Collection of only one genus of cacti?

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:13 am

Hello all.

Several times I've thinking of concentrate on just one genus of cacti and start to collect them. Cultivars and hybrids are ok. Then it is about the environment

We'll put that aside as well, for the moment

What genus should you start to collect if you have to pick just one? Some of you, I already know the answer

For my self I am thinking of (in now special order):
1. Epiphyllum, for their big and colorful flowers and the nice environment.
2. Gymnocalycium, mostly for their size.
3. Rebutia, for the size and nice flowers.
4. Echinopsis, for their stunning flowers and all the hybrids.
5. Echinocereus, the flowers; I just love them.
6. Turbinicarpus, because they do flower for me

What's your favorite? And why?

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:35 am

What ever that's hard to find works for me.

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:45 am

Saguaro123 wrote:What ever that's hard to find works for me.

Then you can start to collect cacti with blue flowers

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:48 am

Cipocereus.

John P Weiser · Post by **John P Weiser** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:54 am

I say go all out! Opuntia and relatives!. That will keep you buisy for years.

Seriously I would go with the Echinopsis.
They are easy to cultivate. You can play with hybridizing some new ones. I agree they have stunning blossoms! They pup reasonably well, so you will have trade material. Cuttings root well. They are fairly freindly when you have to handle them.

birdguy34 · Post by **birdguy34** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 7:05 am

But John if you go with Echinopsis, can you grow them out in that yard of yours???
Chris

*Barracuda_52* · Post by ***Barracuda_52*** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 7:47 am

Lets see,
1. Gymnocalycium, because there all very cool looking
2. Echinopsis, for their stunning flowers and all the hybrids. I agree there.

me i like and would go with anything round white and fuzzy.

John P Weiser · Post by **John P Weiser** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 7:51 am

Chris
Sadly no! I can not grow them out side. I have tried and failed three times now.

So that is why I go all the way with Hardy Opuntia!!

But I do love the flower colors of the Echinopsis hybrids. I would have to bring them in to cool storage every winter. Besides my wife and I came to an understanding thirty years ago, that the garden is mine and the house is her's. So I do not grow or bring cacti into her space.

They call that self preservation.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 12:31 pm

1. Opuntiads - Naturaly!
2. Copiapoa - In bloom or not, very cool plants. Lots of variability.
3. Echinocereus - Awesome flowers and some very spiny plants. I like spines.
4. Escobaria - Small size, nice flowers, dense spiney clumps!
5. Stenocereus - Gotta represent the columnars. Lots of good strong spined sp. Gotta have a TALL greenhouse!

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 12:35 pm

This is a great question, I have thought about it many times myself.
At first I thought that I would start concentrating on Coryphantha, because I like the way most of them look and nobody around here that I know of really specializes in them.
But they dont grow exceedingly well for me here, so I still dont have to many. I am growing 4 or 5 different species from seed now, so I'll see how that goes.
Thanks to Darryl I am now starting on Copiapoas.
I really enjoy growing Mammilaria's and have alot now, but its still only the tip of the iceberg. To grow the complete set would... well I dont even want to think about it really.

Echinocereus is one of my favorite's and I am slowly working on growing most of them from seed.
I am also working on Escobaria, epithelantha, Turbinicarpus, Ariocarpus and all the rest of the mexican odditys, Geohintonia, Aztekium's, etc

I havent been concentrating on Echinopsis at all but have somehow managed to collect a quite a few species and ALOT of hybrids.
Gymnocaycium is another I would like to have more of but they seem to be losing the war for space around here as their territories have slowly shrank over the years while rebutias are gaining a foothold and slowly gaining table space.
I dont "collect" Opuntias but many of them have somehow got into the yard.

By Epiphyllum do you mean Hybrids or species? Either way you would need ALOT of space.
And then there all the columners...

I guess if I had to choose only one genus It would be Mammilaria. No, Echinocereus. No, Turbinicarpus... Man that would be a hard decision.

John P Weiser · Post by **John P Weiser** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 1:42 pm

Tony wrote:

I dont "collect" Opuntias but many of them have somehow got into the yard.

Tony
It's insipid, how they wormed their way into your yard the way they did!!

Gotta keep that eye in the back of your head open, our they will sneak up on you in a moment of weekness. Just say no!!

Cheeky, little devils!!

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:35 pm

Tony wrote:This is a great question, I have thought about it many times myself.

By Epiphyllum do you mean Hybrids or species? Either way you would need ALOT of space.

Yes, I was thinking of ×Epicactus or what people like to call all those hybrids

And I think I like the environment where they like to live; not too dry air

A tropical green house

http://www.epiphyllumsociety.org/pentic ... names.html

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:46 pm

Interesting to think about. It really would depend on where I live, I guess. If I ever move back to the mountain west it will probably be Pediocactus and Sclerocactus (the old narrow Sclerocactus group). But that's already two, not one. haha.

I would focus on Echinomastus otherwise. Or maybe Escobaria or Echinocereus.

If I had a lot of room, it would be cool to cultivate as many of the Peniocereus as possible and try to get them into wider circulation.

My problem is, if I see a cactus, I like it.

Tephrocactus and Maihuenia are great too. Don't think I could just do one genus. Obviously! no discipline...haha.

peterb

birdguy34 · Post by **birdguy34** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:11 pm

How funny that for most of us this is almost a trick question.
If I could afford a whole collection of mature Ariocarpus that would be mine, but since I can't I guess I'd say Echinopsis/Trichocereus.
Chris

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 4:40 pm

Trichocereus seems to work well for me because they are big and produce brilliant white flowers.

Epi Caci because they can survive my over excessive watering and produce brilliant flowers.

Ariocarpus because they are hard to find and can be a plant you can show off.

Well, if you are experienced at growing, it wouldn't be a bad choice.

I do like Echinopsis because of their beautiful flowers and because the fact that they are easy to care for.

I like Pachy-Stenocereus because they represent what else grows in the desert except for the Saguaro.

Opuntiads will be a great one because the fact that they are very common and are easy to care for. (including Chollas)