Reclaiming my winter-hardy cactus bed - day 2

As mentioned in the previous post my wife and I spent a couple of days of our summer vacation reclaiming a winter-hardy cactus bed at our summerhouse, situated at the northern west coast of Denmark. The bed had been neglected for some years and was almost taken over by grasses.


Winter-hardy cactus bed - half of which is still overgrown by grasses

At the beginning of the second day we were still missing half of the bed. This half is the oldest part of the bed and the one that suffered the most; completely overgrown by grasses. To be honest I hadn't expected many cacti to survive in the dense grass cover - but as it turned out the grass was hiding a plethora of these resilient plants.


Recovering winter-hardy Opuntia cacti from the dense grass cover

Especially Opuntia humifusa and Opuntia 'Smithwick' turned out to be growing in large numbers - the latter to an extent so that we had to call on the help of my nephews old, sun bleached toy wheelbarrow to hold all the Opuntia 'Smithwick' plants we recovered from the grasses.


Reclaimed winter-hardy cactus bed

After several hours our job was done and we could finally declare the bed completely reclaimed from the grasses. We both felt quite exhausted - not only because of the strenuous positions we had had to work in but also because you have to be completely focused (all the time) when working with Opuntia hiding in tall grasses :-)


Overview of the newly reclaimed part of the Opuntia cactus bed

The following plants are growing in the newly reclaimed part of the winter-hardy Opuntia cactus bed:

Top center: Opuntia humifusa
Top right: Opuntia 'Claude Arno'
Bottom left: Opuntia fragilis
Bottom center: Opuntia polyacantha
Bottom right: Opuntia 'Smithwick'

The plants at the top left are Opuntia trichophora v. nova (Roswell, New Mexico) growing in the part of the bed that was reclaimed the day before.

Reclaiming my winter-hardy cactus bed - day 1

Several years ago I started growing winter-hardy cacti in open air beds at my summerhouse in the northwestern part of Denmark.


Neglected winter-hardy cactus bed almost taken over by grasses

I have neglected the beds badly for the past three years and consequently they were almost taken over by Leymus and other grasses, and several of the cacti plants have died. Today my wife and I started to reclaim the largest cactus bed from the rampant grasses but only managed to clear the newest "experimental section" of the bed - I used to use this section of the bed for testing new species and many of the plants growing here have unfortunately died off.

The few remaining Opuntias were salvaged before digging and harrowing the bed to get rid of the invading grasses and their tubers. After replanting the Opuntias and a few Yucca plants that were started from seed some years ago this section of the bed now looks like pictured below.


Reclaimed and replanted cactus and yucca bed

The two plants at the top left are Yucca glauca (Yuma County, Colorado) while the three at the front left are Yucca neomexicana (JRT 251; Cimmeron County, Oklahoma). The center plant is an Opuntia hystricina cultivar named 'Hanau' and finally the plants at the top right are Opuntia trichophora v. nova (Roswell, New Mexico).

We'll continue salvaging the remaining part of the bed tomorrow.

Tricotyledon Echinocactus polycephalus seedling

Tricotyledon Echinocactus polycephalus seedling

As mentioned in the previous post I started a handful of Echinocactus polycephalus (SNL 91; Las Vegas, Nevada) from seed a few weeks ago. I didn't achieve impressive germination rates and many of the seedlings were killed off by mold while still enclosed in the humid atmosphere of the germination "tent" - and more have withered after I exposed the seedlings to the harsher environment outside of the plastic bag they germinated in. So for all practical purposes Echinocactus polycephalus (and E. horizonthalonius) live up to their reputation of being extremely difficult to grow from seed.


Echinocactus polycephalus seedling growing its first spines

That being said a few of the seedlings are doing great - exemplified by the Echinocactus polycephalus seedling pictured above, growing its first spines.


Tricotyledon Echinocactus polycephalus seedling - top view

Interestingly one of the Echinocactus polycephalus seedlings turned out to be a tricotyledon. Members of the Cactus family belong to the group of dicotyledons, i.e. their seedlings have two cotyledons or embryonic leaves. So evidently Echinocactus polycephalus is a dicot but for some reason this seedling decided to grow three seed leaves instead of the habitual two.

Polycotyledons could be considered freaks of nature or "mutant" plants but this seedling will probably grow up looking exactly like the other plants from the same batch. The last time I experienced a polycot seedling was some years ago when an Opuntia polyacantha var. hystricina seedling germinated with three seed leaves.


Tricotyledon Opuntia polyacantha var. hystricina seedling

Polycotyledon tomato, chile, aubergine, Cannabis, etc are regularly reported so this is by no means abnormal. It would be interesting to know though if this is affecting the plants in any way (as mentioned, the last time I experienced a tricot seedling the plant grew up to be indistinguishable from the "normal" plants). I'm also curious as to what is causing the extra seed leaves (the Opuntia seedling mentioned above was grown fresh from seed collected in the Grand Canyon; indicating to me that polycots are occurring naturally and are not (only) caused by "mutagens" in the environment).

Cacti in Crystal Cove State Park

During a recent visit to Orange County I had a weekend to kill. I neither had the energy nor the time to head for the open desert so instead I decided for a stroll at Laguna Beach.


Cylindropuntia prolifera (coastal cholla) overlooking the Pacific Ocean

I never made it to Laguna Beach though. Cruising south on the Pacific Coast Highway I noticed a sign advertising Crystal Cove State Park and decided to check it out.


Opuntia littoralis (coastal prickly-pear)

And I’m glad I did - the park turned out to comprise a secluded and pristine stretch of beach, almost completely deserted in spite of its location smack in the middle of the SoCal urban sprawl. And best of all cacti were abundant ;-)

I have to admit I was a bit surprised to see cactus growing that close to the sea - they even grow on the dramatic slopes of the coastal bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It just goes to show how diverse environments cacti are capable of coping with.

I’m not well versed in opuntioids but according to this Flora of Crystal Cove State Park the Cactaceae growing in the park are Opuntia littoralis (coastal prickly-pear) and Cylindropuntia prolifera (coastal cholla).


The beach at Crystal Cove State Park

Entering the park I was greeted by a friendly ranger who recommended a hike that takes you down the coastal bluffs and onto the beach - I followed her advice and spent a couple of hours walking the beautiful trails and enjoying the peaceful beach (and of course the cacti ;-)

It was quite magical walking the beach where the only sounds were the rumble of the breaking waves and the squeaking of seagulls, knowing that only a few hundred meters inland you would be engulfed in the ubiquitous noise of cars hissing by.


Tide pool at Crystal Cove State Park

I love the rock formations along California’s beaches, savor the fascinating sea cliffs that have been sculpted by winds and the relentless battering by waves through the ages.


Rock “hoof”

Unfortunately I didn’t bring my Nikon SLR for this trip and my phone is a less than ideal camera, but the pictures will have to suffice.

You can find more information on hiking Crystal Cove State Park in the book California's Coastal Parks: A Day Hiker's Guide.

Cactus bug

Yesterday I found a metallic blue beetle crawling on one of my Opuntia polyacantha var. hystricina plants.


Metallic blue beetle maneuvering an Opuntia

I’m by no means a coleopterist and don’t know if this beetle is a potential “cactus eater” but I liked its metallic blue exoskeleton and the agility with which it was maneuvering the spines so I let it be.


Cactus bug – beetle crawling on an Opuntia

The Opuntia polyacantha var. hystricina plants the beetle was crawling on are grown from seeds collected at the Tonto Platform, Grand Canyon. I had planned to grow the plants in an outside bed but unfortunately they are not winter hardy in Denmark so now they stay in my unheated greenhouse and are developing into a rather uncontrollable, sprawling, space consuming mass – so it wouldn’t harm much if the beetle actually decided to take a bite or two ;-)

Prickly Pear Cactus Candy

I have to get me a pound of prickly pear cactus candy the next time I’m in the US – if the candy is just half as great as the retro cardboard box, I’ll be in for a treat ;-)


Prickly Pear Cactus Candy

I haven’t been able to find an ingredients list, but one source says the cactus candy is made from the juice of the prickly pear and is an unusual but pleasant taste.

If you are the DIY kind of guy or gal the Opuntia Blog has a recipe for transforming Opuntia cladodes into candy – I would image that a candy based on the prickly pear fruit juice would be more delicious, though, but I have tasted neither.

Lophophora - experiments in cold hardiness, 2008

As mentioned in the previous post on Ariocarpus and Epithelantha I have experimented with coldhouse grown Lophophora since 2004.


Lophophora williamsii (SB 854; Starr Co, Texas), 2004

The Lophophora williamsii (SB 854; Starr Co, Texas) plants from the 2004 batch are still doing great. The plants are growing true to the type with a glaucous bluish-green epidermis. The one on the left flowered last year so I'll soon be able to produce seeds originating from plants that have survived several seasons in an unheated greenhouse. During winter all my Lophophora plants are wrapped in horticultural fleece - both as a protection against the cold but also to keep out hungry pests.


Lophophora plants wrapped in horticultural fleece

Some of the plants needed to be repotted before the upcoming growing season, for example these Lophophora williamsii (SB 854; Starr Co, Texas) plants from the 2005 batch.


Lophophora williamsii (SB 854; Starr Co, Texas), 2005

The plants started from seed in 2005 have grown to 2.5 - 3 cm (~ 1'') in diameter - with a bit of luck they might flower already this summer.


Uprooted Lophophora williamsii (SB 854; Starr Co, Texas), 2005

I never cease to be marveled by how large a fraction of a Lophophora plant that is actually growing underground. The plant pictured below has a crown that is approximately 1 cm high while the massive part of the taproot amounts to 4 times that and the full root system is more than 10 cm long.


Lophophora williamsii (SB 854; Starr Co, Texas) with exposed root, 2005

The past winter was mild - the coldest temperature registered inside the coldhouse was -5C (23F) - so even my Lophophora diffusa and Lophophora decipiens plants have all survived without any signs of damage.


Lophophora diffusa (Higuerillas, Queretaro, Mexico)

The Lophophora decipiens plants are very shriveled and look in dire need of a drink of water. They'll have to wait for a couple of more weeks in order for the weather to warm up.


Shriveled Lophophora decipiens

Last year I grafted a handful of Lophophora williamsii (SB 854; Starr Co, Texas) seedlings on frost hardy Opuntia compressa (Monmouth County, New Jersey) stock. The grafts seem to be doing well and I'll get back with more information on Opuntia grafting when I've done some more experiments.


Lophophora williamsii (SB 854; Starr Co, Texas) grafted on Opuntia compressa stock

Grand Canyon Cacti

Heading north on Arizona state route 64 from Williams, AZ and driving through Kaibab National Forest, it’s hard to imagine the earth split wide open. When you are standing at the Grand Canyon rim you have to acknowledge that your imagination not always suffices.


View from Mather Point

I went down the canyon, following the Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point. On the upper part of the trail the cactus vegetation was rather sparse, but after having passed the Indian Gardens and entered the Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) dominated desertscrub on the Tonto Platform, the cacti became abundant.


Echinocactus polycephalus overlooks the Tonto Platform

Especially Opuntias are massively present, almost covering the ground in some areas. I collected some Opuntia polyacantha var. hystricina seeds (thanks to the friendly people at the cacti_etc mailing list for helping me getting the name correct). The seed donor is depicted below.


Opuntia polyacantha var. hystricina

I’m aware that it’s absolutely stupid to sow cactus seeds at this time of year (in the Northern Hemisphere, that is ;-), but I couldn’t resist the temptation of testing the viability of the seeds. Prior to sowing I soaked the seeds for 14 days and after an additional two weeks in the ground 50% of the seeds have now germinated. I expected the seedlings to be “leggy” but was a bit surprised to see what looks like a tricotyledon?


Tricotyledon Opuntia seedling

The Grand Canyon hike took place September 24, 2005. Additional photos can be found at Grand Canyon Cacti & Succulents.

Winter-hardy Opuntias

This post is slightly off topic, but many of the Opuntias in my winter-hardy cacti bed are flowering right now and I would like to share a couple of photos of the beautiful flowers.


Opuntia polyacantha


Opuntia 'Claude Arno'


Opuntia fragilis (Butte Co, Nebraska)

The plants are growing in the northwestern parts of Denmark, only a couple of hundred meters (yards) from the North Sea. I bought the plants two years ago at Benny’s Cactus.