Thursday, March 26, 2009

golden cat tail blooming...

My cleistocactus winteri, aka 'golden cat tail' or 'golden rat tail' (I prefer cat because 1. it's more accurately descriptive and 2. it just sounds better) has decided to bloom this spring... This is unusual.

Usually it blooms several times from late spring to summer, about 3 flushes... and last year it didn't bloom at all. Maybe these are some buds that started to develop last year and didn't until now...

You've probably seen this plant before, kind of... it's crestate or monstrose variety is quite common on those little grafted cactus you get at wal-mart. A South American native, it likes a little more water in the summer than most cacti. It will survive the winter outside here, but it has to be kept absolutely bone-dry, which is a little bit more than I can manage, so I bring it in...

8 comments:

  1. Claude: Hey guy, thanks for your clever comment at my post today. I left a comment back again for you.

    BTW: I'm just finishing an article about a wonderful lady in town with a stunning succulent, bromeliad and begonia collection. Your photos today reminded me.

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  2. Yours looks so much like the one I have- but I think when mine flowered they were pinkish, rather than red. And the new tips of mine all have pink ends. I wish I could get a positive ID on it. Yours is beautiful though- I love the flowers!

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  3. This is a pretty flower. I've had these before, but they've never flowered. Too bad. I love to see red flowers!
    Aiyana

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  4. Here named rat tail also , i hate this name for it .

    You have mom plants , i think it is need repotting for grow .
    Nice day Claude

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  5. This is the exact cactus I have been looking for...but, as you mentioned, I can only find it grafted! I need to cut it off and get it to root itself...or would it??? Should I take a chance...or maybe i can order one online!

    Yours is really gorgeous!!! Nice size! Great blooms this year, too!!! YEAH!

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  6. They root fairly well... and since the plant produces clorophyll, it doesn't have to be grafted to grow...I'd give it a shot!

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  7. Hey Claude- I came back to search your posts on the Cleistocactus...and see here it bloomed for you both in March 09 and August 08! I have kept mine completely dry this winter. Any tips for getting it to flower soon? I want to maybe give it a tiny bit of fertilized water and see if it will spur it on. What do you think???

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