My flowering Cacti 2021

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K.W.
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by K.W. »

Good evening Harald,

great photos, most beautiful flowers!
What we working cacti people need is something like a wildlife camera.
A cacti-flower-camera!!! :wink:


Courage dear friend!


Best regards

K.W.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
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hegar
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Location: El Paso, Texas

Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by hegar »

Hello Cactus Friends,
Thank you very much for your comment, K.W.. It certainly would be nice to have a camera, which all by itself would spring into action, whenever it notices a cactus flower. The next best thing would be to use a timer set in advance for that moment. Once I am retired, however, I can go whenever I want to and take all the pictures I want at the very best time possible.
In the meantime, I either have to hope for the best, or - as was the case with the Thelocactus bicolor var. bolaensis or flavidispinus - ask my wife, who is retired, if she would be willing to photograph the cactus. She was nice enough to oblige this time around.

I did spot a few additional plants in bloom yesterday and the day before:
First up, the above mentioned Thelocactus bicolor var. bolaensis or flavidispinus, which my wife photographed
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I did take a photo of the other cacti, including this Echinocereus bonkerae, which was in the process of closing its blossom.
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Also, my good-sized Ancistrocactus uncinatus is getting ready for its flowering. There are a number of buds present, so I will wait a few more days and take a close-up shot of the unusual flower color this plant produces.
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Harald
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hegar
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by hegar »

Hello Cactus Friends,
despite experiencing a not so good weekend, which manifested itself with strong winds, cloudiness and low temperatures for this time of the year, I did get to photograph a few flowering cacti, some of them for the first time this year.
I am going to start with one of my Opuntias, which will eventually have to vacate its growing spot, because it is starting to take up too much space.
Thie plant is Opuntia violacea.
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Next two images of hybrid claret cup cacti (Echinocereus x roetteri). The first image shows a plant I already presented here, albeit with fewer flowers. The second picture does show a cactus, which is flowering for the very first time. The blossoms are slightly darker in color than those of the other hybrid, which does have salmon colored flowers.
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Next another image of the Ancistrocactus uncinatus, One of the blossoms is a bit more open than what I did see the last time around. However, because of the cloudiness, the flowers did not open fully.
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Also, the first Echinocereus dasyacanthus opened its blossom. I did take pictures yesterday and today of the same flower and it also did not fully open. I do have many of these cacti and will show more of their pretty and large inflorescences in the near future.
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The last cactus for the day is a plant, which is flowering for the first time. Based on the large and deep red blossom, and also of the spine arrangement I do not believe, that this is an Echinocereus coccineus claret cup, but rather either a hybrid (E_roetteri) or an Echinocereus triglochidiatus. Either way, I am happy to have this plant and hope, that it will stay with me for many more years to come and continue to produce its beautiful blossoms.

Harald
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hegar
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by hegar »

Hello Cactus Friends,
here comes a somewhat lengthy assortment of various cactus flowers.
First off, I start with another Turbinicarpus, which flowered for the first time at the end of March. It took me a while to figure out, what the scientific name of that plant is. It turns out to be T. schmiedickeanus ssp. schwarzii var. rubriflorus
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Next is Thelocactus bicolor ssp. bolaensis or flavidispinus. This is the second time the plant did bloom. However, the flowers were quite a bit more "washed out" than the first time around, which seems to be common with at least some of the cacti.
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Now a few images of the Opuntia spp. which are "blooming their heads off" so to speak. They have taken over almost one half of the space offered by the Cactus Flower Bed 2. So, after this flowering season, I will either have to cut them way back, or better even grow them somewhere else, if I can find some room for them. Unfortunately, the plant doing so well is one of my favorite prickly pear cacti Opuntia aciculata. Here are some images.
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Here is a final photo of my one and only cat-claw cactus (Ancistrocactus uncinatus). It too did produce a good half dozen flowers.
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Also, the first blossom did show up on the Astrophytum capricorne. I did arrive too late to take a good picture, but hopefully the next flower bud with be more cooperative.
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The first blossom of Echinocereus pectinatus also opened up today.
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I am closing today's floral display with a series of one of my favoite, large-flowered Echinocereus species. It is one of the most common cacti growing within ten miles outside the El Paso city limits. I am talking about the Texas Rainbow (Echinocereus dasyacanthus). I do have a whole row of them in one cactus bed and some more, including hybrids in the others.
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This was it for the day. Perhaps some more caxti will be blooming tomorrow and I can show their flowers too. :)


Harald
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dinfelu
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by dinfelu »

hi Harald

of this series that you present to us I am going to put on my wish list the ... Echinocereus dasyacanthus ... what a beautiful yellow flower.

regards
🌵 Gabriel
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jerrytheplater
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by jerrytheplater »

Really nice Harold.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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hegar
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by hegar »

Hello Cactus Friends,

except for the prickly pear cacti and the Echinocereus dasyacanthus only one cactus is flowering. It is doing so for the first time, however.
It is another hybrid E_coccineus x E_dasyacanthus named Echinocereus x roetteri.
Here is a photo of the single stemmed plant with its single blossom.

Harald
E_x roetteri16.JPG
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dinfelu
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by dinfelu »

hi Harald

the flowering of this hybrid that you show us has a very beautiful color and impressive thorns to keep away from them

regards
🌵 Gabriel
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jerrytheplater
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by jerrytheplater »

It is always very exciting to get the first bloom from the plant we've been growing for so long!!
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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hegar
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by hegar »

Hello Cactus Friends,
well, it happened as it does pretty much every year: Some of my plants will not accomodate me and flower during the weekend. :lol:
Undeterred, I still went ahead and took a few photos of those non-obedient plants. Fortunately, some of them will flower again sometime in the near future and perhaps then I will be successful and be able to photograph them when their blossoms are wide open.
So here they are:
First up, both of my Astrophytum capricorne plants did flower on the same day. One is a regular cultivar, the other one a "senile" type.
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Another plant, which did flower - and most likely did not produce the kind of blossoms it did in the past, because the plant did become monstrose last year - is the Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. fitschii.
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Number three of the listing is the Escobaria sneedii ssp. sneedii. This plant will produce more blossoms over the next few weeks. So not all is lost. :) I did notice a lot of ants crawling all over the plant and hope, that they were only feeding perhaps on the extrafloral nectaries.
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Also, one of my Thelocactus bicolor plants was in bloom today. It did have two blossoms.
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Two of my Turbinicarpus spp. plants also did have large flower buds, but most likely will no longer be open come Saturday.
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I am going to close this post with a plant that was nicely flowering shortly before 7 p.m. It is my second Echinocereus coccineus ssp. rosei, a claret cup.
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Harald
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hegar
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by hegar »

Hello Cactus Friends,
despite having had some frisky weather with a cold spell, cloudiness and a bit of rain, there were a number of cacti either still flowering or starting to bloom.
The Ancistrocactus uncinatus has been flowering since April 15th and is still not done.
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I am really happy about the first flowering of a single-stemmed Echinocereus coccineus ssp. rosei. Having all of its blossoms open at the same time was truly beautiful. :)
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Another Echinocereus species, which opened its flowers is a multi-stemmed Echinocereus fendleri.
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Also, the first flower by one of my Echinocereus pentalophus plants was displayed. Next to it is another plant of that species, but that one has sturdier stems, which do not change to a purplish coloration when stressed. This plant too will flower in the near future.
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A cactus, which has been flowering for a long time is the Escobaria tuberculosa. The flowers are small, but of a cute pink color.
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Also, the Opuntia aciculata plant has been producing a lot of beautiful flowers. It was amazing to see many solitary bees buzzing all over it as it in a mad dance.
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Another Opuntia in bloom is the Opuntia azurea. It does have rather long, bi-colored, sturdy spines.
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The Turbinicarpus group also is showing blossoms.
Both of my Turbinicarpus horripilus plants were in flower.
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Also, three of my Turbinicarpus macrochele cacti were flowering. The first images do show two plants, which are in pots, while the third one my oldest specimen, which is in the ground.
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I shall finish the series with two images of Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanus ssp. klinkerianus.


Harald
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dinfelu
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by dinfelu »

hi Harald

the series of echinocereus in bloom is fantastic

and the turbinicarpus series catches my attention

Congratulations
🌵 Gabriel
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jerrytheplater
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by jerrytheplater »

Again, thanks very much Harold. Your outdoor beds are really great.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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hegar
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by hegar »

Thank you very much for your compliments, Gabriel and Jerry. I try my best to photograph every flowering cactus, but being at work past 6:30 p.m. does not allow for success each time.
Today I did spot a partially open blossom on one of my Echinocereus sp. plants. Judging by the spine color, it does look closest to Echinocereus pectinatus. This plant could also be a hybrid, because it did grow from seed of openly pollinated plants. Perhaps I will be able to take some better pictures. After all, it does have four flower buds and I do not have to work this Friday. :)

Harald
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hegar
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Re: My flowering Cacti 2021

Post by hegar »

Hello Cactus Friends,
usually I post images on Saturdays or Sundays, because that is when I do have the opportunity to photograph my cacti. However, this time my day off was today. Some of my cacti bloomed and I took advantage of it. :)
Of all my cacti, there are some species, which do flower unexpectably. This morning I did some hand watering/fertilizing of my cacti, and was not even aware, that a small plant would be blooming the very same day. I only did spot it, when I went out early this afternoon, in order to take a few photos of my Echinopsis chamaecereus. Right there, a few inches away, I spotted two pink blossoms, which were coming off my Echinocereus knippelianus. It is a small plant - at least the one I do have - which is not easily noticed.
So, here are the pictures of both the Echinopsis chamaecereus and the Echinocereus knippelianus.
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The output by two of my Echinocereus reichenbachii plants was a "mixed bag". Two years ago, my Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. fitchii all of a sudden changed its growing habits and became monstrose. With it, the usually good-sized blossoms did become quite a bit smaller and also do look unattractive. I am thinking of getting rid of that plant, because I am not certain, that it will ever again produce the usual flowers. :(
On the other hand, the regular E. reichenbachii did deliver a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
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I am going to close for the day with some images of two of my Astrophytum spp. cacti. Both of these species produce flowers several times each season. So, they are a good choice of cactus to have in my yard.
First, the Astrophytum capricorne
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and next two images of one of my two Astrophytum asterias hybrids.


Harald
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