Plant haul from Southern California (November 2022)

On November 6, I attended my first plant sale at the Huntington. My expectations were high: I had visions of table upon table of plants propagated from the garden’s extensive collections as well as a large selection of plants from the Huntington’s International Succulent Introductions (ISI) program.

The reality was less extravagant. Yes, there were tables with succulents from the gardens and a (very) small selection of ISI plants, but the large majority of plants—virtually all the perennials, shrubs, etc.—were bought in from wholesale growers. From talking to volunteers and other attendees, it sounds like the spring sale (usually in April) is much larger, both in terms of square footage and inventory. I’ll make an effort next spring to check it out for myself.

While the overall selection wasn’t what I had hoped, I still found a bunch of nice plants, both for myself and for several friends who had given me a wish list. Here’s my haul from the Huntington:

In a surprise to exactly no one, I bought myself a few new agaves:

Agave shawii var. shawii, a choice clone with particularly colorful teeth. I bought this one at the Theodore Payne Foundation, a premier California native plant nursery in Los Angeles County, a couple of days before the Huntington sale.

Agave guiengola ‘Moto Sierra’, a Kelly Griffin selection introduced by the Huntington through its ISI program. ‘Moto Sierra’ is Spanish for chainsaw—an apt moniker for a plant with teeth like these.

Square-cornered “chainsaw” teeth on Agave guiengola ‘Moto Sierra’

I was excited to come across a few one-of-a-kind agaves at the Huntington Fall Sale. These are the kinds of finds I was hoping for.

Agave pelona is uncommon enough as it is, but I’ve never seen a hybrid for sale. I’m very curious to see what it will turn into.

For comparison, here’s Agave pelona, the straight species, at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson

Two different clones of Agave parrasana, one labeled Clone 19, the other Clone 29. The differences are immediately noticeable—from the color and shape of the leaves to the number and size of the teeth. I look forward to seeing how they evolve. It would be interesting to plant them out in the ground within eyeshot of each other.

Agave toumeyana var. bella, one of the smallest agaves. I’m actively looking for very small agaves and cacti to fill holes.

I also got a handful of cacti:

Coryphantha retusa caught my eye because of its cage of dense golden spines. Looking at photos online, it seems this species is quite variable.

Three Echinopsis hybrids created by Bob Schick (left to right): Echinopsis ‘Ishtar‘, Echinopsis ‘Flattycake‘, Echinopsis ‘For Norma‘

Amazing flowers of Echinopsis ‘Ishtar‘, Echinopsis ‘Flattycake‘, Echinopsis ‘For Norma‘ (photo 1 and 2 © by the Huntington; photo 3 © 2015 by Antonio H. Miguel)

Selenicereus anthonyanus, an epiphytic cactus from southern Mexico with spectacular flowers that open at night. It’ll live in a hanging planter in the backyard.

Selenicereus anthonyanus flower, photo shared from Creative Commons (Creative Commons zig-zag epiphyllum 003 by RDPixelShop is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

And a couple of aloes for good measure:

Aloe elegans (left) and Aloe schelpei (right)

For comparison, here are mature specimens of Aloe elegans and Aloe schelpei in flower at the Huntington:

Aloe elegans

Aloe schelpei

A list of all my plant purchases for reference, my own more than anyone else’s:

Genus	Species	Source
Agave	guiengola ‘Moto Sierra’	Huntington
Agave	parrasana ‘Clone 19’	Huntington
Agave	parrasana ‘Clone 29’	Huntington
Agave	pelona hybrid	Huntington
Agave	pelona hybrid	Huntington
Agave	shawii	Theodore Payne Foundation
Agave	simplex	Theodore Payne Foundation
Agave	toumeyana var. bella	Huntington
Aloe	elegans	Huntington
Aloe	schelpei	Huntington
Coryphantha	retusa ‘Clone 1’	Huntington
Coryphantha	retusa ‘Clone 1’	Huntington
Dudleya	pachyphytum	Theodore Payne Foundation
Echinopsis	‘Flattycake’	Huntington
Echinopsis	‘For Norma’	Huntington
Echinopsis	‘Ishtar’	Huntington
Selenicereus	anthonyanus	Huntington
Sphaeralcea	ambigua ‘White’	Huntington

As I mentioned, I also got some plants for friends:

Genus	Species	Source
Agave	victoriae-reginae ‘Snow Queen’	Huntington
Aloe	vaotsanda	Huntington
Cerochlamys	pachyphylla	Huntington
Cheiridopsis	speciosa	Huntington
Copiapoa	hasseltoniana	Huntington
Echinocereus	huitcholensis	Huntington
Lachenalia	‘Ao Matsuge’	Huntington
Massonia	depressa	Huntington
Massonia	depressa	Huntington
Massonia	obovata	Huntington
Massonia	obovata	Huntington

Plants for friends

Agave victoriae-reginae ‘Snow Queen’, a choice clone of the Queen Victoria agave

Fall is a great time for planting in our climate, but not necessarily for agaves and cacti. They tend to stop growing when it’s cold, biding their time until warmer weather returns. While the two aloes I bought have gone in the ground already, the other plants will remain in their pots until late winter. I don’t want them to sit in cold, damp soil straight out of their nursery containers.

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