Plant ID for Cacti Found in Arches National Park

GardenBed · Post by **GardenBed** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:57 pm

Hey guys, as some of you know, I recently went on a big trip. I posted a few pictures of cacti/ succulents/ plants that I photographed on my trip. I found this cacti near a trail in Arches National Park ( Utah. )

This is one of the few cacti I saw personally ( closely ) on my 7 day trip. This shot was taken in Arches National Park in Southeast Utah.

iann · Post by **iann** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:06 pm

Sclerocactus whipplei?

Post by **daiv** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:10 pm

Definitely Sclerocactus. I think there are a couple options on this -being unskilled at these like Peterb. Will have to do a little more looking.

iann · Post by **iann** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:16 pm

Maybe Sclerocactus parviflorus?

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:23 pm

Agreed, Sclerocactus of some sort.
And a very fine specimen at that!

GardenBed · Post by **GardenBed** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:10 pm

CoronaCactus wrote:Agreed, Sclerocactus of some sort.
And a very fine specimen at that!

Thanks for the feedback guys. This is one of the only surviving Sclerocactus in Arches National Park. I think it might have been something with this subject is not allowed, but I found about 20 of these cacti ( Same species ) dead and dry near the hiking trails. I caught a photo of this fine specimen when a fellow friend pointed it out.

Edit: Near a hotel, I got permission to get some plants from the hotel property ( next to parking lot ) and the land was similar to the land inside Arches National Park. I got 2 different species of some sort of succulents or desert plants and I am in the process of reviving them. ( I pulled them out with roots, and after 2 days, I just planted them )

Wish luck for the plants. : D

GardenBed · Post by **GardenBed** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 12:23 am

iann wrote:Sclerocactus whipplei?

I asked a friend and he said S. whipplei as well. Thanks guys.

* Side note *
I did not take the cacti home, it was in a protected nation park for curious on-lookers. I just stood and took a picture.

birdguy34 · Post by **birdguy34** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:43 am

I doubt that this subject is not allowed is what is killing the Sclerocactus. The genus is famous for growing in cycles with beetle outbreaks. I bet under the dead plants and in other places there were young plant growing to replace the dead ones.
Chris

GardenBed · Post by **GardenBed** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 1:56 am

birdguy34 wrote:I doubt that this subject is not allowed is what is killing the Sclerocactus. The genus is famous for growing in cycles with beetle outbreaks. I bet under the dead plants and in other places there were young plant growing to replace the dead ones.
Chris

Haha, I was just joking on that. There was no beetles in that park though, but thanks for that piece of information!

iann wrote: Maybe Sclerocactus parviflorus?

Yes, that was what I thought too. It looked like some on the websites.