A Forest of Native Florida Cactus
I took the greenhouse tent canopy off early this Spring, expecting to get some growth with the stronger light, but this blew my mind. To all I met at recent Florida plant shows, here is the video of the tall “bamboo” forest of aboriginal prickly apple cactus I promised – and thank you for your purchases! These things are pupping, budding and fruiting like crazy and it’s early in the season. I’m saving seeds from flowers I hand-pollinated on nights when Harrisia fragrans weren’t in bloom, and I’m armed with professional pollination bags just in case of a megabloom. H. fragrans self-pollinates with even a light breeze and I suspect H. aboriginum does also. My mom calls these “the dotted Swiss cactus”.
jvfreeman
James V. Freeman is an established visual artist (oil painting) with a deep interest in natural history, plants and farming. He has had numerous solo shows, a solo museum show, an upcoming museum show and his work has been featured in many publications to date. He currently has a studio in Williston, Fl at the family farm and homestead, "Cactus Island", and as a farmer, specializes in growing columnar cacti of the Caribbean and Gulf countries as well as the aquatic Madegascar Lace Plant. James and his mom Sharon manage and develop the permaculture homestead.
Cactus Island Nursery