Mammilaria

Mammillaria species blooming in the back yard.

Addicted to Texture and Color

Mammillaria species. Yet another Mammillaria species blooming on the patio. Do you suspect that I like these Cacti! They just bloom and bloom and bloom and are easy to grow. No complaints here! Plus they have all kinds of cool colors and textures, especially if you get up close. This one has really nifty fish hook like spines with all sorts of little grey soft spines. How awesome is that?

Meanwhile, it has been HOT here. I think we came close to 100F today (high nineties). This is still April! What is with the weather? The extremes seem to keep getting more extreme. Plus they are talking water rationing. My poor Swiss Chard went droopy on me (big wilty mess). I think I'm going to have to harvest before the heat kills it all. I suppose, with the water rationing, it's a good time to be into cactus, huh? Now about those orchids...sigh...

Mammillaria species in the Morning Sun

Mammillaria species, San Diego, CA. You've probably figured out that I like the genus Mammillaria. It gives those beautiful halos of flowers in all sorts of shades. This one has white flowers with an adorable peachy-pink stripe down the mid-rib of each petal! I tried in vain to identify the species. Peachy-pink is not the most common color (that being a bring lavender) among Mammillaria species. I eventually gave up as Mammillaria is a large genera and, after going through some 500 or so pictures, I was all spined and flowered out. There were a few close ones but somehow the spine pattern and/or flower color never quite matched. Hahah, maybe it's a new species (waywardhawaiianii), chuckle! Anyhow, this one is destined to remain Mammillaria species for now...unless some good reader wants to volunteer an ID (hint, hint)!!

Mammillaria species or Woolly Wonder!

Mammillaria species. Possibly Mammillaria bombycina or something closely related. I love Mammillaria species. Most have this wonderful halo of flowers, as if they were a garland around a maiden's head. It is a particularly large genus with many different species and most that I find for sale are unnamed or at best say Mammillaria species. Still they're wonderful and, if you want to bad enough, you can probably look them up, especially if yours is in bloom. Also, mine seem to bloom easily and regularly in our San Diego climate, being a regular crowd pleaser. I also really enjoy the wonderful symetrical patterns that the spines make providing great texture for photographs.

If you're a cactus guy and you know what species this is, send me a line. I have a few more mystery cacti to post just for fun. We'll see what people come up with.