By Eric Driskill – Agave victoria-reginae was named after Queen Victoria. The plants are extremely dense, with tight, regular rosettes of hard, triangular leaves marked with white from 20 to 30 inches wide. The white markings make this species immediately recognizable. …
By Eric Driskill – Albuca is in the Hyacinthaceae family and is closely related to Ornithogalum. Every species in the genus grow from bulbs. It has over 100 species, mostly winter-growing. The genus originates from the southwest Cape and northwards into Namaqualand, South Africa, …
By Bob Williams – The favorite pastime of all the people attending the Mid-States Cactus and Succulent Conference was browsing through the sales area. Everyone was looking for that one plant that was calling their name. Most of us had several plants shouting for a look their way, …
By Eric Driskill – Albuca spiralis is in the family Hyacinthaceae. Its natural habitat is South Africa in the Cape Province, where it grows on sandy flats. A. spiralis is a winter-growing bulb. But, finally, a bulb with different foliage. The leaves of this fascinating species curl themselves up …
By Chris Deem – It was at our last Cactus and Succulent Show that I asked a more learned friend, which is an ant plant? She pointed them out on a table and said a most curious thing: that ant plants were not just one species or even just one genus. After saying this, she wrote down two names. …
By Bob Harris – When you hear the words “ant plant,” you know exactly what the plant is, don’t you? Sure, we see them in the HSCSS cactus show annually. A University of Connecticut website answered a Google online search request with a long listing of “ant plants,” which included: Acacia collinsii, cornigera and hindsii – Fabaceae …
By Bob Williams – When planning our rock gardens, we carefully choose plants that we hope can survive our St. Louis winters. For the start of 2019, it seems that wet and cloudy is the norm, with a blast of extreme cold. Cheer up, it could be worse. As some of you may know, I have …
By Roy Kasten – A plant I had long before becoming a member of the Henry Shaw Cactus Society was just known to me as the Baby Sun Rose. I purchased it as a hanging basket. It tolerated full sun and would reward me with beautiful, small hot pink/red flowers during the summer. …
By Eric Driskill – I don’t recall when an avonia first made it to my wish list, but I do remember it was at the very top of the list. I looked for about five years before I found one for sale. Ever since that first acquisition, which I still have, I have noticed that they are not that difficult to find. …
By Chris Deem – It is always quiet here. There are no trees, there are no shrubs. Each morning at dawn the sky caresses the stones. The sunrise this day, like the beginning of many other mornings, cast a soft pastel brightness of blue amd pink over the cool, quartz-rich gravel. …