A few standouts in our garden (late July 2021)

Even though summer isn't my favorite season, there are still plenty of things happening in the garden. Some come and go quickly—like cactus flowers—so I try to take photos right away. By the time you read this, the cacti featured below are probably done blooming. But others are waiting in the wings. I just have to pay attention so I don't miss them.

Acanthocalycium spiniflorum, a densely spined small cactus from central Argentina. The flowers last several days—always a plus in the world of short-lived cactus flowers.

White-flowering form of the lady finger cactus (Echinocereus pentalophus), also known as dog tail, devil's fingers, and (in Spanish) alicoche. Its primary habitat is central and northeastern Mexico, but it does extend into southeastern Texas.

The white-flowering form of Echinocereus pentalophus was distributed by the Huntington in 2018 as part of their International Succulent Introductions (ISI) program.

Parodia magnifica is a globe-shaped cactus from southern Brazil. It's very common—a staple in the 2- and 3-inch succulent section at any big-box garden center—because it's easy to grow.  My Parodia magnifica has been in the same pot for years, and I mean years, and yet it flowers magnificently, living up to the promise of its name.

Parodia magnifica with densely packed flowers

Nude buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum 'Ella Nelson's Yellow') and Agave shrevei var. matapensis × guadalajarana. This combination was a happy accident; I look forward to seeing it every summer.

Agave bovicornuta 'Holstein' looking better than ever with a few hours of sun in the morning and another hour in the afternoon. According to San Marcos Growers, the source of my specimen, this “sport of Agave bovicornuta [was] found at San Marcos Growers by field supervisor Arturo Garcia. San Marcos Growers named the plant 'Holstein' as a play on the specific epithet 'bovicornuta' which is from the Latin words 'bovis' meaning 'cow' and 'cornutus' meaning 'horned' in reference to the leaf margin of this plant, coupled with the black and white coloration of the Holstein cow (ie it is a variegated cow). The cultivar name 'Holstein' with images of the plant was first presented by Randy Baldwin at the International Plant Propagators Western Conference meeting in San Diego on October 1, 2009 for his talk 'Agave Propagation: Seeds, tissue culture & cuttings'.”

Agave bovicornuta, the regular form, is a standout in its own right with its apple-green leaves and cinnamon-colored “cow horn” teeth

Agave parrasana 'Impressionist', a variegated form of Agave parrasana with noticeably wider creamy margins than 'Fireball'. This one's been in a nursery container since puphood (or is that puppyhood?) and will finally go in the ground.

×Mangave 'Thunderbird' in flower. The rosette is looking pretty bad, but the flowers are surprisingly pretty for a mangave. According to the Plant Delights website, 'Thunderbird' is two parts Manfreda and one part Agave marmorata. The latter is a very large agave, but 'Thunderbird' clearly didn't inherit its size, seeing how it's a fairly small plant (nominally 8" in height by 12" in width). I assume the rosette will die after flowering, like an agave would, but I won't get rid of until for a while in case it's in the process of making an offset or two.

NOID ×Sincoregelia on the left, ×Sincoregelia 'Burgundy Hill' in the middle, Hechtia fosteriana on the right. ×Sincoregelia are hybrids between two bromeliad genera: Sincoraea, a genus resurrected in 2016 to accommodate 10 species previously included in Orthophytum, and Neoregelia. Prior to 2016, such intergeneric hybrids were referred to as ×Neophytum (Neoregelia + Orthophytum).

Orthophytum magalhaesii, a bromeliad native to Brazil's Atlantic Forest biome where it's found on granite outcroppings. It's the newest member of the terrestrial bromeliad enclave near our front door.

The inflorescence is the real standout. The green “leaves” are actually bracts protecting the small white flowers inside. According to San Marcos Growers, the source of my plant, Orthophytum magalhaesii “[h]as proven hardy to short duration temperatures around 28°F.”

My favorite vignette in the front yard right now: Dasylirion longissimum in the tall Corten planter, ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) in the ground in front of the planter, Craspedia globosa (the yellow flower balls), ×Mangave 'Red Wing' in the lower right, and Agave ovatifolia 'Killer' next to it

The metal tumbleweed stakes are by Omar Wysong (Topanga Patina Art)

It's too hot to plant anything other than tough succulents so I'm not doing a lot of “gardening.” But I'm adding to my various plant lists in anticipation of cooler weather in the fall and (hopefully) a return to in-person plant sales in Northern California and beyond.

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