I have written about these unusual cactus before, but they are worth looking at again, especially now that mine are beginning to bloom. They tend to bloom in the fall, September to November, but I believe on occasion I have had a bloom or two in late August. And not all of those in my collection bloom every year. But so far this year I have had four plants bloom.
First was the Ariocarpus fissuratus Texas that I have had since 2014. That was on October 8..A second bud opened a few days later, but i failed to get a picture.
On October 12 Ariocarpus fissuratus Godzilla, a hybrid from Japan, opened two blooms. I bought this one in 2024. Notice that these are both the fissuratus variety, but look at the difference in the bodies of the plants. The Godzilla is a darker green, and there is a difference in the knobby surfaces on the leaves.
Then, October 16-18, the Ariocarpus agavoides opened two very dark maroon, or magenta, I guess, pink flowers. Look closely and you can see three slender green leaves of the plant. I have had this plant since 2012, and it is about the same size as when I bought it! So, you can see they are very slow growing plants. Patience is key.
Ariocarpus fissuratus Lloydii had three buds all trying to open on October 18. Eventually they all opened, but here is the one that opened the fullest. This variety has a slightly different color pink flower than the A. fissuratus Texas pictured earlier. I have had this one since 2012.
I have a total of fourteen ariocarpus plants, some duplicates of the same variety. Right now, one of my two Ariocarpus Kotschoubeyanus plants has sent up a bud that I am checking every day to see when it opens. I expect some of the other varieties to bloom before the end of November, but perhaps not all will burst forth this year. So, it’s a waiting game that I enjoy playing every day, checking to see if I have a new flower.
Patience, remember?
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