Along with columns, club updates and other material, each issue of the Henry Shaw Cactus Digest includes “Plant of the Month” articles on members’ favorite cacti and succulents. The articles typically include photos and facts on the plants’ origins, distribution and growing conditions, as well as care and cultivation tips. Plants featured in this month’s Digest are shown below. Access previous POM articles from the pulldown menus to right.
By Pat Mahon – As we approach the holidays, there is one cactus most notable for blooming this time of year. Most people simply call it the “Christmas cactus,” but this plant is more than just a throwaway companion to the poinsettia. The plants sold in stores this time of year are actually Schlumbergera hybrids, coming in an array of colors. What most may not know is from where these cacti …
By Bob Williams – At our October 2019 meeting, Pam Schnebelen brought in a bonsai tree on which the leaves were starting to turn colors. Dormancy was just around the corner. It was an interesting plant and one with which I was not familiar. This plant is not a true succulent, but makes an interesting bonsai specimen. The plant she displayed was Sterculia africana. Sterculia is a genus …
By Pat Mahon – While in the Caribbean, we made an incredibly important stop to Grand Cayman, an island located just south of Cuba. Botanist George Proctor, author of Flora of the Cayman Islands, proclaimed that there are more endemic species found in the Cayman Islands than in the Galapagos. This is likely due to the isolation of the islands in closer proximity to other islands, …
By Bob Williams – While you can’t tell it from the weather, fall is almost upon us. Most of us are looking around the house, trying to figure out where place this plant or that plant. Which ones can handle a cooler room? Which ones do I need to water more often than others? Which ones need a southern window? Which ones am I going to bring …