent’ - Fearn & Pearcy, Rebutia (1981)
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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

Well, things are looking good in my cactus beds. The Opuntias are still flowering and I was able to take a photo of the red hybrid? with its blossom open.
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The Opuntia violacea is also flowering well. Its fruit are a favorite treat for my box tortoises.
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Another species of my Echinocereus collection decided to open its flower buds today. It is one of my favorites, with its bright color, large flower size and overall appearance. Also, this plant does flower repeatedly, which is a little unusual for the genus. The plant's name is Echinocereus reichenbachii.
First the images when the blossoms started to open up at a quarter before 11.
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Less than two hours later they presented themselves in all their glory.
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I am going to show a few more images of other cacti tomorrow.

Harald
fanaticactus
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by fanaticactus »

They just keep getting "stunning-er" and "stunning-er"! Way to go, Harald!
Catch a falling star--but don't try it with a cactus!
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Peterthecactusguy
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by Peterthecactusguy »

nice flowers you got there Harald :) Love the Echinocereus. You have such a nice bed of them.
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
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Artur89
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by Artur89 »

What a cosmic colors in the second picture of the Echinocereus reichenbachii :lol: .
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