Anyone have an interest in O. polyacatha?

[Nold]

I finally got 'Claude Arno' last summer, at the DBG plant sale, after looking for it for years. 'Claude Arno' was the reason why Mary Ann called me all those years ago, she was looking for it too, having been friends with Barr .....

The trouble with opuntias, and it is big trouble, is the Cactus-Sucking Bug. I'm sure it has real name, but they attack pads and puncture them and then you have all these light green circles all over your cactus pads.
Dr. Bronner's takes care of them, but I decided it wasn't worth the trouble.
At least we don't have the giant cactus beetle here.

Bob

[Weiser]

Chelinidea vittiger aequoris is the one a friend was plagued with a few years ago. He said he had not noticed them until he saw the nymphs scury for cover one day on a stroll through his garden. It didn't take long to get rid of them but he had to treat the whole garden to do it.

Here are some links to information on the "little offenders". They even have mugshots. >

http://www.gatescss.org/Pests/Opuntia%20Bug%20Cactus%20Bug%20Opuntia%20Bug%20%20Cactus%20Bug%20%20Chelinidea%20vittiger.htm

http://colinlmiller.com/wildlife/hemiptera/hemiptera_pricklypear.htm

[Andy71]

Of all the cylindropuntias, C. imbricata is the hardiest, but in your climate it would be very marginal. I wish you luck in finding a clone that will grow in your area. The good thing is, it only takes a small branch cutting to get a start going.

I've heard that C. davisii is one of the cold hardiest of all the chollas. I know of one in a Massachusetts garden that grows well without a mark on it, so it can handle some moisture too. C. whipplei is very hardy too though the hardier forms tend to stay lower and spread. 

[Andy71]

Named Hybrids and selections abound. Here is a small parade of a few that have flowered for me.

Opuntia polyacantha Claude Barr hybrid I do not know the original name of this one. It has been passed from gardener to gardener to gardener etc.... for years and came to me unnamed. It looks like a possible hybrid with O. aurea. If anyone knows the name I'd like to know.

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You gave me two pads of this one John and I would say it is very likely a polyacantha x aurea hybrid or possibly even polyacantha x pinkavae. Its doing ok here so far.

[RickR]

Welcome to the forum, Andy!

I am always keeping an eye out for the hardiest cholla, and one that might stand heavy snowfall better.  You just never know...

[Andy71]

Thanks Rick!

Here's a pic of that C. davisii growing in Northhampton, Mass. It may have been flattened a bit from the October snowstorm.

[McDonough]

Here's a pic of that C. davisii growing in Northhampton, Mass. It may have been flattened a bit from the October snowstorm.

Welcome Andy, glad you finally made it to the forum! 

That's a cuddly cacti isn't it   The fact that it is growing in Northampton gives encouragement that more cacti will be hardy here in Massachusetts; I just so happened to be in Amherst and Northampton yesterday, a fine mild sunny winter day, although I have to admit, nary a thought about cacti all day .  The surprise pre-Halloween October snowstorm played havoc with trees that were still in full leaf, many trees were devastated (as were power lines), I suspect this cactus will have managed just fine.  I hope that you'll be showing us some of the hardy cacti growing in your Connecticut garden, which will give us fellow New Englanders clues about which ones to try here. By the way, is that plant growing in a private garden?

[Andy71]

Hi Mark, That plant is in the hardy cactus garden at Smith College. Most of the plants there do amazing and flower well. Its built right up against a brick wall of the greenhouse facing South baking in the sun all day. I didn't say anything to them but close to half the cactus there are improperly named. I love their garden though and have many pictures, would make a good thread of its own.

I surely will be posting pictures of my plants though they don't like much right now 

[Andy71]

Here's one of my favorite O. polyacantha varieties. It's var. schweriniana, likely not an 'official' variety but it fits for me. Basically miniature clones of polyacantha that grow in higher elevations. For those with small garden these work out well.

[RickR]

Now with that small one, I might actually be persuaded to grow an opuntia in the garden.  Does it bloom as well as the normal sized species?  What color?

[Andy71]

This one hasn't flowered yet, fingers crossed for this year. I do not really know but can't see why they shouldn't bloom as well as any full sized polyacantha just that the blooms will be small like the pads. Any polyacantha flower color is possible and I'm in for a surprise if/when my does.

[Andy71]

This strange thing is occurring with one of my polyacantha x fragilis plants. What clearly looked to be a new pad is now all the sudden getting a flower bud crown on top! The smaller flower bud on the right is normal in size, the bud/pad is kinda wacky. What will it do?

[DesertZone]

I've seen things like that before.  They can get wierd, I have seen flowers after they bloom go into odd shaped pads.

Very cool, thanks for sharing.

[Weiser]

Hi guys
It is always interesting to see what opuntias will do next.
Last year one of my O Basilaris had a flower bud produce three flowers at once. All I can think is that it was damaged in some minor way when it first developed.

 

[Andy71]

John, it was worth the wait! Emmons County polyacantha in Connecticut



What a beauty, slightly frilled double layer of petals with creamy white edges transitioning to a slightly deepened yellow all topped off with nice bunch of ruby red filaments!!