Ariocarpus Bloom in the Fall

I have fourteen ariocarpus plants, the oldest going back to 2012.. I can remember losing two along the way, but the ones I have now are doing well. Nine of them have bloomed this fall, three have bloomed twice, and it has been fun to go into the greenhouse and be...

This is What Dichotomous Branching Looks Like

Mammillaria nejapesis is a pretty little cacti native to the Oaxaco region of Mexico. It is a bit different from other cacti in that it is prone to do something called dichotomous branching. I have two of them, and both have branched and are blooming on their...

The Melocactus are Developing their Tops

I’ve told you about my melocactus before, but more is happening with them all of a sudden, and I am having fun watching them bloom and develop their cephalium. These cacti, native to Brazil and the Caribbean, are distinctive because of the cephalium that grows...

The Alpine Wildlife Weekend

The city of Alpine, Texas, hosted what they called  Wildlife Weekend: Bats, Bears, Bighorns back in January. I am a bit late in telling you about it, but it is worth a story, late or not. On Friday, January 31, I drove to Alpine which took me through Seminole and...

The Gymnocalycium That Kept on Blooming

Gymnocalycium is a neat little cactus native to South America, mostly found in Argentina, but sometimes found in Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil. Sometimes nicknamed the chin cactus because the rounded ribs often have a “chin” below the areoles. The...

The Yucca and Cholla Dilemma

Back in 2009 I made two trips to Cibolo Creek Ranch near Marfa, the first time to learn about taking pictures with Wyman Meinzer, the second to plant cactus gardens for the ranch with their native cactus. On one of those trips they had just grated their roads. This...