Dontcha love oxymorons?

[RickR]

They've change the format and added some stuff since I last visited that Chilean site.  I like it.

[Jeremy]

I draw the lined with those whose thorns release and embed in your skin.  None of them for me.

Jeremy (or anyone) I still have loads of Coryphantha vivipara seed,

So if anyone would like some seed, send me your address. 

Rick, thanks for the offer, I'd love to give them a try. I'll send my address privately.

[Kelaidis]

First of all, Booker: yes indeed! I would LOVE to have plantations of Aciphyllas. But although I've grown quite a few Raoulia, Hebe spp, and various other New Zealanders, I have yet to overwinter an Aciphylla. I grow them superbly through the summer, but apparently, our steppe winter is too much for them. Phooey, I say! I had visions of planting these little bronze yucca lookalikes near their silvery North American cousins! If you know of any Aciphyllas that might grow in our god forsaken windy, frigid alternating with roasting climate, let me know!

And as for Loasaceae, Mark, I have grown a number over the years. Blumenbachia hieronymi thrived in the Rock Garden for several decades, although I suddenly realized we no longer have it. It was not dazzling, but the flowers were quite beautiful up close, and the seed pods were intricate, complicated and interesting. It bloomed for several months during the heat of the summer: a good thing in a plant! I must get it back! I remember seeing the giant white lantern Caiophora (coronata I think it's called) above treeline in the Andes: magnificent! And a screaming orange Loasa lateritia (I'm pretty sure that was the name) on a very steep scree above Laguna del Maule, which ranks with Sani Pass, Sentinel, Burhat Pass, Mt. Parnassos, the Tien Shan above Almaty, Maloja Pass, Hoosier Pass, Mt. Eddy, Carson Pass and the Beartooth as some of my "peak" wildflower days. Walking ankle for miles deep through rosulate violas is not easily topped. Oops: I forgot Railroad Ridge and oh yes, our hike up Grandfather Mountain wasn't half bad!

[Jeremy]

Rick, the Coryphantha seed arrived today. So many, very generous of you! I'm sterilizing the planting mix now (sand had been outside and who knows what it might have picked up). I'm trying it with a little crushed Dolomitic limestone added as an experiment, but only with 24 seeds, there'll be plenty more if they don't thrive. Thanks!  J

[RickR]

Sterilization or pasteurization should not be necessary.  I usually start with a potting mix (pasteurized, but sometimes the bag is opened for more than a year) but add plain ol' sand from a variety of sources raw.  Never had any disease problems with Coryphantha.

I never got any good pics of the little green maggots standing on end (you'll know what I mean when they sprout).  I'm sure we'd all like to see them.  Maybe start a new Genus thread or Propagation thread and post some photos with commentary...

[Jeremy]

Well, I just ordered a cheap webcam. I can set it up and beam riveting live little green maggot growth footage on the Forum! Do we have that capability? More fun than watching paint dry!
But seriously, I'll try to document the process. Sure, no pressure. They just have to turn out like your perfect rack of pink frosting-topped little green barrels! Oi!

[grannysmith]

Will Coryphantha vivipara take frosts?  As near as I can tell we are in the equivalent of your zone 10. Hot, dry, make that very dry summers, sandy soils, and reasonably heavy frosts with accasional light snow falls. I have the ideal sit with natural rocky outcrops of sandstone.

[Lori S.]

Will Coryphantha vivipara take frosts?

Coryphantha vivipara is native up through the Canadian prairies, where lows of -40 deg F (and worse) occur regularly*.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ESVI2
Frost is not a problem.  

(*I imagine some of the subspecies that are adapted to warmer areas may be slightly less hardy.)

[cohan]

The issues in fact might be the opposite for someone in hot zone 10--some of the cold adapted species don't like year round warm temperatures (haven't head re: vivipara, but I know of people struggling with Opuntia fragilis in warm places, and Pediocactus is said to not like warm summer nights); You can always try, but why bother? there are so many wonderful cacti that will thrive in zone 10!! I trying vivipara, I'd first go for the southern forms which at least will be more accustomed to hot summers...

[Tim Ingram]

Oh, it's good fun discovering what goes on in these threads. Back to Panayoti and his designs on designing a triffid. My idea of planting Yucca whipplei was to attract visitors - so far it has only impaled me! The only cactus I have grown is that amazing Maihuania (have I got that right?) which flowered beautifully on a raised bed of deep grit. One of the oldest members of our Group, who lives as far south-east as you can go at Broadstairs, had Y. whipplei flower some years ago. It must have been 15ft high and towered up above the veranda on the second storey of the house! We are opposite the exit of the M2 Motorway so when ours flowers I expect traffic chaos across the road!