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.
