The Cactus Forum

[Philodice]

This small, columnar cactus with 1 inch round stems to the height up to 20 inches is green, grows in colonies, and looks a little like fingers reaching out of the ground.
A neighbor gave it to me. We have been trading cuttings of cactus and trading extra volunteer plants. He unfortunately isn't the most gentle of gardeners and always gives me stuff with less root on it than I'd like. He isn't a big fan of cactus and is done with his cactus garden so gave me some cuttings and even whole plants and seedlings he didn't have room for. It took about a year for the last things he gave me to take hold and start looking decent. Cacti are hardy little beasts and I expect these to live with luck. Another neighbor actually gives me whole plants in good shape as gifts, so I've planted a few cuttings to grow for her cactus garden.
The ultimate goal is to have my front yard looking like a bit of the high Sonoran desert, but that's a tall order to fill.

What is this?

[Philodice]

I also have a question about the golden barrel cactus. If some of the buds broke off, and I plant them, will they grow? Neighbor moved a cactus and it's buds fell off.


He does landscaping, and people around here ask him to 'get rid of' this or that cactus. So he brings them home or gives them away. Most of my growing cacti collection has cost me nothing, except for the continued state of puzzlement of how best to rescue specimens so they survive.

Here is my current cactus collection. They are all very tiny, but I'm hoping they will fill out and look natural eventually.

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f219/FurrDeFaux/Cacti%20Jan2008/

[Mark]

Hello. The first plant is actually a succulent. It is some kind of stapelia. Yes your golden barrel should grow some new roots and it will make it.



Mark

[Philodice]

Stapelia leendertziae is most conspicuous when in flower owing to the unique large, bell-shaped, deep reddish to dark purple flowers that are up to 120 mm long. It is widely grown in gardens but distinctly uncommon in the wild. It occurs on the mountains of the northeastern escarpment and Swaziland where it seems to be confined to rocky ground with shallow soils. The stems are darker and dull green compared to those of S. gigantea and S. unicornis. Flowers are produced at the base or in the lower half from new branches. This species was named after Miss Reino Leendertz, the first official botanist employed at the Transvaal Museum and who was the first to collect this species near Heidelberg in 1909. Flowering time is November–January. It is readily cultivated and can withstand a fair degree of frost. Known as aaskelk, aasklok or rooiaasblom (Afr.).

Thanks, I've decided that this one with the purple 'fingertips' matches best, and the guy said "lots of purple flowers" so that's a match!
I'll go out and put a few rocks on top of it this weekend (over the roots) to protect from temperature change. They like rocks, wiki says.

[Mark]

Your welcome. The only way to really be sure is to wait till it flowers.



Mark