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Cacti & Succulents

Hoodia Think You Are, Some Funny-Lookin' Lithops?

cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5

13 years ago

I got an invitation to a seriously-minded Mesemb Man's collection. Of course, like most of us he had other things, but it was the Messembs, particularly the Lithops, that caught my eye.

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It was with a sense of sensory-overload and wonder at 3 1/2 hours being spent like a snap of the fingers.

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Comments (9)

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years ago
Dang, that's a lot of 'em!
Nice pics, nice grit, too! Love the crowding.

Josh
brodyjames_gw
13 years ago
YOWZA!!!!! Love the coloring and patterns in the last 3 photos. That is someone who knows how to grow 'em!

Nancy
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Just remembered I took pics of this bucket Tuesday... (I pasted the update info below from a recent thread where I was babbling about this plant, so don't feel crazy if you think you already read about this.) It is apparently a great scratching post for kitties. The barn cats at the farm have multiplied and the kitties are determined to make sure all of the plants look like strange Monstera cousins, with holes in every leaf. The flower stalks on the Callisia fragrans are gone, broken off. But the plants don't look like they are too bothered by it, and/or determined to outgrow the playful kitties. He is enjoying it so much he gave me an empty bucket and asked me to fill it with whatever plants I could spare that would enjoy his porch, and asked me to put all of the Callisia stolons the kitties have broken in another bucket. He had half a dozen plastic cups of water for them on his kitchen table, each with a tangle of roots already. This past Monday, as we sat there and ate McDonald's with the Callisia cups, he talked about these plants the whole time. All he ever used to talk about before was what an idiot his boss is, what scammers the politicians are, how his family only comes around when they want something, and just a lot of negativity in general. The next time anyone encounters a lonely old guy (or gal!) and you have a tough plant or two to spare, give it to them and say you need help with an experiment to see how it will grow at their house... Amazing!
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You two mad Mesembers must be thinking that that's the cat's meow, but for me the first two plants are.to.die.for. In fact, it's inspired a ditty (almost a limerick, which it will be with your help) There once was a lad from Kamloops Who locals found easy to dupe He thought he was haulin' A travois of Sarcocaulon But I just can't finish it yet - on to a monthly ops report for my other job, until this poetaster's block eases.
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You are lucky - I wish I could get to see Stephen's collections, that would be a real treat. I am all for loamy soil, if that suits your personality! Funny statement, I know, but we all differ, therefore our soils differ and the way we do things differ - always a major talking point - soil. I actually think one needs to go real fast drainage in the beginning (newbie) - saves more plants from excess love!LOL! and then develop skill and knowledge and also method, with that soil...I am always playing - I have a few lithops, pleios, gibbaeum, argyroderma, various other mesembs and also aloe babies on the go now - about 100+ species and I have lots of fun. You can tell the guy from Mesa, I feel the same - how to explain - The Karoo/Namaqualand in quite and it gets into your soul, its like a drug, you need to get a fix every now and then, you just feel more alive, or certainly I do. I said this before, but I played there as a kid, I used to take my small backpack and just walk for 6 hours, you can see a vehicle coming long before you hear it (dust) and usually you knew who it was as well. The bushes are herby, so the smell, especially after rain is something like rosemary or something like that - oh I can go on. As for intorduction, mesembs are much more than lithops and cono's, and one of my missions is to grow as much of the others as possible. Things like juttadinteria, psammofora, khadia, etc, etc. I have a funny saying - You need to find your own "groove", and that encapsulates the info above on lithops. cheers
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I would love to hear an update from the Euphorbia growers about how their plantings are now in fall 2011. I'm new to Euphorbias just starting to grow them the past 2 years & love that the deer don't touch them! When first planting they are straggly looking & nothing to cheer about especially when they pout. Someone who gave me one said they are hysteronic meaning they overexaggerate after transplanting. Gotta laugh about that one! They do look like they've died, but they perk up in a few weeks. Last year our low was 13 degrees & these are what we have now in the ground. -Euphorbia 'Blue Haze' established & looks great still. I only prune after flowering in August taking out the flowering stems to the base. -Mrs. Robb's spurge - transplanted in fall looks better than the starts I planted in spring. Many new stems have grown up from both plantings & I cut off the old ones in September to the base. -purple wood spurge - spring planting last year, so settling in & less vigorous than the plain green. -'Rudolph' taller w/ red stems - would prefer the stems not lean, but received that way in the pot & still curved. Hoping the new stems in spring won't curve like that. Just planted up 2+ cu. ft container at camp under covered patio that included fall colorful 'Fern Cottage' E. griffithi as the anchor & 'Bonfire' reddish cushion spurge amidst other plants. Variegated sage, rainbow chard, variegated vinca minor, 'Wojo's Gem' vinca major, candytuft, a few bellflowers (serbian & peach leaf) & 'White Nancy' Lamium. I sure hope the Euphorbias don't pout too much in their new home.
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ChatanoogaChooChoo
13 years ago
Holy cow I love the color in the last one. I must know what it is. I have been fighting the urge to buy some for a while, you just made me give in.
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
Original Author
13 years ago
Some more to tickle your inner living rocks

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greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years ago
Must have come from Outer Space....

Look like they're about to burst forth with astral spore, bringing an end to Mankind.

Too much Lovecraft? Na... ;-)

Josh
brodyjames_gw
13 years ago
LOL! They're marketed as "moon rocks" where I work!
My manager thinks they look like little butts.
I'm with CCC, I must now buy some to add to my collection!

Nancy
xerophyte NYC
13 years ago
chatanooga - that one is most likely Lithops karasmontana 'Lateritia', but it, like others, is highly variable. The face is not always solid colored.

I can take a crack at naming the others if anyone needs assistance.

Not only are the plants nicely grown, but the owner spent lots of time cleaning off the spent flowers.

Check out the 5th from the top, featuring a clump of L. julii fulleri; the L. lesliei venteri on the top left has a stone in the middle with almost the same color and markings as the plant. Neato!

x
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
Original Author
13 years ago
X,

I was thinking of you when I was there - a fabulous opportunity for Lithop likers, and the names came too fast and furious for me to keep track of as we toured his collection. I'm sure I missed a number of them. Yes, I noticed that, too, and here you are in better detail.

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One of the interesting things is that he's been to many of the habitats of these plants and could tell me something about the places where he saw them.

If you're ever in the Phoenix area let me know in advance.
rosemariero6
13 years ago
OooEee, those were a lot of lookys, Jeff! Looks like a wonderful outing you had!

As you said "It was with a sense of sensory-overload and wonder at 3 1/2 hours being spent like a snap of the fingers." That's how I felt when we visited Steve Hammer's place 2 years ago! Heaven!

Here is a link that might be useful: My Picasa album: Visit Steve Hammer

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