Smelly Plant of the Month: Senecio kleiniiformis



Senecio kleiniiformis

Senecio is a huge genus, but there aren't too many succulents to be found there. I have an S. serpens, whose white blossoms smell exactly like stinky gym feet. Yuck.

But this Senecio is different. S. kleiniiformis, also from Southern Africa, has bright yellow blossoms the same shape and size as S. serpens. But they smell...good! A beautiful perfume of honey-lemon wafts from these all day. It reminds me of the honey-lemon drops people suck on during the winter to keep the flu away. Since we're having an awful influenza season, and an early one, S. kleiniiformis seems like a good plant to be growing on the windowsill. It's a tough and hardy plant that likes full to filtered sun, waterings when its soil dries out, and lots of admiring humans to smell its flowers.

Pensive Tuesday: You Think You've Got a Plan....

And then something unexpected happens. I had a serious, comprehensive Pensive Tuesday post all worked out, but then I noticed something strange on the windowsill....

Fluffpuff is blooming! Is this the face that launched a thousand ships??



Fluffpuff, blooming.

Fluffpuff is a Mammillaria hahniana (I am quite certain now because it blooms in a magenta ring). No, I didn't name this cactus Fluffpuff, a child did, and frankly, he looks a little grumpy. But that's OK, it's been a tough month for everyone I know. His funny "face" made me laugh, and so he pre-empted the post I'd planned. Sometimes, life hands you a nice little surprise when you need it....

Tilly of the Month: Tillandsia ixioides

Tillandsia ixioides hails from Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It's massively coated in silver trichomes, so its usual color is silver except after being watered, when it turns green.

It's a difficult one to find, because it is extremely hard to ship anywhere. This is because its spiky leaves are as brittle as glass. The leaves could probably be used as weapons by smaller creatures, they resemble jousting weapons.  But if you find one, do give it a try, as it's quite beautiful and unique. The flowers are yellow, which is unusual for a Tilly (most have magenta to purple blooms).

Pensive Tuesday: The Living Household

Today I'm introducing a few new additions to the household. Meet Sourdough Starter "Mick"!



Sourdough Starter Mick

He got the name Mick because he's so...hyper! Sourdough starters used to be much more common around the world, particularly in the USA. Most kitchens kept one, and made bread from part of it at least twice a week. Now, keeping a starter means you are part of the "artisan bread group"- mostly gourmet cooks, locavores, and off-the-gridders. But starters are easy to keep and make the most fragrant, soft breads! The only problem with my new sourdough bread is that it's eaten within a few minutes after coming out of the oven. So there's a problem with a lack of leftovers.

The second addition is a Kombucha SCOBY (a starter, like a vinegar mother). I'm working on the first batch of delicious Kombucha, I do hope the fermentation goes well. So far the SCOBY looks good....



Kombucha SCOBY at work.

A kitchen full of useful critters, and rooms full of plants, mean the home is truly a living household (and don't forget pets!). What's growing in your house? And are you glad it's there? I've got to go now...the house keeps trying to walk to the beach....

Bloomin' Sundays!

Here's what's blooming, or pupping, around my garden this weekend....

Lithops:

Bloomin' Lithops!

Mammillaria:


Bloomin' Mammillaria!

 Fenestraria (Babytoes)--Yes, AGAIN!

And some extremely small Tillandsia pups:

What's blooming around your garden?? Have a great weekend!

Key Lime Pie Plant: Adromischus cristatus

Succulent expert Fred Dortort says the Adromischus genus comprise " ...a low-key but significant portion of the South African succulent flora." (Succulent Plants of the World, pg. 52) Crassulas will take over the world, bwahhahaa...! But seriously, these are tough little plants, beautiful, and easy to grow. This one is known as the Key Lime Pie, Pie Crust, or Crinkle Leaf plant, depending on where you live. Since Key Lime Pie is our state dessert (yum!), that's its name here.



Adromischus cristatus

 The leaves are fuzzy, wedge-shaped and plump, with lovely crinkles at the end. The crinkled edges turn slightly red when it's getting enough light. A. cristatus grows bright red, adventitious roots along the stems.

It likes bright light, but too much sun and heat will cause it to bleach and wrinkle in a very sad manner. It needs to be watered when the soil dries out, and should be planted in standard succulent/cactus soil with excellent drainage. You can grow new ones from leaf cuttings.

I made a few new drainage trays for my succulent collection. They are stoneware with Ancient Jasper glaze, which seem to suit the plants well.

New trays for the Key Lime Pies! (plants, that is)

Pensive Tuesday: How Far Would You Go...

For your collection??? For that rare plant, the new cultivar that looks so amazing?

If you couldn't find what you wanted, would you grow them from seed?

 Or engineer them in a lab so that they glow in the dark??

 

Would you collect it in the wild? How far would you go to get it? What risks would you take?

As for me, I'm willing to go about 50 miles or so to a specialist's nursery, or order on the Internet, but I don't collect wild plants. I'll try growing them from seed if I can't find any locally. But that is not always successful! I tried growing Argyrodermas from seed, both in soil mix, and in wet paper towels. The seeds came all the way from S. Africa, but I grew nothing. My Lithops seedlings, on the other hand, seem OK

I've read fascinating stories about botanists going through real Indiana Jones adventures in the Karoo and Argentina, looking for rare succulents and epiphytes. I'm not willing to go quite that far...but how about you??