I Catch The Lithops Blooming

When these mysterious little plants, lithops lesliei, bloom, it is always such a pleasant surprise. And easy to miss since they open in the evening when I may not be checking on them any more for the day. But I was in the right place at the right time and wanted to...

Leuchtenbergia Principis, aka Agave Cactus

 I have been watching and impatiently waiting for this cactus to bloom, and finally it did. I suspect our current overcast skies and lack of sunshine delayed the unveiling, but bloom it did. And it even stayed open for a couple of days, a nice plus....

Succulents Provide Good Color

   If you are not familiar with using succulents for a touch of color, may I recommend ice plant, dew plant, and Autumn Joy sedum. The advantages are that they don’t wilt when you take trip for a few days and have no one to water them, they grow relatively...

The Stinky Flower

I told the story in my other blog, The Bright Lights of Muleshoe-(“Cactus and Kerrville,” October 5, 2011) of driving home from the Austin area with the distinct smell of rotting flesh lurking around me. Turned out the smell was coming from the orbea lutea, a...

The Blooming Season Has Begun

I think the cold weather may finally be officially passed. The cholla and prickly pear have ceased to droop and are putting on buds; the hedgehogs and rainbows are blooming, and one horse crippler has an early flower. This is the first week of May, the time my cactus...

Notocactus Haselbergii

This little cactus is a nice bloomer and the orange to red flowers provide a contrast to many of the pink blooms of many cactus.   You may see this cactus also identified as Parodia haselbergii. More experts changing the names on me. The plant is native to...