Looking for Grusonia

[Peterthecactusguy]

Does anyone know where I might be able to find some of those club chollas at?

I noticed on all of the different ones they were rare or unusual in collections.

[peterb]

Good question. I am not growing any. They are not really suited for pot culture, in my opinion. I do love Grusonia invicta, one of my favorite Baja plants, just enormous and scary. haha.

Mesa Garden sells cheap plants of some Grusonia, under "Opuntia." aggeria, bulbispina, 4 different collections of clavata, davisii, grahamii, a couple different invicta collections (the plants from Cerro Colorado are huge monsters when old), schottii.

Some of these plants are pest plants, especially schottii which has very loose joints. Not sure how hardy they are and if they would grow in Black Canyon City. Certainly clavata will.

I do love these crazy plants, but again, they are perhaps best in the ground rather than in pots. Some might disagree. I think Darryl grows a lot of them, so maybe check with him after the CSSA convention is over.

peterb

[Dmyerswny]

I got some grusonia vills from Tony last year. I hadn't noticed it was listed as rare(in cultivation). Cool! If it were bigger I would help you out.

[peterb]

I really like Grusonia marenae and G. reflexispina (probably the same species).

http://cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=Gru ... flexispina

You can grow some of these crazy Grusonia as bonsai, as you can see in the G. marenae photo from one of the CSSA shows, here on the guide.

These are wicked hard to find though.

peterb

[tumamoc]

I've seen some (not sure which) at B&B's Cactus Farm in East Tucson.

[peterb]

Another thing that's funny about growing these is that many ranchers. farmers and other land owners often want to *completely* eradicate them from their land, which proves very difficult. I bet some of them would think we are absolutely stark raving made for wanting to grow them.

Also, just to clarify, the "Encounterability" feature on the Guide is referring to the relative frequency of the plants *in cultivation*. Some Grusonia are indeed rare in habitat, but many say "rare" here because people just tend not to grow them. They are sometimes super abundant in habitat.

peterb

[Peterthecactusguy]

PeterB, yeah, I knew that they were rare in collections. I will have to do some research but thanks for the advice. I guess I would probably try to put some in ground, but like I said I need to research and see if any would grow here. I love the way G. invicta esp looks. I know they look nastily thorny but I like the look of them Saw so many at DBGs
As for the stark raving mad, I guess I am just another cacti weirdo

I will have to ask Darryl when he gets back as well, I know he's outta town right now as are a lot of people. I will see what he says and I might check out Mesa Garden too

[Peterthecactusguy]

I've seen some (not sure which) at B&B's Cactus Farm in East Tucson.

I will keep that in mind if I ever head down south, I need to do a road trip to Tuscon some day!

[Peterthecactusguy]

I got some grusonia vills from Tony last year. I hadn't noticed it was listed as rare(in cultivation). Cool! If it were bigger I would help you out.

Yikes I missed a few of your posts. I might fix this later and make one post I am not sleepy tonite but really tired so..

Well if I havent gotten it figured out and one of yours happens to fall of the plant, let me know

[Peterthecactusguy]

Bump.
still looking.

[Minime8484]

If you do find a local place with a nice variety of Grusonia/Corynopuntia, please let me know - I am also looking for several of those hard-to-find species!

[Peterthecactusguy]

Ok. I will let you know if I find any at the "local" places.

[Minime8484]

Peterthecactusguy - I hit the Mother Lode of Grusonia recently right here in the valley!

Shady Way Gardens in Apache Junction has beautiful (largish) specimens for great prices of:
- Grusonia bradtiana
- Grusonia kunzei
- Grusonia invicta

They also *had* a beautiful, large, many-segmented Grusonia bulbispina (labeled as a "Tephrocactus sp.")...but, I grabbed that one!

It was 113 degrees when I was shopping, so might have missed some...but, I walked away with all of the above except kunzei (which I am now kicking myself for!!).

Definitely drop by there - there were quite a few of each (except the bulbispina)

If you visit them, let us know what you got!
Cheers,
Tristan

[Peterthecactusguy]

ok I will. I live pretty far from there but I will check them out
(edit) cool that you got such nice plants!

[peterb]

kunzei grows like weeds (literally) in many locales in western AZ, with some dense stands along I-10 I think just west of Tonopah and then all up the highway to Parker from Quartzite. It is an awesome plant that looks more like an Echinocereus from a distance. I'm always dead set against collecting in the wild, but a few joints of kunzei wouldn't be missed, The plant is tougher than Jack Palance.

peterb