Copiapoa solaris first flower

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DWDogwood
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Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by DWDogwood »

This one is over 50 years old. I got it from Anne Shein in 1991 as a smaller clump and the earliest transplant date on the tag was ‘76.
I’d gotten a second one from her, a little smaller but with several pups, in hopes that I could make seeds, even though she said they probably wouldn’t flower and that it was her opinion that these were “on their way out” as a species.

So I never really put much trust in them to do what this big girl finally did. There’s this one humble little flower, and another lower adjacent branch with a nice bud on it.
Being an optimist, I used some pollen from a similar sized C. dura to try to fertilize it.
I’m not familiar with any solaris hybrids out there, although it may have crossed naturally with C. atacamensis with which it shares habitat.
My large atacamensis just flowered last week so none were available to try that.

At any rate, it has been quite a long wait to see this happen.

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DaveW
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by DaveW »

I saw these in habitat at Botija and they are certainly struggling if not dying out. The Camanchaca (the daily fog) that watered them is seemingly gradually moving further south and their habitat is getting dryer. Although Chile had exceptional rains in the north in 2015 when I went, these are too infrequent to keep the plants alive, they rely on the mist for their long term existence. This is really low cloud, drifting in from the cold ocean daily which condenses on the plants and waters them. You did very well to flower your plant.

You can see their state in habitat in the following link if you scroll right down to the bottom.

http://forum.bcss.org.uk/viewtopic.php? ... 1&start=70

Camanchaca rolling in rather further south in Chile. RMF picture.
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Grimm
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by Grimm »

Great looking plant, and that flower is wonderful, even more so for the rarity and effort put in!
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BRC
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by BRC »

That is one beautiful old lady you got there DW, very impressive.

I am not very familiar with the status in the wild, but according to Dave and a bit of flash reading aparently these aren't doing to good.
Over 50 years old, and only now has it flowered flowered for the first time, personally i would absolutely flabbergasted but also humbled by this feat.

I am very happy for you, not many can say that they have made C. solaris flower.

Congrats a beautiful plant and feat :)
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ElieEstephane
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by ElieEstephane »

Very beautiful plant DW! That flower is definitely the cherry on top!
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
DWDogwood
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by DWDogwood »

DaveW wrote: Thu Mar 08, 2018 10:26 am I saw these in habitat at Botija and they are certainly struggling if not dying out. The Camanchaca (the daily fog) that watered them is seemingly gradually moving further south and their habitat is getting dryer.

You can see their state in habitat in the following link if you scroll right down to the bottom.

http://forum.bcss.org.uk/viewtopic.php? ... 1&start=70
Thanks Dave, I’d followed that thread as it was being posted and certainly envy your having seen copiapoa habitat first hand.
Great documentation and I hope everyone follows the link to read your report.

But oh those solaris you saw are so sad. I like to look at the photo in Copiapoa 2006 (Schulz) of the huge clump that dwarfs the author, or the large ones that dot Botija Peak, and imagine in certain ranges their population is somehow safe and thriving.

Thanks all for the kind replies.
DaveW
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by DaveW »

We did not go to the top of the hill at Botija, so they may be in a better state up there since it depends on where the fog strikes the hillsides, so lower altitudes can often be dryer than middle ones or even higher altitudes, it depends on topography. In places the fog streams inland up the valleys rather like a river in reverse, but is stopped by higher ground. Ritter said rain supports C. solaris on the top of the hills, but as they get little rain there he must have gone in an exceptional wet year, just as I did, which usually only occur about once in ten years. Just where the Camanchaca hits the hills varies locality to locality, but I found this general diagram
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There are a couple of C. solaris video's on YouTube which are dated 2012, but if that was when it was taken or just posted I do not know and obviously taken at the tops of the hills. From the Nolana's flowering it had obviously been wet there that year. Roger has been going to Chile looking at these plants almost every year since he started in 1982 and says every year he goes there are more and more dead plants up North. Of course in Chile the further north you go the dryer it gets. There was an article by Raquel Pinto in the British BCSS yearbook Bradleya 23/2005 on how the northernmost Eriosyce (Islaya) islayensis, E. iquiquensis etc were dying out. Many dead plants now being found which were alive when Ritter and Kattermann were first collecting.

They look healthier here filmed at Caleta El Cobre, further south than Botija where we were. Interesting the remark that C. solaris sometimes has red flowers, since of course most Copiapoa's have yellow ones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzt38alK4UM

This second one filmed at Antofagasta, further north than Botija looks more like the area we visited with many dead plants.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfT0kUTD5Fg

Followed the link on their videos and you may be interested in their website DW.

http://www.copiapoa.dk/

http://www.copiapoa.dk/side_a_engelsk.html
iloveu3000
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by iloveu3000 »

Hi there !
I hope You don’t mind Me asking what is your soil mix ratio for your Copiapoa solaris ?
I’m new to Copiapoas and I currently acquired some Solaris.
Thank You for your help !
😃🙌🏽💯
DaveW
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by DaveW »

Don't know what Dogwood grows his magnificent plants in, but most S. American cacti prefer a soil slightly on the acid side of neutral. Many in Chile grow in quartz sand or decayed granite type soils originally volcanic. Otherwise I don't think Copiapoa's are too fussy and normal cactus soils are OK provided they are well drained.
iloveu3000
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by iloveu3000 »

Thank You for helping Me out DaveW!
Hoping to hear from DWDogwood soon!
DWDogwood
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by DWDogwood »

Soil is an issue now. Last year I noticed this solaris wasn’t fattening up from the winter. It did flower but something wasn’t right.
I pulled up a little and it just came out of its pot. Upon detailed inspection I found clusters of those little tiny yellow fungus balls. Not that they harm a plant but they are the canary in the mine. Some of the commercial potting mix I included in my own mix had spores in it indicating an excessively “ripe” organic component.

I plucked all the aborted roots and washed the root ball and stuck the plant in pumice and decomposed granite for a year. This spring I inspected it and there are a few new root shoots, but it’ll take a couple of years to return to its former vigor.
Currently it’s in 60% pumice, 30% gold fines and 10% STERILIZED bonsai soil.
It flowered this April and two of the stems have new wool and spines, so it’s growing. It just looks more like an Atacama habitat grown example rather than a greenhouse specimen.
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keith
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by keith »

Beautiful large cactus glad you saved it . I have noticed many cactus become trickier to grow the larger they get . Most of my larger Cactus are in clay pots as extra insurance against over water. When I move back to AZ probably have to re think this...

Compost hard to find good stuff. I read about decomposed pine needles where you find that I have no idea ?
DaveW
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by DaveW »

Of course, though we forget it, Cacti and Succulents have a normal lifespan just like humans and other plants. They do die in habitat. The problem is as they get older if they lose their roots they may be more difficult to re-root. Just as we oldies don't heal as quick as youngsters anymore. However that plant looks in excellent condition and will probably last most of us out.
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nachtkrabb
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by nachtkrabb »

Hi Dave, thank you for sharing. Beautiful.
How old do you think these plants may get?

Hi Dogwood, looks great, this part of your collection. Also nice picture.

N.
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...and still more cacti.
DaveW
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Re: Copiapoa solaris first flower

Post by DaveW »

Depends. Roger Ferryman said how slow they obviously grow in habitat the massive Copiapoa clumps of some species must live far longer than we do.
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