25 January 2009
More signs of spring
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti .
There are no current photos to go with these observations, I’m afraid, as the light isn’t really good enough this afternoon, so here’s one from last year of one of the plants I want to talk about…
I’ve noticed that almost all of my blossfeldias are budding up ready for spring, including this grafted plant of Blossfeldia liliputana ’subterranea’. I have two more of this form of B. liliputana on their own roots, and four of straight B. liliputana, also on their own roots, and only one of the latter is currently without any signs of flower buds.
I’m hoping for a good display from them this year, as a good number of last year’s flowers failed to open due to the dismal summer we had. Blossfeldias, like fraileas, are capable of setting seed cleistogamously, and so if they don’t have to expend the energy in opening their blooms, they quite often don’t bother.
I’m also extremely pleased to say that my sole plant of Cintia knizei is showing a tiny flower bud as well. I bought it from René Geissler in Slimbridge last August. Ever since then I thought it had been looking a little peaky in my care, but perhaps not. Unless of course it’s flowering because it’s in its death throes!
3 Comments so far...
Julie Says:
26 January 2009 at 4:21 am.
I sure hope your Cintia knizei is not in it’s death throes! LOL. I’m sure not! Best wishes for it!
Aiyana Says:
26 January 2009 at 7:29 am.
This is an interesting cactus. What month do these bloom?
Aiyana
Stuart Says:
26 January 2009 at 7:08 pm.
My blossfeldias seem to open their first flowers late-March/early-April, usually. They reliably produce extra flushes of blooms throughout the year too.