Sandoval County Master Gardeners 3/16/2016

1

Cacti and Other

Succulents of the

Southwest

Rich Reif

March 16, 2016

Κακτος ------ prickly plant (thistle)

Cacti are:

1. Succulents

Κακτος ------ prickly plant (thistle)

Cacti are:

1. Succulents

2. New world plants

--1-- --2-- --3--

--4-- --5-- --6--

Sandoval County Master Gardeners 3/16/2016

2

--7-- --8-- --9--

--10-- --11-- --12--

--13-- --14-- --1--

Sandoval County Master Gardeners 3/16/2016

3

--1-- Not a cactus!

Euphorbia debilispina

--2--

CACTUS!!

Opuntia lepticaulis

Pencil cholla; Desert Christmas cactus

--3-- CACTUS!!

Pereskia aculeata

Barbados gooseberry; leaf cactus

--4--

Euphorbia mammillaris

Corn cob cactus

Not a cactus!

--5--

Sandoval County Master Gardeners 3/16/2016

4

Not a cactus!

Agave toumeyana

Toumey’s agave

--6-- CACTUS!!

Ariocarpus agavoides

Tamaulipas living rock

--7-- CACTUS!!

Ariocarpus fissuratus

Living rock

--8--

Not a cactus

Euphorbia pseudocactus

Candelabra spurge; false cactus

--9-- Not a cactus

Pachypodium geayi

Madagascar palm

Sandoval County Master Gardeners 3/16/2016

5

--10-- CACTUS!!

Tephrocactus articulatus

Paper-spined cholla

--11--

CACTUS!!

Leuchtenbergia principis Agave cactus, Prism cactus

--12-- Not a cactus

Tromotriche revoluta (syn: Stapelia revoluta)

Carrion plant (?)

--13-- CACTUS!!

Astrophytum myriostigma Bishop’s cap, Bishop’s hat

--14--

Sandoval County Master Gardeners 3/16/2016

6

Not a cactus

Euphorbia trigona

African milk tree, Cathedral cactus

Five characteristics of all cacti:

1. Perennial

Five characteristics of all cacti:

1. Perennial

2. Dicot -- plant with two seed

leaves

Dicot leaves

Monocot leaves

Sycamore Pereskia

Apple Willow

Pachypodium

Iris

Spider plant

Lily

Daylily

Five characteristics of all cacti:

1. Perennial

2. Dicot -- plant with two seed

leaves

3. Fruit is a berry

Five characteristics of all cacti:

1. Perennial

2. Dicot -- plant with two seed

leaves

3. Fruit is a berry

4. Flower with inferior ovary

Superior

Ovary

Inferior

Ovary

Ovary not

connected to

hypanthium

Echinocereus

dasyacanthus

Rainbow cactus

Sandoval County Master Gardeners 3/16/2016

7

Opuntia imbricata --- Walking stick cholla

Opuntia

engelmannii

Cow tongue

prickly pear

Five characteristics of all cacti:

1. Perennial

2. Dicot -- plant with two seed

leaves

3. Fruit is a berry

4. Flower with inferior ovary

5. Only plants with areoles

Parodia sp.

Echinocactus grusonii

(Golden barrel)

Mammillaria sp.

Coryphantha sp. (note groove)

Echinocereus

areole and spines

Opuntia areoles, spines,

glochids, and new pads with

leaves

Preparing cacti for planting

(pots or landscape):

1. Trim all roots to perhaps a half inch or

inch of the bottom of the plant.

2. Let the cut roots dry – 5 to 7 days.

3. Dust the cut roots and bottom of the plant

with powdered sulfur.

4. Prepare the pot or spot in the landscape

where the cactus will be placed.

Top dressing --- very small stones

Sand mix

Pot --- clay or plastic

Pebbles or pea gravel, to hold

potshard in place

Potshard, to block drain

hole

Drain hole

Sand Mix: I use about 80% sand and 20% organic matter (topsoil, peat, etc.). Add about a teaspoon of granular systemic insecticide to a four-inch pot. Mix well. The sand should be slightly damp.

After planting, DO NOT WATER for about

one week.

WATERING:

Cacti need water, and they do like it, but not

too much!!

SUMMER (when plants are growing and blooming):

Water about once a week – about one-fourth

cup for a 4 inch pot.

SPRING AND AUTUMN:

Water about once every two weeks.

WINTER (plants are dormant):

Water about once a month.

PESTS:

1. Aphids

2. Fungus --- over-watering is the

culprit here. This is what the sulfur

is for.

3. Mealy bugs --- Use a systemic. If

they appear, remove with a cotton

swab or spray with an insecticide.

Mealy bug

infestation!!

Sandoval County Master Gardeners 3/16/2016

8

HABITS OF GROWTH

1. Tree-like: branched, not jointed or articulate; pereskioid

Pereskia

2. Jointed: upright or caespitose, flat or cylindrical; opuntioid

Opuntia

Cylindropuntia

Grusonia

3. Cylindrical: usually ribbed, may branch; cereoid

Cereus

Echinocereus

Oreocereus

4. Globose: ball-shaped or barrel-shaped, usually ribbed

Ferocactus

Echinocactus

Thelocactus

Sclerocactus

5. Tuberculate: long tubercules, not generally ribbed

Mammillaria

Coryphantha Opuntia inbricata

Walking stick cholla

Opuntia clavata

Club cholla

Opuntia polyacantha

Opuntia phaeacantha

Common prickly pear

Echinocereus --- the hedgehog cacti

Echinocereus

triglochidiatus

Claret cup cactus Ssp. triglochidiatus

Ssp. neomexicanus

Ssp. neomexicanus

Echinocereus fendleri

Fendler’s

hedgehog

Mammillaria heyderi

Nipple cactus; Pancake pincushion

Mammillaria wrightii

Wright’s fishhook cactus

Wright’s pincushion

Coryphantha vivipara

Arizona beehive cactus

Showy pincushion

Sclerocactus papyracanthus

Grama grass cactus

Paper-spined cactus

Toumeya

Sclerocactus whipplei

Devil’s claw barrel cactus

Whipple’s fishhook barrel

Sandoval County Master Gardeners 3/16/2016

9

Epithelantha micromeris

Button cactus

Echinocactus horizonthalonius

Blue barrel cactus

Devil’s-head cactus

Turk’s-head cactus

Echinocactus texensis

Horse crippler

Devil’s head cactus

Candy cactus

Ferocactus wislizeni

Fishhook barrel cactus

Arizona barrel cactus

Carnegiea gigantea

Saguaro

Agave perryi

Perry’s century plant

Agave palmeri

Palmer’s century plant

Artichoke agave

(unpaid advertisement)

CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY

OF NEW MEXICO

Meets third Friday (usually) of each month except

April, July, and September, at 7:00 pm, at the

Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas NE.

Spring Show and Sale --- April 9 – 10, 2016

10:00 am – 4:00 pm

State Fair Cactus and Succulent exhibit --- September

www.new-mexico.cactus-society.org

END