Essex SucculentReview Volume 53 Number 4 December 2016

In this issue Highlights of Baja California by Angie Money Winter wonders Three small mammillarias by Tony Roberts Gardening with succulents Smaller cacti The final part of this series Ferocactus diguetii by Paul Spracklin

Cactus Crawl the Brexit tour 30 March – 2 April 2017

This could be the last time we We will make our way to the first many more interesting questions travel into Continental Europe nursery, Cactus Flower, on the will be raised and answered in the without visas, border controls, the outskirts of Antwerp. This was a hotel bar, over a croissant and on need for phytosanitary certificates new nursery for us last year and the coach. for plants or with a European now one of the most popular. Come and observe the day four passport! Mark what could be an Having exchanged some euros for ritual of packing the plant boxes historic occasion by joining this plants we are off to one of our into the hold under the coach, a band of intrepid Crawlers on yet favourite hotels, the Postillion in space much smaller than the size another foray into the succulent Dordrecht. of all the boxes. Listen to the territories of Holland, Belgium For the next three days we will use tutting as everyone notices that and Germany. the Postillion as our base as we most of the big boxes belong to Once more we have secured off- tour 10 more nurseries in Holland me. See if I care. street parking in the car park of and Germany. Favourites such as Capel Manor Horticultural College, Kakteen Piltz, Lakerveld and the The photograph above gives some just minutes from J25 of the M25. vast wholesale nurseries of Holland idea of the vastness the Dutch From here you will have your own will be visited, along with two new wholesale nurseries and the double seat in a luxury coach, nurseries for this trip. One enormity of some of the available which will whisk you down to, and specialises in Lithops and the other plants. The only limit is how much through, the Chunnel. in Asclepiadaceae and unusual you can carry. hoyas. The staff at the Postillion At the time of writing there are still have come to know us very well, a few spaces left. The basis of the but even so are still keen to Essex four day tour is half-board at the welcome us back. Review Postillion and the cost is £387 for a Succulent Does Kakteen Piltz have the best single room and £337 per person The Essex Succulent Review is coffee and biscuits? Does Hans at for a double room. For more published quarterly in March, Lakerveld have the biggest clogs in information, please contact James June, September and December. Holland? Will I bring back some Gold on 07765 131883 or unfeasibly large plants? These and [email protected] It is available on-line free of charge. Just send an email to [email protected] to receive a pdf of each issue Zone 15 Mini-Convention when it is available. Sunday 19 March 2017 – 1.00pm Past issues are archived at Alice Vanden Bon – ‘South Africa – first class’ www.essexsucculentreview.org.uk Keith and Kathy Flanagan – ‘Our collection’ Editor Sheila Cude Plant sales – Plantlife: Book sales – Keith Larkin Address 25 Macleod Road Venue: Capel Manor College, Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, EN1 4RQ London N21 1SW Tickets £15, to include a buffet lunch and afternoon tea from Phone 020 8340 1928 Eddy Harris, 49 Chestnut Glen, Hornchurch, Essex, RM12 4HL Email Phone 01708 447778 email [email protected] [email protected] Plus free admission to Capel Manor’s extensive grounds from 10.00am

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Highlights of

Baja California by Angie Money

Ferocactus sp San % Quintin We normally reach San Quintin on our second day in Baja California. The Hotel Santa Maria is always very welcoming and it is right on the seafront. The food is excellent and the rooms, which are all in colonial style, have balconies which overlook the beach.

Above and above right: Dudleya anthonyi 3

Highlights of Baja California continued

Above: After breakfast the next morning we drive Dudleya edulis grows here too overlooking Dudleya edulis to the other side of the bay. It takes about the bay. You can also find Echinocereus Above right: an hour to get there by car. You will know maritima, Mammillaria dioica and a Mammillaria dioica you are at the right place when you see the Ferocactus species, hills of volcanic rock. or there may be two On the other side of the road is the type species. locality of Dudleya anthonyi. They are not always easily visible as, both times we have been, there were a lot of bushes in leaf. But there are many dudleyas and it is not easy to pick the best one to photograph.

Echinocereus maritima and (inset) its flower 4

Highlights of

Baja California continued

The Cataviña

% Boulderfields

A good place to stay is the Hotel Mision Cataviña if they have space. From the hotel you can walk straight in to the boulder fields. It is a really amazing place. First of all you can see some very tall Pachycereus pringlei and, often just as tall, the Boojum tree (Idria columnaris/Fouquieria columnaris). You will find several Cylindropuntia; the one I like best is Cylindropuntia molesta, especially photographed against the sun.

Cylindropuntia molesta Boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris) 5

Highlights of Baja California continued

Above: Ferocactus gracilis You will lots of find Ferocactus gracilis of We spotted a Euphorbia lomelii, most growing in front of all sizes with their intense red spines. people would call it a stick Euphorbia, but Pachycormus Nearer to the road you see Pachycormus it looked really nice with its red bracts. discolor discolor growing out of the boulders in any Lophocereus schottii is also present but Above right: shape and size. Different Agave species are does not seem to be as tall as we have Euphorbia lomelii also present. The Mammillaria you find seen them in other places. Bergerocactus almost everywhere is of course M. dioica. emoryi seems to grow mainly in the sandy There are other mammillarias too, but I do areas. I am sure that I have never seen all not know their names. the cacti and succulents which grow there.

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Highlights of

Baja California continued

Ferocactus diguetii flowers Around La Ventana and Isla Cerralvo

Isla Cerralvo has The night before our planned trip to see the been officially endemic cacti on the Isla, we had a fiery % renamed as Isla sunset followed by an almighty Jacques Cousteau, thunderstorm. The next day it looked as if but most locals still the rain would not stop, but by midday the call it by its old name. We stayed in a nice clouds cleared away. B and B overlooking the beach from which Our enthusiastic we could see the island. captain, Enrico,

Mammillaria cerralvo Mammillaria sp 7

Highlights of Baja California continued

managed to get us wet anyway, he was called us for lunch, which was excellent. probably thinking he was driving a None of us were looking forward to the speedboat, which it was not. journey back. We all made sure our cameras where well covered and we were We were glad to reach Isla Cerralvo and glad to be on land again at the end. recover from the journey which was easy as we could already see some huge Before visiting the island we had gone to Ferocactus diguetii (see front cover). There the airport to pick up our friend Eunice. We were also some small mammillarias had made a few stops when we spotted (possibly M. estebanensis) and some larger Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum in bud, Mammillaria cerralvo. flower and fruit and Pachycereus pringlei in bud and flower. After an hour we carried on to another part I of the island but at a slower speed. There Photos: Angie Money Below: were more of the same and I found the (Please note that, because of the small scale, Pachycereus pringlei biggest Mammillaria cerralvo. Then Enrico the map locations are approximate)

Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum – flower

Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum – fruit 8

Cacti cards by Tony Clifford

I recently acquired a complete mint set of me, and the illustrations seem to ‘fit’, 25 cards issued by Lamberts of Norwich there are one or two oddities. For with packets of their blends of tea. The example, card No 10 is entitled cards are undated, but are probably from Hickenia microsperma. the early 1960s, since this set is the same Hickenia is a genus from Argentina as that issued by Amalgamated Tobacco in published by Nathaniel Lord Britton 1961. Each card features a colour and Joseph Nelson Rose in ‘The illustration of a species of cactus on the Cactaceae’ (1922). They recognised front and a descriptive text on the back. just one variable species now known While most of the species are familiar to as Parodia microsperma. Indeed, the text on the card concludes: ‘Also known as Parodia microsperma’. The name Hickenia commemorates Cristobal Maria Hicken, a professor at the University of Buenos Aires. However, the name could not stand because it had been used Malacocarpus mammulosus three years earlier for a (Parodia mammulosa) genus of Apocynaceae containing one species native to Hickenia (Parodia) microsperma Argentina now reclassified as

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Cacti cards continued

grafted plant. This species has also been known as Echinocactus, Notocactus and Ritterocactus; in 1987 Nigel Taylor placed it firmly in Parodia and its accepted scientific name is now Parodia mammulosa. It is among the most widespread of the Parodia species and is very variable in appearance. Four of the cards show plants in the Opuntia group. Card No.14 (top) is Nopalea dejecta, a species widely cultivated and now also called Opuntia dejecta. The Nopalea dejecta (Opuntia dejecta) flowers are scarlet/dark red. The flower buds can be boiled in water and eaten, the young stems are eaten as nopalitos, and the fruit (tunita) is sweet and edible. The IUCN records that the native range of this species is not known as it has been cultivated since historical times, and many of the countries where it has been recorded are probably the result of historical introductions and subsequent naturalisation. No. 24 (far left) shows Opuntia bergeriana, now known as Opuntia elatior. This grows bushy and can reach a height up to 5 meters. The flowers are numerous and of a rich red colour, with edible fruits. No. 20 (middle left) is Opuntia Opuntia bergeriana Opuntia lindheimeri Opuntia engelmannii lindheimeri, a prickly pear now (Opuntia elatior) (Opuntia engelmannii known as Opuntia engelmannii var. var. lindheimeri lindheimeri, with yellow, Morrenia scalae. Hickenia occasionally reddish, flowers. microsperma is now held by most No.16 (near left) is Opuntia engelmannii, authorities to be synonymous with still known as such. It is generally shrubby, Echinocactus microspermus and with dense clumps up to 3.5 metres (11ft) Parodia microsperma. high, usually with no apparent trunk. The Card No 8 is entitled Malacocarpus large flowers are yellow, occasionally mammulosus. The illustration shows a reddish. I

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The flowering of Aloe erinacea The winter of 2014/2015 by Philip Greswell his Aloe was acquired at a It grows in an area in South Africa In habitat, flowering occurs in May TBCSS Zone 15 Convention at reaching from Bitterfontein in the and June. June to September is Capel Manor about three years region of Namaqualand, 380km winter in Namibia. No more rain is ago. It is a tall plant that had north of Cape Town, north to the received over most of the country belonged to a member of the BCSS Orange River which is the boundary except in the far south where the Havering Branch. between Namibia and South Africa. Aloe grows in the winter rainfall It is found in very arid areas, in areas. During the day temperatures In late January 2015 it began to rocky and sandy soils, between are moderate to warm. The nights develop a flower and, some weeks altitudes of 300 and 900 metres on are severely cold and in the desert later, on 13 March the flower slopes and hills. It also grows and inland overnight frost occurs. opened. I was quite surprised that across the Orange River along the it had decided to flower in the In Bitterfontein, the far south of the southern reaches of Namibia in middle of winter when light levels Aloe’s range, the day time similar habitats of sandy soil on were low and the greenhouse temperature during the flowering rocky outcrops. temperature was cold, kept just period in May is around 22C (71F) above 40F (4-5C). But this did not Plants in habitat are described as maximum and 11C (51F) minimum. deter it and the flower developed 20–30cm tall usually in small In June it is 19C (66F) maximum steadily to perfection over the two compact clumps, and this is and 9C (48F) minimum. Rainfall is months as can be seen by the confirmed by pictures of the Aloe in 21.7mm in May and 25.9mm in pictures accompanying this article. habitat on the internet. My plant is June as the winter rains arrive. The Another small Aloe erinacea was taller than this, 43cm/17ins tall, so rains increase throughout their also flowering. perhaps without the winds and winter and the temperature drops So where do they come from and harsh desert-like conditions it gets to its coldest in July, an average of what is their natural habitat and the in habitat, combined with a more 5–6C. The area is said to have a climate in which they grow? nutritious feeding regime here, the Mediterranean climate. Searches from various sites on the plant has grown taller than it would So it can be seen that the internet provided some answers. in its natural home. temperatures Aloe erinacea

24 January 2015 05 February 2015 14 February 2015 11

The flowering of Aloe erinacea continued

experiences in habitat, with the freezing nights and day time temperatures, are not too different from those in my greenhouse. The time of flowering is not too different either. After our summer here in the UK its flowers begin to develop in late January, reaching fruition in early March during winter and spring. As winter approaches in their natural habitat, it flowers in May and June at the start of its winter there. This helps to explain possibly why it flowered here in the winter as it did. Obviously there will be other triggers such as levels of sunlight and there are of course no guarantees it will flower again in future springs. I Photos: Philip Greswell Reference: 1. Succulent Plant Site ZA. http://www.succulents.co.za/

24 February 2015 24 February 2015 (close-up)

09 March 2015 09 March 2015 (close-up) 13 March 2015 12

Fig. 1 M. lasiacantha Winter wonders – three small mammillarias by Tony Roberts

rowing a large collection of Gmammillarias means there is always something in flower nearly every day from spring to autumn and much to admire. In the winter (in the broadest sense: from November to February here in the UK) flowers are much rarer. Mammillaria plumosa traditionally flowers in December, sometimes even on Christmas Day, although I have a couple of different clones which decide to flower somewhat sporadically throughout the year. But the plants I have chosen to share with you this time are some of my favourite small Above: Fig 2 M. magallanii mammillarias which brighten up the and dark days before Christmas or M. denudata glisten in the winter sun early in the New Year. The first plants I have chosen are M. lasiacantha, M. denudata and M. magallanii. Some authorities have reduced these to synonymy, either completely or in part, but I retain the original names for the plants that I have. Collectively they grow in the southern United States Right: Fig 3 and in Northern Mexico but are not M. denudata particularly widespread. In times seed pods

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Winter wonders continued

Fig. 4 M. aureilanata Fig. 5 M. aureilanata var. alba gone by, the best source of small Since these plants flower so early Unlike the first two mammillarias, seedling plants was Ken Burke (of in the season, you rarely get any my third choice, M. solisioides, is Pete and Ken’s Nursery), usually pollination of the flowers (without somewhat different in its flowering grown from seed derived from human intervention) as there are tendencies but is equally tricky to Steve Brack at Mesa Gardens. very few insects around at that grow well. This is another plant Now, I usually have to resort to time. Fortunately when I was which usually remains solitary but growing them from seed myself – a working full-time, I could rely on my you do see larger clumps just very slow business, for it takes several wife to hand-pollinate the occasionally on the show bench. It years to grow a plant that will even appropriate plants using a paint- also requires good drainage and, in look at home in a two-inch pot! brush. This was usually very my hands, is a relatively short-lived successful resulting in many red plant. Only once have I got it They are not the easiest species to fruits, containing black seeds, beyond a three-inch pot. grow and keep alive. They benefit suddenly appearing a few months from very well-draining soil, at least Given enough light and a mild later in about June (Fig. 3). 50% grit with John Innes compost, autumn, M. solisioides will flower in and a location on the top shelf with M. aureilanata used to come in two the UK in November. More often plenty of sunshine. Given these varieties, var. aureilanata with though, while buds may appear in conditions they will flower in mid to golden-yellow spines and var. alba November, they just sit there and late February, and indeed for me with silvery-white spines, but these no flowering occurs. Then, on a are nearly always the very first have also been ‘lumped’ together bright day in January or early plants to flower in the year. Figs. 1 more recently. This species is also February, flowers may open but and 2 show you some example slow growing, usually remaining sometimes the buds abort and no plants together with the solitary, and requires well-drained flowering occurs that winter. Figs. 7 considerable variation in flower size compost as it has a large and and 8 show the same plant and colour. The beauty of these sensitive tuberous root. Given the flowering first in November and species is the closely packed same conditions as M. lasiacantha then again in the following spines which completely obscure it will also flower well on sunny February. I the plant bodies. winter days (Figs. 4 and 5). Photos: Tony Roberts

Fig. 6 M. solisioides flowering in November Fig. 7 M. solisioides flowering again in February 14

In the beginning it was very easy. I did not have many plants, there was no greenhouse, and all the plants were on the kitchen windowsill. However, membership of the BCSS and attending the annual Continental Cactus Crawl (see page 2) meant that these plants were joined by many others in short succession.

Keeping a record by James Gold

I quickly began to realise that I needed to get I then do a bit of research to find out the origin of the organised, as I was interested in the following: plant and the growing conditions there. I also have a 1 Duplication – when purchasing new plants was I comments section on the database, which notes (unintentionally) purchasing a duplicate? anything unusual such as markings etc. 2 Naming and variations – I began to be aware of In addition to having a database of plants I like to have the world of clones, subspecies, hybrids, cultivars some sort of reference with the plant itself. In the plant and synonyms. The same name on two plants could pot I have a single white label that bears the number throw up two quite different looking plants. that correlates to the spreadsheet. I also insert a 3 Provenance – not all nurseries are equal, so I second (coloured) label. The colour denotes a region of wanted to understand if there were differences in the world eg South Africa (yellow) or Madagascar plant quality and value for money. (pink). This second label has the name of the plant on 4 Growth – a general interest in growth but also to one side and on the reverse side I note: see if it was affected by making changes to position 1 Nursery, in the greenhouse or growing medium. 2 Date of purchase, 5 Origin – understanding the plant’s habitat and 3 Size when purchased, growing conditions. 4 Size and date at repotting, There are commercial database packages available 5 Growing conditions. but, like all good accountants, I turned to Microsoft’s Excel and created a spreadsheet to capture the above Recently I have started adding a third label to identify data. Even with a simple spreadsheet it is possible to plants that have persistent pests. Red indicates a bout sort the data by genus, nursery, date of purchase, of mealy bug and black – root mealy bug. This means I country of origin etc. The spreadsheet has grown over am more likely to pick up these plants on a regular the years to capture both an expanding number of basis to inspect them to see if the treatment is working. plants and additional data as I have become interested The system I have developed over the years is peculiar in other features, such as cold hardiness. to my plants and the time I have available. With more I have developed a simple routine of allocating a time I might photograph the plants in flower and log unique number (sequentially starting from one) to each these on the database. I do not experiment very much plant. This lets me know how many plants I have with soil mixes but I know some people do and keep a purchased and, as I record when they expire, I also diary of these trials. All of this information and more is know how many plants are actually in the collection easily captured on a spreadsheet. The purpose of this and their average life span. Each plant is measured article is not to dictate a particular methodology but to and, along with date of purchase, nursery, cost, name share my practical experience of trying to keep tabs on (including synonyms, subspecies etc) and any my collection. I am sure it will have changed again this provenance details, is entered on to the spreadsheet. time next year. Happy logging.

There is a practical side to this process and, over the of which are designed for the harsh environment of last 16 years, I have tried various writing instruments, the garden and greenhouse. These are laminated and labelling machines and plant labels. Not all have been have UV resistance. With various widths and colours successful but items that have worked you can match them to the size and well for me include: colour of the labels you use. Pens – Staedtler Permanent Special F Labels – A couple of years ago I is the best bar none. Look for the gold discovered Wells and Winter – band around the bottom of the pen http://wellsandwinter.co.uk They make Pencil – always good. Not such a the best labels and have a wide range sharp contrast as pen but good for to suit everyone. I favour the six inch sales plants coloured labels as they are robust and Label Printers – Brother has always large enough for lots of information. So provided good service. It sells a wide far they have not gone brittle and variety of label tape cassettes, some snapped in the way of many labels.

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In the previous article we finished our look at the range of smaller succulents that can be grown. In this final part we look at some small cacti we can use. Gardening with succulents Part 6 – Smaller cacti by Paul Spracklin

acti are one of the most alien groups of plants that Chamaecereus Ccan be grown in the English garden and all the This poor thing has been subjected to more synonyms more fun because of that. Modern thinking lumps than seems fair – take your pick from Echinopsis, together many ‘old’ genera into huge, some would say Trichocereus, Cereus or Lobivia. clumsy, mega-genera. I prefer, and still use, many of Chamaecereus silvestrii: – the ‘peanut cactus’ is too the old-fashioned names as for me they give valuable familiar to describe. Tuck it into a dry, sunny rock clues to horticultural differences, if not taxonomic. I crevice and this little fellow will quite happily, grow its offer no apologies for this, green fingers out of the just an explanation! For crack and flower profusely example, if I see a nice but unfamiliar plant for sale Cylindropuntia labelled Soehrensia I know A group of Opuntia that it stands every chance of have finger-like jointed being hardy outside with pads rather than flat ones, me. If it were labelled distinguished in Mexico by Echinopsis I would not the common name ‘cholla’ really be any the wiser. as opposed to ‘tuna’. These are generally from Cultivation of cacti outside extremely arid regions but is pretty much universal – a few species will tolerate full sun and perfect UK conditions. drainage. The largest growing species can take Cylindropuntia imbricata: a very slightly heavier soil, – one of the larger growing chollas that is quite in fact that is a good idea variable in spination, size as it gives a little stability and colour of flowers. to them; some get heavy! Mine has been happily Escobaria growing away, with a little A genus of small, low- support, for many years growing, generally globose but has not yet flowered. little cacti, often clustering, Cylindropuntia found throughout much of echinocarpa: – a recent continental North America. addition for me but Names are a minefield as cultivars of this more many plants that are compact species have currently Escobaria have proved hardy outdoors in been, and may well end continental Europe for up being again, many years. They have Coryphantha and/or Mammillaria. Said to be very dense spines, some amongst the hardiest of very beautifully coloured. cacti yet I find them tricky. Cylindropuntia whipplei: Escobaria vivipara: – – again, a compact cholla small greenish blobs with with very dense spines. white spines and pink Some forms are very flowers. Trichocereus tarijensis sitting in the snow silvery.

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Gardening with succulents continued

Cylindropuntia echinocarpa

Denmoza A genus of barrel cactus from Argentina, with one or two species depending upon the authority, that has largely resisted attempts to lump it within other genera because of its rather peculiar floral structure. Cylindropuntia whipplei Denmoza rhodacantha: – the only species I have grown, but extremely variable in the look of its spines Echinopsis from fine, almost hairy, spines akin to Soehrensia The mega-genus that has enveloped many others. I formosa to grapple-hook affairs reminiscent of a have tried lots and lots, most die after a short while. Ferocactus – and everything in between. But all have the odd tubular red flowers. This has been consistently Echinopsis oxygona: – consistently my hardiest one of the best cacti for me outside and, as it gets to Echinopsis outside, this will spread to form a clump of some size, in time can look very impressive. My oldest miniature barrels that can, in a good year, cover itself plant is around 60cm tall. with those showy pale mauve flowers.

Denmoza rhodacantha Denmoza rhodacantha 17

Gardening with succulents continued

Echinocereus spiny indeed, usually clumping, mostly having small, A genus of around 70 species from southwest USA and cup-shaped bright vermillion flowers. Mexico usually enjoying the common name of Echinocereus triglochidiatus: – in some ways similar hedgehog cactus. Many species are extremely cold to E. coccineus, if anything a bit tougher. Some forms tolerant but not so happy with wet feet. have dense white spines that show off the deep red Echinocereus reichenbachii subsp. baileyi: – I think flowers spectacularly well – I have yet to track one of this is the nicest small cactus that can be grown these down! One of mine is always the first cactus to outside. It slowly offsets to form a small, pale-spined flower outside. colony of little finger-like columns that reliably cover Echinocereus rigidissimus subsp. rubispinus: – not themselves with huge magenta flowers that are the hardiest of species, nor the easiest to grow, but unfeasibly showy worth the effort. Densely covered in tiny recurved ruby for such a small spines, eventually clumping, and massive magenta thing. flowers that totally obscure the plant. My last few got wrenched out of the ground by baby foxes, only to be Echinocereus returned the next day completely chewed. coccineus: – a very variable Gymnocalycium plant, ranging A large genus spread throughout much of South from almost America. I have tried many, still have lots – most die off spineless to very unaccountably after a few years.

Echinocereus triglochidiatus Echinocereus rigidissimus subsp. rubispinus

Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp baileyi Echinocereus coccineus 18

Gardening with succulents continued

Opuntia sheerii Gymnocalycium subgibbosum var nigrum: – I am not all pretty hardy customers, take up a lot of space and, entirely sure about the validity of this name but it is to me, quickly become unattractive. O. humifusa (syn. how the seed packet came labelled 20 years ago. I still O. compressa) in particular is totally bullet-proof but have it, the dark grey colour makes it look half dead a totally collapses each winter and rarely looks good lot of the time. It regularly produces its waxy cream for long. flowers. It is certainly not the prettiest cactus I grow Opuntia fragilis: – slightly different to the above, this but it is the most enduring! has small rounded pads and makes a neat little bundle Opuntia with impressive spring flowers. Various selections have An enormous and widespread genus of plants from been made. Unfortunately for me my badgers seem to most of the new world. Many are winter-hardy find this species irresistible and I have yet to keep it for throughout Europe and so it boils down to personal long before it gets dug up and eaten. preference which you grow. They do have a tendency Opuntia sheerii: – this for me has been the most to make plants of just three or four pads high before impressive ‘tuna’. It has very short, almost fuzzy straw keeling over and ending up as a sprawling mess. I now coloured spines and so far remains upright. Flowers, grow a very limited number as they take up a huge when they appear, are lemon yellow the first day, amount of space and can get very weedy very quickly. fading to peach. It has been hardy with me through the Opuntia polyacantha, microdasys, humifusa, recent bad winters although I would guess it is not phaeacantha: – I lump all these together as they are ultimately as hardy as those species listed earlier.

Soehrensia bruchii Soehrensia formosa 19

Gardening with succulents continued

Trichocereus schickendantzii Soehrensia Trichocereus A group of globular or squat barrel-type cacti mainly A large genus of mainly columnar cacti, now moved from Argentina. Some forms seem to remain solitary, into the even larger genus of Echinopsis. Many are some forms seem to cluster. These seem to be worth growing. extremely good growers in my garden, along with Trichocereus schickendantzii: – this has grown into a Denmoza my favourite ‘smaller’ cacti to grow outside. spectacular plant for me. A slim columnar cactus that They flower regularly and, in time, can attain quite readily offsets, the columns seem to topple over very impressive proportions. quickly and then crawl along the ground. Over a period Soehrensia bruchii: – these seem to be variable but of around 15 years mine has made a weird Medusa- are typically apple-green globular head of ground cover that or barrel shaped globes reaching never fails to catch the eye of to 30cm across, sometimes visitors. Flowers, when clustering, usually with short and produced, are immensely light spines. Flowers are borne in showy white saucer-sized rings near the top of the plant affairs that last but one night. and can range from bright scarlet These few mentioned cacti are to burnt orange. Some of my but the tip of the iceberg, a plants have been growing few selected plants that I grow outside happily for 15 years. or have grown. Soehrensia formosa: – this Growing cactus and succulent species seems more inclined to plants outside is fun and grow into a barrel and is typically rewarding. Of course not smaller in diameter than everyone can grow every plant S. bruchii. The skin is a dull but it is fair to say that anyone, green and generally covered in anywhere, can grow a few. Be very dense spines that can be bold in your plantings, do not long and fine, almost inviting you be put off by occasional losses to stroke them! Flower colour is and enjoy the successes! I a strong chrome yellow. Photos: Paul Spracklin Both of the above are often Paul Spracklin is a garden available and, with each species designer with a specialist interest being so variable, it is hard not in gardening with succulents. See to keep buying them! Trichocereus schickendantzii in flower his website Oasis Designs

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