A Lovely Cactus Flower: Rebutia wessneriana (?)

Naturally, this little guy was simply labeled "Cactus" when I bought it last year at a nursery. Well, duh.

It's sometimes hard to tell one cactus from another, as many look similar to each other. Until they bloom, that is! Then it's time to pull out the cactus guide and do some educated guessing.

This is cactus-blooming month in my garden, and this amazing orange-red flower makes me think this little guy is a Rebutia wessneriana, also known as R. krainziana.  It's a small, clumping cactus from Bolivia. It can handle a little more frost, but can't stand super-hot, midday sun or prolonged intense heat. It's somewhat prone to rot and can't stand too much water or dampness. Each flower lasts for several days, and there are three to five buds per mature cactus. Adorable!

Los Tres Amigos: 3 Hairy Guys

Posing for you all today are my three hairy guys, Espostoa lanata on the left, Rebutia albipilosa in the front, and Cephalocereus senilis on the right, at the back. All are New World cacti, yet all sport very different hair stylings. That's creativity.

What everyone wants to know about their "Old Men" or "Old Women" cacti is, how to make that hair grow long and lush? The key is a lot of morning sunshine. They are not crazy about strong afternoon sun or extreme heat, but several hours of morning sunshine, outside, suits them very well. If they can't be outside now and then, a sunny east-facing window does well, too.  I don't like growing these outside all the time, because their hair gets dirty and turns yellow-gray. Yuck.

The hair's function is to reflect sunlight and trap pests. It also helps retain water, so they can be a little more rot-prone than other cacti. Another reason to grow small ones like this indoors. Outdoors, some columnar hairy cacti can become quite huge! Not a good choice for the living room in that case....

Hairy cacti make a great mini-collection within a wider succulent collection- they are a lot of fun.

Now I have to get back to prepping for TS Isaac, soon to be Hurricane Isaac. Never dull around here in summer!

(Photo from OSHA, USA)

A Fluffpuff for Monday

On Monday mornings, I need something to lift my spirits, and today, I chose my Rebutia albipilosa, aka "Fluffpuff".  It's can still grow just a little bigger than this, then can grow offsets which can be cut and rooted. Has gorgeous, and quite large, flame-orange flowers. The rest of the time, it's just fluffy, which is okay with me. I water once a week with acidified water, and it's growing in cactus soil with a gravel top to prevent rot.



Rebutia albipilosa