Anyone have a cactus garden?

[Surefire]

I have about 20 cactus plants, ranging from tiny ball cactus to tall column cactus, and bushy prictly pear cactus.

I like the magnificant flowers and shapes they make.

One of my ball cactus was only a single head about an inch in diameter when I bought it, and now has 16 heads and weighs about 60 pounds 15 years later -- it is amazing how time flies.

If any any of you also like cactus, anyone have recommends for a tall columnar cactus that produces arms fairly quickly? I don't want to wait 50 to 100 years for a column cactus to produce arms. I know some do so much sooner, but not sure which.

 

[bigdaddy]

I live in the north, so no, however I want to see pictures!

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Oh, a friend of mine did that for landscaping for his house. But he's from Phoenix, so I'll let that slide.

 

[Surefire]

Here is a tiny ball cactus (it produces tons of big red flowers for about 3 days each year):

Prickly Pear (I call it rabbit ears cactus):

Its flowered 2 years in a row, just 1 flower in 2007, but 3 in 2008. Prickly Pears need huge amounts of room, and I think this one may be pot bound... gotta find a huge pot so it can keep producing flowers.



Here is another tiny ball cactus, this one produces a bunch of yellow flowers that are HUGE...way bigger than the cactus itself:

 

[Surefire]

This is the one that is now 16 heads (it was 8 in this picture). It weights over 60 lbs now, and produces dozens of tiny purple flowers around each head. Unlike most cactus, these flowers last several weeks.

This was my first cactus, and my favorite because I've watched it grow from something the size of a golf ball to a real monster.

This is a rubis spinus cactus. The spines are bright dark red/purple. The flowers are HUGE, probably 4 or more inches in diameter and one year it produced so many flowers that the cactus was hidden (the flowers only bloom 3-4 days per year though).

 

[Surefire]

This column cactus has never flowered for me. It is now about 4 feet high, with several baby columns coming out the bottom. I believe it is pot bound, as this type of cactus needs tons of room to spread roots:

The bright silver spines are attractive, even if it doesn't flower.




The small-medium ball produces large yellow flowers (up to 10 at a time), with bright pink center.

I have more pix floating around if anyone is interested.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

No, but I did walk into a cactus plant the other day. My hand was the first thing that impacted it. It didn't penetrate the skin, but I was genuinely in some surprisingly serious pain for about 3 days afterward.

 

[Kestra]

I received a cactus garden once as a birthday present from my archnemesis. I have an aversion to them now, as a result.

 

[bigdaddy]

That's my favorite, very nice.

 

[Ashu]

Id love to have a few cactuses. Cacti?

 

[bigdaddy]

Cacti.

 

[Holdfast]

I used to have quite a few cacti. Not any more. But they were really beautiful when they flowered.

 

[Ashu]

Cacti.

Yeah, I figured that sounded better.