Embrace spikiness!

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Spines, spikes, prickles, bristles and teeth—nothing to be afraid of! What’s a few drops of blood sacrificed on the altar of succulence?

Enjoy this random selection of photos of the plants we love best!

Aloe_marlothii1

Aloe marlothii

Aloe_marlothii2

Aloe marlothii

Aloe_marlothii3

Aloe marlothii

120928_Aloe_cameronii

Aloe cameronii

Euphorbia_grandicornis

Euphorbia grandicornis

121228_UCBotGarden_Hechtia-texensis_01

Hechtia texensis

120929_SucculentGardens_Dyckia-Silver-Superstar_01

Dyckia ‘Silver Superstar’

Agave_teeth

Unknown agave species

Agave_parryi_teeth

Agave parryi

Agave_parryi euphorbia

Agave parryi with Euphorbia caput-medusae

Agave_parryi_spines

Agave parryi var. truncata

121228_UCBotGarden_Agave-parryi-huachucensis_01

Agave parryi var. huachucensis

120929_SucculentGardens_Agave-Blue-Glow_05

Agave ‘Blue Glow’ and Agave ‘Blue Flame’

131206_DBG_447

Unidentified agave

131206_DBG_482

Agave colorata

140412_RBG_095

Agave gentryi ‘Jaws’

110223_Agave-potatorum

Agave potatorum

110223_Agave-macroacantha

Agave macroacantha

110223_Agave-xylonacantha

Agave xylonacantha

110223_Agave-xylonacantha2

Agave xylonacantha

110223_Agave-BlueGlow

Agave ‘Blue Glow’

140412_RBG_033

Agave striata

121228_UCBotGarden_Agave-stricta_03

Hedgehog agave (Agave stricta)

121228_UCBotGarden_Agave-stricta_01

Hedgehog agave (Agave stricta)

110221_yucca

Juvenile Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia)

111119_Poots_Yucca-rostrata_004

Yucca rostrata

131203_ASDM_215

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)

131203_ASDM_135

Ocotillo and prickly pear

110221_opuntia_closeup

Opuntia engelmannii

120929_SucculentGardens_Opuntia-macrocentra_01

Opuntia macrocentra

131204_BoyceThompsonArboretum_168

Opuntia ‘Santa Rita’

140412_RBG_009

Opuntia sulphurea

131202_SaguaroNPWest_031

Close-up of saguaro spines (Carnegiea gigantea)

071218_saguaro_diptych

Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)

131206_DBG_062

Diamond cholla (Cylindropuntia ramosissima)

131204_BoyceThompsonArboretum_Cylindropuntia-molesta

Diamond cholla (Cylindropuntia ramosissima)

Cylindropuntia-ramosissima

Diamond cholla (Cylindropuntia ramosissima)

131206_DBG_017

Red teddy-bear cholla (Cylindropuntia x campii)

110221_tb_cholla

Teddy-bear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii)

IMG_7258

Teddy-bear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii)

firebarrel

California barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus)

140412_RBG_066

Agave pup in a clump of Mammillaria geminispina

111119_Poots_029

Crazy cactus—no idea what genus and species

131203_ASDM_171

OK, not a succulent, but still pretty spiky!

Comments

  1. Mark and GazJune 20, 2014 at 4:10 PM

    Fantastic spiky shots Gerhard, spiky plant porn! Plants that are lovely to look at but not always to touch!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)June 21, 2014 at 10:36 AM

      And yet, I'm almost always tempted to touch even the spikiest of plants. It's the lure of the dangerous!

      Delete
  2. Candice Suter.....SweetstuffJune 20, 2014 at 7:45 PM

    Hahaha, love the spiky plants for sure! I think I have scars on my arms from many of them. Great shots!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)June 21, 2014 at 10:36 AM

      LOL, I have battle scars too. It's the price of admission to the wonderful world of spikiness.

      Delete
  3. Drosera capensisJune 20, 2014 at 11:29 PM

    Great post! The more I read your blog the more I fall in love with agaves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)June 21, 2014 at 10:37 AM

      Yeah!!! Goal accomplished :-).

      Agaves are seriously cool. They'd look good even in an English cottage garden--well, some of them at least, like octopus and squid agave.

      Delete
  4. danger gardenJune 21, 2014 at 10:02 AM

    I had to save this one to drool over on the laptop (as opposed to the iPad, with it's smaller screen). Such spiky beauty, great photos!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)June 21, 2014 at 10:39 AM

      Who needs the morning paper when you read blog posts for breakfast :-)

      I can't wait to photograph your spiky lovelies very soon.

      Delete
  5. Hoover BooJune 22, 2014 at 2:50 PM

    Nice spikes!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Esther GriffithJune 23, 2014 at 5:25 AM

    So beautiful... They are so beautifully designed that they bring so much joy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)June 23, 2014 at 8:54 AM

      I agree! Just looking at spiky plants makes me happy. I know that's a weird thing to say, LOL.

      Delete

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