Some flowering cactus, a late-blooming aloe, and agave pollen

'Tis the season for cactus flowers. Just look at the masses of blooming cactus I photographed at the Sacramento Cactus & Succulent Society (SCSS) sale a few weekends ago! 

Two of my purchases from that sale have since flowered, both Echinocereus. This genus, commonly called hedgehog cactus, consists of some 70 species native to the southwestern US and Mexico. Their flowers are easy to recognize by the green stigma in the center. Unlike so many cactus flowers which wilt after only a day or two, Echinocereus flowers often last a week or more.

The first of my purchases from the SCSS sale is Echinocereus reichenbachii. It's native to the Chihuahuan Desert, which includes parts of Texas and New Mexico, and has also been reported from Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma (!). Its common name is lace hedgehog.

Echinocereus reichenbachii

Echinocereus reichenbachii

My second purchase from the SCSS sale is Echinocereus viridiflorus var. davisii, the smallest species in the genus. It's only found in Brewer County, West Texas, where it's locally known as green pitaya. Often the stems are entirely underground.

Echinocereus viridiflorus var. davisii

Another Echinocereus species is blooming in a large bowl on top of the front yard fence: Echinocereus pentalophus, or lady finger cactus. It grows primarily in Mexico but is also found in the southern Rio Grande Valley in southeast Texas. In contrast to other Echinocereus, the flowers of E. pentalophus are short-lived and wilt after a couple of days. I have both the typical purple-flowering form...

Echinocereus pentalophus

...as well as the white-flowering form, which is much rarer and, in my opinion, far more beautiful. The flowers are larger and an exquisite pure white.

Echinocereus pentalophus, white-flowering form

The white-flowering form was sold by Huntington as part of their 2018 International Succulent Introduction offerings.

Echinocereus pentalophus, white-flowering form

Echinocereus pentalophus, white-flowering form

Echinocereus pentalophus, white-flowering form

Echinopsis is arguably the cactus genus with the most hybrids. They come in a variety of colors—from white to yellow and orange to red and purple, including multi-hued cultivars. My favorite Echinopsis in our garden is this tiny hybrid called 'Forty-Niner'. Its soft golden flowers dwarf the small body. Unfortunately, they barely last two days before they wilt.

Echinopsis 'Forty-Niner'

Most of our aloes are long done blooming, but there's one straggler of note: Aloe karasbergensis. I bought it in April at Green Touch Nursery in Southern California and planted it in the bed along the sidewalk. It's just now starting to bloom (the yellow flowers are from Calylophus drummondii):

Aloe karasbergensis

In the “blooming soon” category is the Puya alpestris below. I've waited almost 10 years for this. The flowers will look like this, provided it really is Puya alpestris.

Puya alpestris

The Agave parrasana by the sidewalk has been taking its sweet time, but the first flowers are finally opening. I collected some yesterday for a friend who will transfer the pollen to his flowering Agave albopilosa in hopes of creating an über-cool hybrid.

Harvesting Agave parrasana flowers

I will harvest some more Agave parrasana flowers on Sunday for another hybridizer friend. More photos to follow.

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