Cactitude

We’re up in arms at Cactus Island….way up as various cactus mature and put out pups that are growing into gorgeous arms, mostly blue ones at the moment in several species of columnar Pilosocereus from Brazil. Mom’s favorite is the fuzzy dark turquoise Pilosocereus Flexibilispinus trio with lots of arms. It will end up in its own raised stone cairn bed next year in a place of honor at the edge of The Oasis she designed. We’re also up on seedlings with over 14,000 tiny green Caribbean Royen’s tree cactus from this Summer’s yield of eight fruits. Two Fall bloomers are now forming for potential fruits #9 and #10. I’ve been happily very busy.

The cool green Myrtillocactus Geometrizans (Mexican edible “blueberry”) with its fast growing spiky arms looks here to stay after moving to the hilltop wild blueberry garden from a pot in early Summer, and I have somewhere around 1000 more in a tray (photo next to it). Since planting it has grown like crazy and put out a big root system. The tall powder blue facheiro punctuates the entrance to the house lawn from the long driveway like an obelisk and is the unofficial mascot, and now it has serious arms. Also reputed to be quite tasty are the pink fruit on our Peruvian apple cactus, and we’re about to try one with breakfast. We’re hoping they are as good as the similar dragon fruit that we’ve had before.

I often am asked “Are any of these giant saguaro?” Yes, we actually do have a bunch but they are very small and will take a long, long time to grow to a decent size. Carnegia Gigantea often take 100 years before producing their first arms. The very similar and equally huge false saguaro (Pachycereus Pringlei) grows many times faster and proved Floridable in the years I’ve been here.