🌸 Desert.plants.passion / Spring flowers - (3)
Mammillaria saboae
M. saboae is one of the most adorable species of Mammillaria genus. It is popular by many cacti collectors. I made photo of it in my hands, just that you can see how small this plant is. It does not have sharp spines, instead they are like a gentle knit around it’s body. The flower is very big in relation to the body of the plant.
All caci from the saboae group are small plants with big flower and at first glance have quite a similar body, but they are not all equally difficult to grow. For example, M. theresae is known for unexpected dying with no reason at all, and is much more difficult to grow than M. saboae. All of them need mineral substrate, plenty of sun and cold overwintering. They all have in common that the fruits are not visible at second year after flowering, as in most species of genus Mammillaria. Those of saboae group have the special feature: the fruits mature inside the plant and are sunken inside the plant for years. Sometimes they get the opportunity to germinate yet when the mother plant dies, using it for the first fertile food. That’s why this plant and it’s seeds can be found only in specialized cacti nurseries.
This one M. saboae that you can see on the photo started to cluster and flower very early, and it is flowering regularly every year giving one to three flowers in spring. Well, you cannot expect that kind of behavior of every M. saboae, I just have the lucky one.
Mammillaria perezdelarosae
M. perezdelarosae is also one of the more beautiful Mammillara. It is very similar to M. bombicyina, which to is of course related, but is much smaller and more beautiful. What gives it that special beauty is interesting contrast between color of the central hoocked spine and the color of the radial spines. The body is almost not visible due to very dense white radials. Flowers can be pink or very pale pink like mine.
Lobivia famatimensis CH 1235
Lobivia famatimensis CH 1235
After two Mexican Mammillarias what you can see right above is one beauty from Argentina. This Lobivia is one of the first spring bloomers of this genus. It is not common in collections at all. It requires special care about watering, and must have mineral soil. Peat is not allowed when it comes to this species!
Echeveria pulidonis
Most Echeverias flower in the spring. I like that gentle sticks coming out of it’s body and belly like flowers mostly in pastel colors. I have no problems with them. The rain is watering them, and they can endure high heat and full day of direct sunlight. E. amoena is my favorite among Echeverias.
Echeveria cuspidate var. gemula
Echeveria amoena
For the end here is one of my spring bloomers of Neoporteria genus. Who could resist these beautiful dark spines?
I have purchased this N. cephalophora on flower fair Florarart in Zagreb and I liked it so much that I later purchased the seeds of this species via net, but seedligs do not have such dark spines, at least not for now. Neoporterias are highly variable in nature by color and length of the spines, so it is difficult to know exactly how the plant will look, unless it is purchased directly from the grower. Anyway I collected the seedss of this beauty that you see in the photos below, and I will sow it these days.
Definitely the flower is not the reason why I grow it, it is the spines and the shape of the plant. Still, it cheer me every spring with a rich bouquet. The flower itself lasts for a few days, but as long as all the buds get in line, the whole bouquet blooms for weeks, even when it is cloudy.
Neoporteria cephalophora
Neoporteria cephalophora
Thank you for your attention!
Some of my other cacti & other succulents stories:
Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus
Turbinicarpus valdezianus
Cacti spring flowers
Cacti collection waking up
Growing Stone Eaters
If you are interested in reading about desert plants from my own growing experience fell free to follow and enjoy!
@andrijana
Yes, the cactus of mammilyaria is beautiful and long blooms!
I have several mammillaries.
Blossom often and continuously. I never have Problems created these cacti.
Success in growing!
Your cacti are beautiful.
The saboae is amazing, I did not know for their fruit production!
The plants are full of secrets!
Thank you! :)
It is not only saboae, there are some other Mammillarias with that feature. It is interesting to see, they are making some kind of small chambers in the body where seeds are :)