RichR's 2012 collection

RichR · Post by **RichR** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 1:12 am

Reading PeterB's new thread got me itching to order some plants now that Mesa's new list is up.

Having photographed extensively in West Texas for 40 years, I've developed quite an affinity for Chihuahuan Desert plants, and a newfound infatuation with the more northern scleros and Pedios.

I just hope Mesa will actually have these in stock. You never know till you get your order!

I already have plenty of seeds so I've ordered only plants:

Sclerocactus, /4,6,9,11,16-18/ colorful plants, spiny
1220.71-parviflorus `terraecanyonae' SB1019 San Juan Co UT, TL
1220.715-parviflorus DJF775.7 Kayenta, AZ, variable fl color

Echinocereus
191.44-dasyacanthus SB405 /17/ Crockett Co, TX, red flowers
193.4-delaetii v freudenbergeri /17/ Cuatrocienagas
194.348-engelmannii v boyce-thompsonii /17/ long brown spines
198-engelmannii v variegatus SB844 /18/ Navajo Co,Az, super long sp
198.8-enneacanthus /17/ Est. Marte, Coah., incredible spines
216-fitchii SB861 Webb Co, TX, lacey pink flowers
250.806-X roetteri AG12P13 petals yellow + orange, green center
250.812-X roetteri AG12P31 rich pink flowers with dark midstripe
260.59-coccineus v gurneyi La Luz, NM, ex Morrical, super black sp

Echinofossulocactus
314.05-phyllacanthus v violaciflorus large deep purple flowers

Mammillaria
721-lasiacantha SB419 Presidio Co, few radials, thicker stem

Thelocactus
1259.5-bicolor v commodus /16/ fat round tubercles
1264.7-conothelos v aurantiacus CSD149 Marmolejo, NL, reddened stems
1262.9-conothele /17/ pink-orange flowers
1271.5-lausseri red striped petals, papery sp
1273.2-leucacanthus v schmollii SB579 Vizarron, pink flowers

Also ordered some Pedios, Scleros and Escobarias from Beaver Creek Greenhouses.

I've currently got Mammillaria pectinifera and Ancistrocactus scheeri in bud and another half dozen mamms in bloom. No activity yet from my Echinofossulos but we have some warm weather in our short-term forecast so I'm hoping to see more buds soon.

Will post pictures soon.

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 3:50 pm

Fantastic list! Look forward to seeing pics of the new arrivals.

I forget now, are you growing in a greenhouse? It interests me that you have so much activity already. My Chihuahuan Desert plants here will be in cold/dry storage for another 5 weeks or so.

peterb

RichR · Post by **RichR** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 3:56 pm

Peter, Yes, Most of my plants are in a greenhouse. I have kept it no lower than 45F throughout fall and winter and it has gotten up into the low 80s on several occasions when the sun is shining brightly. We haven't had nearly as cold a winter as last year. I think our lowest temp has been around 28F.

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 5:22 pm

Cool, I wish I had a greenhouse to grow in that I could easily convert to a shade house. Despite the luxurious temps here, the growing season for Chihuahuan "burst growers" is maddeningly short, some years, as I can't force them out of dormancy too soon and then the temps go high enough to shut them down too quickly. If we get a string of 100F days in March, that's it.

peterb

RichR · Post by **RichR** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:11 pm

Here are some pix of recent acquisitions and some of my current bloomers and budders (is that a word?)

Echinomastus dasyacanthus

Echinomastus laui

Echinomastus johnsonii lutescens (Wickenburg, AZ)

Echinomastus dasyacanthus SB1709 Organ Mtns, NM

Echinomastus durangensis SB46 Durango, MX

Echinomastus erectocentrus Pima Co., AZ

Echinomastus mariposensis SB412 Brewster Co., TX

Ancistrocactus scheeri with tiny buds (Zapata Co., TX)

Ancistrocactus brevihamatus in bud

Ancistrocactus brevihamatus

Mammillaria pectinifera

Mammillaria albata

Mammillaria schiedana

Mammillaria laui subducta

Mammillaria hahniana

Mammillaria hernandezii

RichR · Post by **RichR** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:13 pm

peterb wrote:Cool, I wish I had a greenhouse to grow in that I could easily convert to a shade house. Despite the luxurious temps here, the growing season for Chihuahuan "burst growers" is maddeningly short, some years, as I can't force them out of dormancy too soon and then the temps go high enough to shut them down too quickly. If we get a string of 100F days in March, that's it.

peterb

Peter, what other species are considered "burst growers?"

iann · Post by **iann** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:43 pm

Pretty much anything from the Great Basin will be a burst grower. Species from surrounding areas may also have their main growth and flowering season in early spring but it isn't so pronounced. So Echinocereus engelmannii is one of the earliest Echinocereus to start taking up water at the end of winter, but you won't kill it by watering in June

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:59 pm

I agree re: Great Basin and would include some cacti from mountain environs or high altitude locales elsewhere (such as a lot of forms of coccineus and/or mojavensis) and all the Escobaria, including those from hotter areas like Big Bend. Now this is just my casual, unscientific observation and needs several more growing years to get any certainty on. The good thing about most burst growers is they seem able to take water even after their "burst" is over. Some, like Escobaria missouriensis or navajoensis, not so much. But all of the sneedii forms explode into growth here in early spring while nights are still cold, then slow way down or go to sleep in summer and then start growing again in the fall (but usually not flowering). The whole summer sleepy time they regularly get soaked by thunderstorms and it doesn't seem to harm them.

peterb

Minime8484 · Post by **Minime8484** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:04 pm

WOW! Fantastic plants!
Really love the Mammillaria pectinifera! Hope you post when it blooms!

Thord Hakansson · Post by **Thord Hakansson** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:36 pm

fantastic goodlooking plants !

Arjen · Post by **Arjen** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:00 am

lovely plants, especially the echinomasti and the m. hernandezii

RichR · Post by **RichR** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:17 pm

peterb wrote:I agree re: Great Basin and would include some cacti from mountain environs or high altitude locales elsewhere (such as a lot of forms of coccineus and/or mojavensis) and all the Escobaria, including those from hotter areas like Big Bend. Now this is just my casual, unscientific observation and needs several more growing years to get any certainty on. The good thing about most burst growers is they seem able to take water even after their "burst" is over. Some, like Escobaria missouriensis or navajoensis, not so much. But all of the sneedii forms explode into growth here in early spring while nights are still cold, then slow way down or go to sleep in summer and then start growing again in the fall (but usually not flowering). The whole summer sleepy time they regularly get soaked by thunderstorms and it doesn't seem to harm them.

peterb

Thanks for the info, Peter. I'm still wondering though, are there other Chihuahuan desert plants besides escobarias that you would consider to be burst growers?

Question #2: Are thecacti of the Tamaulipan thornscrub and Texas Hill Country (A. asterias, E. pentalophus, E. pappillosus v angusticeps, A. tobuschii, Thelo setispinus, E. reichenbachii (including fitchii and albertii) and others in those areas considered to be Chihuahuan Desert plants in terms of general culture?

These plants can get quite a bit more rainfall than their cousins to the west and south and they live in soils that frequently have a fairly heavy top layer of dead leaves, grass, cow manure, or other organic matter.

Just wondering if these factors might lead one to treat these cacti differently in culture.

iann · Post by **iann** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:33 pm

I wouldn't consider any of the plants you list as burst growers. In fact I wouldn't go near most of them with water until nights were comfortably above freezing. Even many Escobarias from Mexico are happier to grow in summer than spring. E. hesteri would be the poster child.

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:38 pm

Well, that's a great question. One side note: I have noticed that Ancistrocactus tobuschii has a burst growing habit like a lot of Scleros and Pedios. It puts on a lot of action in spring to early summer and then just sits there for pretty much the rest of the year, here in Phoenix anyway. scheeri and brevihamatus and megarhiza on the other hand grow all through the sultry heat and seem to love it.

In general, it seems the Tamaulipan plants grow very well with a wet late spring, good water over the summer and a cold, dry fall and winter, exactly the same as Chihuahuan plants. I have it on my list to visit the Tamaulipan region more thoroughly. I hear it is quite sultry and humid over the summer, as opposed to the true Chihuahuan desert.

peterb

RichR · Post by **RichR** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:24 pm

You're not kidding regarding the Tamaulipan heat and humidity. I grew up in the region and it is downright insufferable starting in late May through September. February, March and April on the other hand are delightful in South Texas (if not a bit windy) and you will see a vast array of blooming plants (including cacti) during rainy years. This year may actually have a decent cactus bloom due to the rains in December, and now in early January. Another good rain in February would be nice.

I am planning a lower Rio Grande Valley trip in late March to Chihuahua Woods Preserve (amazing cacti and usually the peak of the bloom period--take plenty of DEET repellent), Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Las Estrellas Preserve (home of A. asterias) and Falcon Lake State Park (lots of nice cacti and other thornscrub flora), and the Boca Chica area at the very tip of Texas. I will definitely post a lot of pictures.