Sclerocactus polyancistrus

Sclerocactus polyancistrus is a plant of California and Nevada, growing in Mojave desert. Plants are not really rare as the territory where they occur is huge. But it is uncommon species and despite their size plants usually hard to find when not in bloom. 

It is a very desirable plant for any collector, with beautiful bi-colored tight spines, grass-blade shaped white ones and dark-red long wire-like hooks (ancistrus = hook), and showy flowers that stay open for up to a week, but considered difficult to grow unless grafted.

The key to successful growing S. polyancistrus plant a "natural" way, e.i. on it's own roots, is a pure mineral growing substrate and, more importantly, matching the rain pattern of Mojave deserts with the watering regiment.  That usually means no water from May to August, or plants will easily rot, and good watering in late winter and early spring. In Mojave desert it does rain in the winter of not too often, and low temperatures with night frost preserve moisture in the soil, which stays this way wet for several months straight. Once spring days get warmer, desert plants actively grow, consuming water that was accumulated in the soil. Later, once temperatures rise more, desert soils dry out.  By the cactus bloom time, May usually, no rainfall had occurred in Mojave desert for a  month. Also some occasional rain in August and September is possible in unusually wet years.

When the growth requirements are well understood and properly followed, Sclerocactus polyancistrus is actually a very robust plant, growing relatively quickly and blooming reliably. As you would expect from the plant that calls home such a harsh place.

Tephrocactus weberii

Thephrocactus weberii is one of the smaller South American opuntoides that are getting more in fashion with the collectors in recent years. It is very easy to grow plant densely covered with brown, white or yellow spines.

Flowers in culture are not so common treat, mainly due to the larger plant size that is required for successful blooming. What makes it even more difficult is the annoying manner of the plants long and barbed spines to hook on everything, making you accidentally break off the stem segments that are not that tightly attached to each other. Each segment is ready to take root, making this behavior a great propagation strategy in the wild, but not so pleasant in the pot culture.

Mammilaria spinosissima 'crassior'

This is a yellow-spinned form of common M. spinosissima, a nice overall plant getting ready to open it's first blooms of the season.

It is nice and easy plant, best grown on full sun to get that dense spines. Larger plants are very prolific with flowers. It comes from Mexico as most of Mammillarias do, Morelos state

Acanthocalycium thionanthum v glaucium

Acanthocalycium thionanthum is a common in cultivation and easy to grow South American plant. It has small bluish body (hence the 'glaucium' name) and bright flowers in yellow-orange range. This particular plant I have is a form 'coloreum' known for this nice flowers. Plants are relatively slow growing, staying compact in cultivation.

Opuntia compressa - thigmotropism

Here is a sequence that was shot several seconds one from another. Thigmotropism is a term for plant parts moving in reaction to touch. Here I'm touching Opuntia filaments as a pollinating insect would do. Filaments start moving towards the flower stile in an attempt to put pollinator - insect in this case - in contact with flower's  stigma, to capture pollen from other flower that this insect hopefully brought, and at the same time holding the insect tight, making sure it gets pollen from that flower on itself and transport it to the next flower it visits.

Many Opuntias and other Cacti as well show the same filaments motion on touch.

Opuntia compressa is a common plant of the US East coast, spreading from Florida to Massachusetts. It is cold hardy and can easily overwinter under snow.No matter how wet the soil is the plants will partially  dehydrate in late fall, preparing to frosts, and will not plum up again until the warmth of the spring.     

Mammillaria carmenae

Mammillaria carmenae is one of the beautiful Mammillarias, plants covered with bright yellow, white or rusty bristle-like spines that hide the stem completely if grown on full light. Flowers are white or yellowish, like on the picture. Pink flowers point ti hybrid origin, with closely related M.laui.

In the wild M. carmenae is a tiny plant, but in culture they grow large, forming pretty clumps. They present no difficulties to the grower. The plant pictured is about 10 years old from seed.

Matucna aureiflora

Like all other Matucanas, M.aureiflora is a Peruvian species. It has depressed-globular stem, and blooms with bright-yellow, hence the name, and unusual for Matucanas round-symmetrical flower with short flower tube. Buds on the picture actually bear more color than flowers that will open couple days later.

This particular form has thicker yellow-colored spines, different from plants that are common in cultivation. 

All Matucanas give no trouble when grown in pots. One may wish them been a faster from seed, but they are sure not the slowest plants around. In cultivation Matucana aureiflora riches blooming size of about 3 inches in 4-5 years.