# Any cactus growers here?



## Brian S (Jul 24, 2018)

In 2014 I made a trip to the great state of Texas. Since then I have had a great appreciation for the SW culture not just the food scene but the plants as well. Fortunately here in the Ozarks we do have a native cactus that is quite easy to grow. This is commonly called Eastern Prickly pear. It is easy to grow. I started this from cuttings from a plant on my grandparents property. An old grill lid is all that is needed to grow these. The flowers are beautiful. Pollinating insects will agree.

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## tewebag (Jul 24, 2018)

I have a couple different types of cactus growing around the house right now, I could not tell you names or anything because they came from cuttings from my grandma's plants years ago before she passed. Pretty simple things to grow, I forgot I have them for months at a time and they still survive.

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## Galapoheros (Jul 25, 2018)

lol I still have transvaalicus genetic line from you from back in 2007 or 8, don't remember, I think I got babies from you back then anyway.  That cacti is taken for granted here, it's all over the place.  They can be made to grow like a tree but it takes decades.  You have to keep breaking off lobes to create a trunk.

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## schmiggle (Jul 25, 2018)

That one is really lovely! I have one cactus, a Glandulicactus glandulifera, and I also have two Haworthiopsis attenuata sharing a pot (though they're genetically identical and both producing basal offshoots). For now I've avoided keeping more because I mostly haven't got enough light. I like a lot of funky looking desert species though, so there are a bunch on my wish list.

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## pannaking22 (Jul 25, 2018)

I always loved seeing eastern prickly pear when I lived in Illinois. Found it in my favorite habitats, sand prairies. Now I'm in Texas and there are so many different cactus types I don't even know where to start lol. I keep a few species of cactus (can't remember what they're called, most came unlabeled ) and some Huernia.

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## Brian S (Jul 25, 2018)

Galapoheros said:


> lol I still have transvaalicus genetic line from you from back in 2007 or 8, don't remember, I think I got babies from you back then anyway.  That cacti is taken for granted here, it's all over the place.  They can be made to grow like a tree but it takes decades.  You have to keep breaking off lobes to create a trunk.


Great!!! I was wondering if any of my scorpion lines are still around. Those were fun times for sure


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## Brian S (Jul 25, 2018)

Last year I started this cold Hardy cactus bed in front of my house. There chollas and prickly pear plants. It will take a few years for them to fill it out but I am patient. In the lower left there is one sent to me by Old Hag in Utah. Any of you remember her? It would probably be worth your time to look up some of the threads here we engaged in. We had alot of fun at each other's expense lol

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## Brian S (Jul 25, 2018)

This is my Giant Saquaro. Not a giant and grows slowly. I have had this 4 years now. Sorry about not giving scientific names. I am posting off my phone. If I was at the office using PC it is easier to look them up. Remebering names of cacti is about as hard as bugs lil


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## The Snark (Jul 25, 2018)

Brian S said:


> This is my Giant Saquaro. Not a giant and grows slowly.


Growing a Saguaro is definitely a Zen thing. Only a few more decades until it is mature.

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## Brian S (Jul 25, 2018)

The Snark said:


> Growing a Saguaro is definitely a Zen thing. Only a few more decades until it is mature.


I will be 50 in November my decades are running out haha


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## Galapoheros (Jul 26, 2018)

A few,












grew these chollas from seeds last year, they grow kind of fast for a cactus.

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## Brian S (Jul 26, 2018)

Nice cacti!!! Never grew from seeds before. How long does it take them to come up?


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## Galapoheros (Jul 26, 2018)

Brian S said:


> Nice cacti!!! Never grew from seeds before. How long does it take them to come up?


I don't remember, maybe only a few days.  Desert plants usually germinate real fast after you keep the seeds wet because in nature they have to hurry up to get a tap root down before it dries up again.

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## aphono (Jul 26, 2018)

A few miscellaneous cactus around the yard. Pachycereus marginatus, a couple Echinocereus, Echinopsis hybrids,  Cereus "Peruvian apple"- delicious fruit! Would love to find out if there might be cultivars with different fruit tastes but also as a way to get non- clones to see if that improves fruit set.  Sometimes they will throw up a lot flowers yet none of them set..  Recently got cuttings of Cereus azureus and monstrose Cereus- the bumpy, tall growing variety. 

Is anybody good with cactus ID? . Got these from a friend in Albuquerque- she uses them to feed her turtles.  Flowers are solid bright yellow if that helps any.

View media item 52205

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## schmiggle (Jul 26, 2018)

@Galapoheros nice Astrophytum asterias (is it super kabuto?), what's the other one?


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## Brian S (Jul 26, 2018)

Aphono, we were in Peru in May. My wife is from there. They sell fruit of a large prickly pear in the markets. They call it "tuna". Is that what you are calling Peruvian apple? It is a large fruit slightly smaller than an apple


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## aphono (Jul 26, 2018)

Brian S said:


> Aphono, we were in Peru in May. My wife is from there. They sell fruit of a large prickly pear in the markets. They call it "tuna". Is that what you are calling Peruvian apple? It is a large fruit slightly smaller than an apple


Mine is Cereus peruvianus(depsite the name they are not actually from Peru), a columnar branching cactus.  I'm not too clear on the naming- tuna usually is prickly pear/pad type cactus fruit. So far it seems majority of non-pad type cactus fruit gets lumped under 'pitaya'..  including peruvianus fruits. The majority of pitayas at markets in general are Hylocereus, aka dragonfruit though.  As far as I'm aware, only the peruvianus fruit has no spines or scales on it. Simply grab the fruit with bare hands, peel, eat.

The peruvianus fruits are variable in size, even on the same arm.. from tennis ball size to a little bigger than apples.

Link to page with excellent info and video with adorable toddler:

http://tastylandscape.com/2013/04/24/a-very-tasty-cactus-cereus-peruvianus/

I just learned from that page there are varieties with yellow or pink fruit.. not sure if they meant peruvianus or got that mixed up with dragonfruit. Would absolutely love to have those varieties if they're truly Cereus sp!

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## Galapoheros (Jul 31, 2018)

schmiggle said:


> @Galapoheros nice Astrophytum asterias (is it super kabuto?), what's the other one?


I think the other one is a baby one  ....https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/508/    I got the superK at a cactus show, almost got ripped off.  I got the cactus home, was going to repot it, looked at the root and it was rotting away.  I think the seller knew it was in trouble.  It was kind of expensive too for a little cactus, maybe $20, don't remember.  I put it in some good desert soil, that saved it and it's at least 3 times bigger than it was when I bought it.  It's almost the size of a small apple.



aphono said:


> A few miscellaneous cactus around the yard. Pachycereus marginatus, a couple Echinocereus, Echinopsis hybrids,  Cereus "Peruvian apple"- delicious fruit! Would love to find out if there might be cultivars with different fruit tastes but also as a way to get non- clones to see if that improves fruit set.  Sometimes they will throw up a lot flowers yet none of them set..  Recently got cuttings of Cereus azureus and monstrose Cereus- the bumpy, tall growing variety.
> 
> Is anybody good with cactus ID? . Got these from a friend in Albuquerque- she uses them to feed her turtles.  Flowers are solid bright yellow if that helps any.
> 
> View media item 52205



I have that in my yard, I had a tortoise that would eat it also.  So many sps. look like that though, I don't know.  I've grown dragon fruit cactus from seed, from store bought fruit.  Do they sell Peruvian apple in any store around there?  You could prob just grow from seed.  What I grew wasn't cold hardy and froze.

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## schmiggle (Jul 31, 2018)

If anyone cares (and you probably don't, I know), I misidentified my cactus--it's actually Ferocactus hamatacanthus. @Galapoheros yours and mine will look similar as they grow, I think.

I ordered seeds of four very cool, but exceedingly slow growing species about a week ago--Obregonia denegrii, Strombocactus disciformis, Lophophora diffusa, and Geohintonia mexicana. I'm planning to grow them on gravel mixed with local silt, but I might change that to straight pumice or something along those lines. I'm going to add gypsum to the mix, I think, since they all naturally grow on calcium rich soils (though the first three usually grow on limestone, almost everything I've read has said not to use it, and plants definitely don't need it). My goal is to make them look as close to wild plants as possible, since all of those species often look bloated in cultivation (this is somewhat less of a concern with the Geohintonia).


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## Galapoheros (Jul 31, 2018)

schmiggle said:


> If anyone cares (and you probably don't, I know), I misidentified my cactus--it's actually Ferocactus hamatacanthus. @Galapoheros yours and mine will look similar as they grow, I think.
> 
> I ordered seeds of four very cool, but exceedingly slow growing species about a week ago--Obregonia denegrii, Strombocactus disciformis, Lophophora diffusa, and Geohintonia mexicana. I'm planning to grow them on gravel mixed with local silt, but I might change that to straight pumice or something along those lines. I'm going to add gypsum to the mix, I think, since they all naturally grow on calcium rich soils (though the first three usually grow on limestone, almost everything I've read has said not to use it, and plants definitely don't need it). My goal is to make them look as close to wild plants as possible, since all of those species often look bloated in cultivation (this is somewhat less of a concern with the Geohintonia).


I wish they'd dump some laws concerning L. williamsii, imo they could let go of that now.  If you get on the internet, you can see so many people propagating those things and selling them on the internet.  There was a really good cactus nursery around here but the guy retired, he had some really weird plants.


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## schmiggle (Jul 31, 2018)

Galapoheros said:


> I wish they'd dump some laws concerning L. williamsii, imo they could let go of that now.  If you get on the internet, you can see so many people propagating those things and selling them on the internet.  There was a really good cactus nursery around here but the guy retired, he had some really weird plants.


Yeah I agree, the whole thing is kind of silly, particularly since Peruvian Echinopsis species containing high levels of mescaline are perfectly legal. But for my purposes I don't care that much, since I'm growing these essentially for looks and L. diffusa looks nearly identical to L. williamsi. The genus just has a gradient of characteristics from north to south that aren't all that different, as I understand it.


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## pannaking22 (Aug 1, 2018)

Looks like super growth season has started for my Huernia zebrina, the thing is putting out new growth right and left. No flowers yet though. Maybe add some sort of fertilizer for that?




schmiggle said:


> If anyone cares (and you probably don't, I know), I misidentified my cactus--it's actually Ferocactus hamatacanthus. @Galapoheros yours and mine will look similar as they grow, I think.
> 
> I ordered seeds of four very cool, but exceedingly slow growing species about a week ago--Obregonia denegrii, Strombocactus disciformis, Lophophora diffusa, and Geohintonia mexicana. I'm planning to grow them on gravel mixed with local silt, but I might change that to straight pumice or something along those lines. I'm going to add gypsum to the mix, I think, since they all naturally grow on calcium rich soils (though the first three usually grow on limestone, almost everything I've read has said not to use it, and plants definitely don't need it). My goal is to make them look as close to wild plants as possible, since all of those species often look bloated in cultivation (this is somewhat less of a concern with the Geohintonia).


Good luck growing them! Really like the look of the L. diffusa.


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## Galapoheros (Aug 1, 2018)

I have zebrina and a big ole diffusa has some branches on it now with three blooms.  H. zebrina, apparently nobody has seen seeds, I can't find a pic of any on the internet.


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## pannaking22 (Aug 2, 2018)

Galapoheros said:


> I have zebrina and a big ole diffusa has some branches on it now with three blooms.  H. zebrina, apparently nobody has seen seeds, I can't find a pic of any on the internet.


That's interesting that no one does seeds, I wonder if it just grows well enough that it's easy to circulate cuttings through the hobby?


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## Galapoheros (Aug 2, 2018)

I guess so, that flower has no smell, it's a weird plant.


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## WildSpider (Aug 11, 2018)

I have one old man cactus currently.

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## MikeyD (Aug 17, 2018)

Galapoheros said:


> I have zebrina and a big ole diffusa has some branches on it now with three blooms.  H. zebrina, apparently nobody has seen seeds, I can't find a pic of any on the internet.



I have quite a few Stapeliads and many were grown from seed.  My Orbea variegata actually ripened a seed pod recently too.   You aren’t going to find seeds at a store as they are speciality succulents.   I got most of mine because I was a member of the International Asclepiad Society and could access their seed bank.  You can buy seeds of many Stapeliads online but there are also a lot of sources such as eBay vendors who sell small lots of seeds that give the buyer little chance of success.   
You have to do your homework with these too, they won’t germinate unless you provide enough heat and surface sow with only a very light sprinkling of potting mix over the seeds.  
Because these are succulent members of the milkweed family they have seeds that are very similar.  Flattened disc shaped seeds with a seed floss that allows for distribution by the wind.  And because these are in the Asclepiadaceae family and old world plants they are succulents and not cacti.   Only two instances of true cacti are recorded in the old world, one in Sri Lanka and one in West Africa, both a Rhipsalis species.   Other then that the only cactus in the old world has been introduced by man.

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## Galapoheros (Aug 18, 2018)

MikeyD said:


> I have quite a few Stapeliads and many were grown from seed.  My Orbea variegata actually ripened a seed pod recently too.   You aren’t going to find seeds at a store as they are speciality succulents.   I got most of mine because I was a member of the International Asclepiad Society and could access their seed bank.  You can buy seeds of many Stapeliads online but there are also a lot of sources such as eBay vendors who sell small lots of seeds that give the buyer little chance of success.
> You have to do your homework with these too, they won’t germinate unless you provide enough heat and surface sow with only a very light sprinkling of potting mix over the seeds.
> Because these are succulent members of the milkweed family they have seeds that are very similar.  Flattened disc shaped seeds with a seed floss that allows for distribution by the wind.  And because these are in the Asclepiadaceae family and old world plants they are succulents and not cacti.   Only two instances of true cacti are recorded in the old world, one in Sri Lanka and one in West Africa, both a Rhipsalis species.   Other then that the only cactus in the old world has been introduced by man.


Have you specifically found seeds from  H. zebrine?  I've never seen any, I didn't even see pics of any on the internet.  Does there need to be Xpollination?


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## MikeyD (Aug 18, 2018)

Well  you have to look in the right place. You can find seeds for many species of Huernia, Stapelia, Orbea, and other genera.   I wouldn't bother growing H zebrina from seed though, its one of the most common Huernia and shows up in greenhouses often.

Maybe try Mesa Gardens in New Mexico. They sell seeds and sometimes have a mixed pack of various Stapeliad genera seeds. Look under the Other Succulents link and for Huernia and Stapelia.   There are quite a few American vendors on ebay who will sell seeds and small plants.   If you aren't too experienced I would start with plants as it's not the best time of year to start seeds unless you will be offering artificial light over the winter if it's cloudy and gloomy or cool in your area.


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## Galapoheros (Aug 19, 2018)

I have too many H. zebrina anyway.  I just think it odd that since it's a common plant found at nurseries around here that I can't even find seeds for that plant on the internet.  It's only a curiosity issue, I don't need the seeds or plants.  Have you come across zebrina seeds?


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## MikeyD (Aug 19, 2018)

Yes. You can Google Huernia seeds and you will see multiple sources for Huernia zebrina seeds on the first page alone.   These are more speciality succulents though so that means you may not be finding them locally, but they are easily available online along with many of the much rarer species.


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## Galapoheros (Aug 19, 2018)

I've seen sources, but "sold out", "not available" and never have seen a picture, that's strange to me, world-wide, no pics, sup with that.  Mine never produces seeds.  Do they need to be crossbred to produce seeds?


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## MikeyD (Aug 19, 2018)

No they can be self pollinated but if you have a collection of species they will readily hybridize as well, all it takes are some curious flies.  Stapeliads have a complex pollination mechanism that behaves much like a lock and key. Flies are the predominant pollinators and their feet rake along a channel between the coronal scales in the middle of the flower and they remove the pollinia or individual pollen grains and then deposit them in a similar way while walking on the same or another flower.  It's very much unlike plant species with sticky or dusty pollen made by plants that are pollinated by bees.  These are really pretty highly evolved and the flies have a much easier time of it than if you were to try by hand.

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## WildSpider (Nov 7, 2018)

WildSpider said:


> I have one old man cactus currently.
> 
> View attachment 283505


Grrr...squirrel uprooted my cactus and ate the root off the bottom.

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## The Seraph (Nov 7, 2018)

WildSpider said:


> Grrr...squirrel uprooted my cactus and ate the root off the bottom.


SQUIRRELS! Squirrels are such abominable beasts. The bonsai and bird feeders I have lost to them . . .

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## WildSpider (Nov 7, 2018)

The Seraph said:


> SQUIRRELS! Squirrels are such abominable beasts. The bonsai and bird feeders I have lost to them . . .


We lovingly call ours 'The squirrels of DOOM'.


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## The Seraph (Nov 7, 2018)

WildSpider said:


> We lovingly call ours 'The squirrels of DOOM'.


I call them Shiseiji, though 'squirrels of DOOM' is apt.


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## The Snark (Nov 7, 2018)

WildSpider said:


> Grrr...squirrel uprooted my cactus and ate the root off the bottom.


Does that ever suck. It's not like a cactus is fast growing and easily replaceable.

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## WildSpider (Nov 7, 2018)

The Snark said:


> Does that ever suck. It's not like a cactus is fast growing and easily replaceable.


'The squirrels of DOOM' sure don't do what they're told otherwise they would long since have given up the 'of DOOM' part and just been 'The squirrels'.


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## The Snark (Nov 7, 2018)

WildSpider said:


> 'The squirrels of DOOM'


I'm thinking of a friend of mine who worked at Huntington Gardens. Had one cacti he spent 30 years bringing it to maturity. Another cacti he spent over 10 years monitoring to get a photo of it on the one night that it bloomed. The words of the Emperor come to mind: "And you my young Jedi/squirrel, you will not survive!"

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## WildSpider (Nov 7, 2018)

The Snark said:


> I'm thinking of a friend of mine who worked at Huntington Gardens. Had one cacti he spent 30 years bringing it to maturity. Another cacti he spent over 10 years monitoring to get a photo of it on the one night that it bloomed.


Thank goodness I didn't raise it from seed. That probably would've been way worse. My sister gave it to me as a birthday present so that's bad but at least it was a more recent present.



The Snark said:


> The words of the Emperor come to mind: "And you my young Jedi/squirrel, you will not survive!"


One of my friends was making pretty good money shooting squirrels for $5 a tail before, lol. There's a _lot _of squirrels here.


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## The Mantis Menagerie (Nov 19, 2018)

I grow some cacti. I currently have ten varieties of dragon fruit (_Hylocerus sp._) including the yellow dragon fruit (_H. megalanthus_). I also have an _Echinocactus_. I want to eventually add _Cereus peruviana_, but I need a lot more greenhouse space for that.

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## MintyWood826 (Nov 19, 2018)

I only have one cactus. I have no idea what species it is. The picture was taken last summer.

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## HUNGRYBEASTS (Jan 10, 2019)

Send me a msg bro. I want to ask you something. 

Myhungrybeasts@gmail.com

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## bugmankeith (Apr 28, 2019)

I grow cactus, my speciality are Gymnocalycium Mihanovichii. I have various variegated specimens from around the World, some grown from seed by my own stock, and I grow those colorful grafted cacti which are actually the same species I mentioned above. I do have a few Astrophytum too.

Garden stores that sell cacti cheap like Lowe’s and Home Depot are great, cheap purchases. I like to nurse sick/neglected cacti back to health.

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## Vanisher (Apr 28, 2019)

I had a huge intrests in cactus when i was younger. Had loads of them and cultivated them. I planted lots of seed and was successful. Had a Gymnocalycium sp thst i had for 25 years from seed. Now i have a Selenicereus grandiflorus that i have had for 25 years. It has flowered and everything! Cactus are great!

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## Vanisher (Apr 28, 2019)

Here it is


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## Vanisher (Apr 28, 2019)

Better picture

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## Vanisher (Apr 28, 2019)

MintyWood826 said:


> I only have one cactus. I have no idea what species it is. The picture was taken last summer.
> View attachment 292684


Thats a Ferocactus sp

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## sourpatchkid (Apr 29, 2019)

Not cactus per se, but I have about a dozen different varieties of jade.


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## MintyWood826 (May 13, 2019)

Vanisher said:


> Thats a Ferocactus sp


Thanks 

One last year, now six buds/blooms

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## Galapoheros (May 14, 2019)

I just ordered peniocereus greggii, one plant and some seeds, looked kinda cool imo.  N.A native and should be cold hardy.


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## BepopCola (Jun 8, 2019)

> I had a huge intrests in cactus when i was younger. Had loads of them and cultivated them. I planted lots of seed and was successful. Had a Gymnocalycium sp thst i had for 25 years from seed. Now i have a Selenicereus grandiflorus that i have had for 25 years. It has flowered and everything! Cactus are great!





Vanisher said:


> Better picture


This plant looks very spooky, I love it!


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## BepopCola (Jun 8, 2019)

I found this mystery three-headed cactus on the side of the road when it was about 1/3 of its size. I potted it, and I've just left it outside for the most part. It's the first time I'd seen a cactus bloom.
Pay no attention to the dead _Sansevieria_...

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## Galapoheros (Jun 8, 2019)

BepopCola said:


> I found this mystery three-headed cactus on the side of the road when it was about 1/3 of its size. I potted it, and I've just left it outside for the most part. It's the first time I'd seen a cactus bloom.
> Pay no attention to the dead _Sansevieria_...


I got curious about that cactus, you think this might be it?  Info says they are from Mex though.  But there looks to be several varieties, or maybe seeds got loose.    https://worldofsucculents.com/mammillaria-geminispina-twin-spined-cactus/


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## BepopCola (Jun 8, 2019)

Galapoheros said:


> I got curious about that cactus, you think this might be it?  Info says they are from Mex though.  But there looks to be several varieties, or maybe seeds got loose.    https://worldofsucculents.com/mammillaria-geminispina-twin-spined-cactus/


Sounds plausible. I lived about 10 minutes from the Mexico border when I found it. Someone could've brought it over possibly. 
Thank you for the ID!


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