Five Years and Counting: A Big Thank You to My Readers!!

I can't believe I've been keeping this blog for 5 years! I'm so happy you've found a spot to learn more about Tillandsias and Mesembs, and share in my gardening adventures. I hope you have enjoyed the posts on all sorts of sundry and various things of passing or abiding interest to me, your humble blogger!

Our celebrity Mesemb, Babytoes

So a big shout-out to my readers and followers, and a big bloom from Babytoes, perhaps the first internet celebrity Mesemb?? Or is that going too far? ;-)

And yes, I still grow Lithops. I've come to feel, however, that it's best to support policies and laws that support their wild environment, where they grow best. Growing them at home certainly improves their fan base and helps more people become aware of how precious and amazing these little plants are. So let's grow some more! I think we can all agree on more Lithops in the world....

My sand dune at night. Painting by MRobb

Lithops!

Mesembs in bloom

Learning about all sorts of Mesembs and cacti is a wonderful hobby, and I'm going to continue, most likely, for the rest of my life. Tillandsias are native to my area, and frankly, I'm running out of space to grow them, as they are extremely happy in my home and garden. So you'll be reading more about them, too.

Tillies!

Los Tres Amigos.

And my artwork and pottery continue, so thank you for your wonderful compliments.

So have a wonderful weekend walkabout, and once again, thank you so much! See you soon!

Weekend Walkabout: Alert Gardener Spots Tillie Tree!

Alert Gardener Jim of Miami sent me some remarkable photos of a tree that is absolutely festooned with native Tillandsias. There are at least three separate species, probably more, living in great profusion on this tree in a suburban lot.

The trees around this tree (most of the same species) have hardly any Tillies at all. What is it about this tree that makes it so remarkably attractive to Tillandsias?

I've consulted my textbook on Tillandsias, Air Plants by David Benzing, and have not found a definitive answer. But there are some clues. Tillandsias can be very fussy about where they will grow. They like a certain sort of bark, and often, the presence of certain mosses or a particular species of ant. Does this tree harbor the right sort of ants? Does it grow the best moss? Or is it nearest to a sprinkler-sprayer so the Tillandsias get more water during droughts? What do you think??

When so many Tillandsias are involved, I have to ask that question of symbiosis vs. parasitism. At what point does the tree get hurt by its enthusiastic guests? According to my research, (completed with a couple of books, sunscreen, and a mimosa in my backyard), Tillies can cross the line into parasitism by weighing down and breaking tree branches, and blocking light that the host needs to photosynthesize. This tree seems healthy enough, but I'll bet it's worried....

We have no Tillie Trees here on the sand dune, but I do know of some gorgeous Gaillardia pulchella flowers that are perfect for weekend contemplation:

Have a wonderful weekend, and for those in the USA, Happy Labor Day!

Weird Wednesday: Say Hello With a Funga-Phone!

Enough art for awhile, I'm back to science today. I've often wondered how plants communicate with each other. No vocal chords, no silicon chip capability, no opposable thumbs. Poor, silent creatures, right? Turns out, they do chat with each other, via Funga-Phone!

Oh, the gossip in this place! The awful din!

Scientists in both Scotland and China have been studying how plants use their symbiotic soil fungi as a communication system. When a plant is attacked by pests, like nasty aphids, it can activate certain genes that protect it, or secrete pheromones that make it attractive to wasps that eat aphids. But how can it warn its neighbors that it's under attack by sticky green hordes? Originally, it was thought that plants could only use pheromones of alarm, carried on the breeze. But that's not very reliable. What if the wind isn't blowing, or is blowing the wrong way? Plants turn on their Funga-Phones....

Soil fungi form networks among plants, and the plants can pass communication molecules through their symbiotic fungi. In other words, it's like a Phyto-Internet. This method has only recently been discovered, so who knows what all plants can discuss?

But what about Tillandsias? They have no soil. How do they dish the dirt when they got no dirt??

Not much to talk about, again....

I suspect that in the wild, Tillies might utilize the fungi that grow on their host trees. Or maybe pass messages through their symbiotic ant networks. Or perhaps they have a different way to communicate entirely. It's definitely a possible avenue of research. Does anyone know how the TillyNet works??

More on Tillandsia High-Rise Condos

Just thought I'd elaborate on a very convenient way to grow indoor Tillandsias. I don't hose down my Tillies, because they are in my living room. My floors and carpets would protest loudly. My computer would short out. Someone, probably me, would slip and fall, most likely with fatal results.

But I ran out of space on my little Tilly table about a month ago. They were just getting too big, and pupping like mad. So I found a sturdy old CD rack in the garage.



Here it is again!

 It's stable, rust-proof, and airy. (Tillies need a lot of air movement to avoid rot and fungal infection.) Each cubby has a ceramic bowl with 2-3 Tillies. The rack is near a large, east-facing bay window, so they get lots of morning sun, but shade in the afternoon. They're very easy to take on and off the rack for watering, and friends can get a better look at their favorites, and have some fun rearranging them to vex me.


A close-up with morning sun.

They seem to enjoy the extra air and light they get in their "highrise condo", and obviously, I can collect and grow more Tillies in less space. An inexpensive solution to a common problem for the indoor gardener!

Tillies, with a couple of aloes above.

 What space solutions have you found in the furniture and accessory department? I'd love to see them.