Succulents

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Crystalline Haworthia

Sometimes listed as Haworthia crystallina or Haworthia pygmaea, it is one of the most beautifull species from pygmaea group. It is a slow growing form in which the leaves have heavily papillose end-areas. With some sun exposure this plant takes on an exquisite rough sugar-crystalline appearance. Requires light shade to bright light (protect from strong midday sun). In shade the body color will remain mostly green, while full sun will darken and give it a rich pink-red body color. Can be sunburned if moved from shade/greenhouse into full sun too quickly. Needs a well draining, loose soil mix, regular water, but do not water again until dry. Also, it is a species that is dormant in the winter and requires very little water (maybe even none) during the cold months. Protect from frost.

By | 2016-03-22T00:41:52-07:00 March 22nd, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments

Spanish Bayonet

This is likely a yucca, a full-sun succulent with great architectural value in the garden. Its flower spikes are taller than the plant itself. Water this drought-tolerant plant sparingly. Depending on the species or cultivar some remain 3 ft. tall but others can grow 10-12 ft. tall and 8 ft. wide so be careful about siting it near walls, sidewalks, and irrigation pipes.Once established they are difficult to move. As Yucca mature, their trunks become a bulbous mass and can crack walls, pipes, etc. and the leaves are very sharp. Feed with a slow-release or organic fertilizer only if you want the plant to grow faster. Most species tolerate temperatures below freezing. If this is a Spanish bayonet, it will reach 8 ft. tall or more and almost as wide.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:18-07:00 March 21st, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments

Crown Of Thorns

Here are a few care tips and information about your crown of thorns plant. Euphorbia milii, is a succulent plant in the same family as the poinsettia, the thorns cover stems that ooze latex sap when cut. This is a common characteristic of euphorbias and is not a sign of disease. Use gloves when handling this plant to protect your skin from both the thorns and the sap. Indoors needs bright, indirect light and water only when soil feels dry to the touch down to the first knuckle. Outdoors provide full or partial sun and water sparingly. Does not tolerate frost. Flowers may be red, yellow, pink or white, or variegated, depending on the cultivar. Feed with a slow-release or organic fertilizer formulated for blooming container plants.

By | 2016-03-20T16:49:53-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments

Staghorn Cholla

Large, 2 1/4" wide flowers come in an amazingly wide variety of colors and have yellow-green anther filaments and white to bronze styles. (This is one way to distinguish from Buck-horn Cholla. Its flower anther filaments are purple-red.) The rounded, mostly spineless, yellow-green to reddish purple fruits stay attached to the stems all winter and often grow like a chain, one out of the other. The immature fruits are green and bumpy but the mature fruits swell to become smooth and plump, and they remain on the plant while it is flowering. The stems are spiny, green to reddish purple in color, and shaped like deer antlers (stag horns). This cactus readily hybridizes with other Chollas, making it quite variable in appearance.

By | 2016-03-20T04:48:09-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments

Starfish Flower Carrion Flower

Stapelia gettleffii is a native to southeastern Botswana, South Africa, southern Zimbabwe. This plant is one of the Stapeliads, with blooms that resemble starfish. It is also called carrion flower. It is a succulent plant and thrives in well-drained soil with water only when the soil feels dry up to the first knuckle of your index finger. Provide partial sun or filtered light. Since it is a carrion plant, when blooming it smells like rotting meat or a dead animal to attract flies for pollination. This particular species actually looks like a hairy dead animal as well. Protect from freezing temperatures. Easy to propagate from cuttings. Allow cutting to callus over for 2-3 days and plant in a commercial cactus potting soil in a container with drainage holes.

By | 2016-03-18T23:26:31-07:00 March 18th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments

Mangave

It is hard to know for sure but recently over the last 3 years or so, horticulturists have been creating a new hybrid group of plants called Mangaves. They are the result of an intergeneric cross between the genus Manfreda and the genus Agave - hence Mangave.Both plants are similar in appearance with the Manfreda being smaller, nearly or completely spineless and having very colorful leaves, and the Agaves being very robust and usually quite spiny. The results have created many varieties of nearly spineless plants with unusual coloration and leaf patterns. The care is similar to all succulents being a well draining soil and full to part sun. Water well but allow the soil to dry out between watering. Protect from frost to avoid scarring.

By | 2016-03-18T12:55:50-07:00 March 18th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments

Small Aloe

Your plant appears to be one of the smaller species of Aloe but it is difficult to be sure at this time. Aloes change their appearance quite a bit as they mature, and it looks like yours needs a little different culture to make it really appear as it should. Suggestions would be to move it to a just slightly larger pot, and get it up to the pot rim so that it is not sitting down inside a dark hole like it is now. Move it to a location that gets at least a half day of sunshine. Make sure the potting soil drains well, and allow it to dry out slightly between waterings. This should help it to color up and make it more recognizable. Send us some new photos after it has had a time to get healthier and we'll be happy to make another attempt. The Garden Compass Team.

By | 2016-03-18T11:37:52-07:00 March 18th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments

House Leek Hens And Chicks

This is native to high altitudes of France and Italy, forms rosettes to 4" with grayish-green leaves with some reddish burgundy tints, especially at the tips. There are many new cultivars on the market; some with reddish tips or others with nearly half the leaf reddish. In the past, Sempervivums were planted on roofs in Europe and it was believed that they had the ability to protect the house from lightning strikes or other attacks. Star-shaped rose flowers in summer months. Considered hardy to Zone 5. Requires porous soil with adequate drainage. Filtered sunlight but prefers shade during summer dormancy. Water thoroughly when soil is dry to the touch. Although very cold tolerant, best to provide frost protection to prevent possible scarring.

By | 2016-03-17T18:03:37-07:00 March 17th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments

Eves Needle Crested Form

Your cactus is Opuntia subulata. It can be grown indoors if given sufficient indirect light or outdoors in full or partial sun. It requires well draining soil and infrequent watering. More water during the hottest months will keep it looking its best. Can grow quite tall under the right conditions, but will remain smaller in containers, protect from hard frosts. This crested version O. subulata cristata will not get tall like the normal counterpart but will rather continue to make twisting and spreading fan-like growth. Occasionally it may put out a normal cylindrical branch known as a reversion. You can cut this off to preserve the crested appearance of your plant and pot it up by itself and grow the larger, branching normal form.

By | 2016-03-17T02:53:55-07:00 March 17th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments

Tanzanian Zipper Plant

Euphorbia anoplia, native to Africa, is a short, chunky green plant forming dense clusters. Known as "Zipper Plant" because of patterns along margins of angled stems that resemble a "zipper". Responds well to warmth, with its active growth period in the late spring and summer months. Porous soil with adequate drainage. Water thoroughly when soil is dry to the touch during active growing season. Requires bright light for best appearance, and should be given a winter resting period at which time less water should be given. Protect from frost. All Euphorbias contain a white sap that can be irritating to eyes and mucous membranes. If contact is made with this white sap, take care to not touch face or eyes before washing hands with soap and water.

By | 2016-03-16T11:35:22-07:00 March 16th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments