Cactus flowers in our garden, June 2023

This year, we were blessed with an amazingly mild June, with daytime highs rarely exceeding the mid-80s. This pleased both humans and plants alike. Things radically changed when a heatwave moved in on June 30, but that’s another story.

Many cacti in our garden bloomed either for the first (and only) time this year or produced a second wave of flowers. Every day, it seemed, there were new flowers to photograph. Which, of course, I did. Here is a round-up of what was in bloom in June (hey, that almost rhymes).

NOID Epiphyllum

Let’s start with an unidentified orchid cactus (Epiphyllum) in the backyard. It’s in a basket hanging from the chaste tree. I may not know what it is exactly, but it sure manages to impress.

NOID Epiphyllum

Epiphyllum ‘Bridesmaid’

Epiphyllum ‘Bridesmaid’ flowered for the first time. It was a gift from plant friend here in town. I keep forgetting I have these epiphyllums – until they flower. Then they’re unmissable.

Epiphyllum ‘Bridesmaid’

Ferocactus glaucescens

I planted three blue barrels (Ferocactus glaucescens) on Bamboo Hill last fall. Two of them bloomed in May, the third one bloomed in June. As with all Ferocactus, the flowers are quite small in relation to the size of the body.

Ferocactus glaucescens

Ferocactus emoryi

I bought this plant 10+ years ago. It’s been in a smallish pot ever since, which has bonsai’ed the body. It’s a reliable bloomer, producing orange flowers with a red central stripe. The flowers aren’t especially showy, but they complement the reddish spines.

Ferocactus emoryi

Thelocactus rinconensis

Thelocactus are related to Ferocactus. In fact, it’s possible to hybridize the two genera. Thelocactus rinconensis is a variable species; some are more spined than others. The flowers may be fairly plain, but I’m still happy to see them.

Thelocactus rinconensis

Notocactus werdermannianus

The genus Notocactus was lumped into Parodia for a number of years, but now it has been brought back. Rule of thumb: Species where the petals and the stigmas have different colors are Notocactus, the others are Parodia. Not that a lot of people really care. Anyway, this is Notocactus werdermannianus:

Notocactus werdermannianus

Notocactus mammulosus

The flowers on this species are particularly showy:

Notocactus mammulosus

Notocactus herteri ssp. roseoluteus

This used to be its own species, Notocactus roseoluteus, but is now considered a subspecies of Notocactus herteri. Whatever you want to call it, it has spectacular flowers. They keep getting bigger as the body itself grows.

Notocactus herteri ssp. roseoluteus

Mammillaria duwei

This may look like a fairly typical mammillaria, but the flowers are large for this genus and they last for a long time – several weeks, it seems.

Mammillaria duwei

Echinocactus horizonthalonius

This Chihuahuan Desert native has several common names, including devil’s head, Turk’s head, and eagle’s claw. It’s native to southern Arizona through southern New Mexico into western Texas and northeastern Mexico so not exactly rare. With its gray-green body and cage-like spines, it’s one of my favorite cacti, even though the flowers are fairly ordinary.

Echinocactus horizonthalonius

Echinocactus horizonthalonius

Echinocactus horizonthalonius

Acanthocalycium spiniflorum f. violaceum

This small cactus from Argentina has delicate pink flowers with a metallic sheen. It blooms repeatedly from spring through summer. This is its third flush this year:

Acanthocalycium spiniflorum f. violaceum

Echinocereus rigidissimus

Out of all the Echinocereus that have flowered this year, this is one my favorites: the white-flowering form of Echinocereus rigidissimus, sometimes referred to as var. albiflorus. There’s something special about these flowers, maybe the contrast between the white petals, the yellow throat and the green stigma lobes.

Echinocereus rigidissimus var. albiflorus

Echinocereus rigidissimus var. albiflorus

Echinocereus rigidissimus var. albiflorus

Echinocereus pentalophus

Echinocereus pentalophus is a mat-forming species with finger-like stems which, by themselves, are nothing to write home about. But the flowers, they are spectacular. The typical flower color is purple, but I’m particular fond of the white form:

Echinocereus pentalophus

Echinocereus pentalophus

At one point, I had four white flowers and two purple flowers:

Echinocereus pentalophus

Echinocereus  viereckii ssp. morricalii

Echinocereus viereckii has small spines, but subspecies morricalii is almost spineless. Purple flowers typical of many Mexican Echinocereus species:

Echinocereus  viereckii ssp. morricalii

Echinocereus enneacanthus

Echinocereus enneacanthus is found in New Mexico, Texas as well as wide areas of Mexico. Pretty ruffled flowers on stems with white spines, but fairly generic-looking overall.

Echinocereus enneacanthus

Echinocereus dasyacanthus

My Echinocereus dasyacanthus (aka Texas rainbow cactus) flowered in May when I was in Germany and again in June. The flower color is yellow turning to yellowish-orange in the center.

Echinocereus dasyacanthus

Echinocereus dasyacanthus var. ctenoides

This variety of Echinocereus dasyacanthus has larger flowers than the species that come in different shades of yellow and orange, often bicolor. Mine bloomed for the first time, and I was not disappointed!

Echinocereus dasyacanthus var. ctenoides

Echinocereus × roetteri

This is a naturally occurring hybrid between Echinocereus dasyacanthus (Texas rainbow cactus) and Echinocereus coccineus (claret cup). Echinocereus × roetteri is a favorite among cactus aficionados because the flower color is highly variable. Mine is orange, the most common color. I have another one that’s still too small to bloom, and I’m hoping for a bicolor flower.

Echinocereus × roetteri

Echinocereus chloranthus

Echinocereus chloranthus (or Echinocereus viridiflorus var. chloranthus as some say) typically has brown flowers, but I ended up with an oddball that has yellow flowers:

Echinocereus chloranthus

Echinopsis

I have quite a few echinopsis hybrids. The sheer number actually surprises me, but echinopsis have been my focus this year. Actually, that shouldn’t be a surprise, considering how spectacular their flowers are. Plus, many of them form relatively compact clumps, allowing me to squeeze quite a few into the newly refurbished garden beds.

Echinopsis flowers are short-lived, generally lasting only one day. If the weather is on the cooler side and I’m in luck (an aspect that should never be underestimated in gardening and life), they might open for a second day. To make up for that, most echinopsis hybrids bloom multiple times throughout the summer months. Last year, ‘June Noon’ held the record with seven (!) flushes. Three is more typical.

After visiting echinopsis master Brent Wigand a few weeks ago and seeing his massive collection, I’m more stoked than ever.

Echinopsis randalli

Echinopsis randallii is one of two straight echinopsis species I have. It has blood-red flowers, but they’re on the small side and remain funnel-shaped even at peak. I got it years ago at the Ruth Bancroft Garden and don’t notice it most of the time until it produces flowers.

Echinopsis randalli

Echinopsis randalli

Echinopsis oxygona

Echinopsis oxygona, or the Easter lily cactus, has large flowers ranging in color from white to pink and light purple. It’s not as showy as most of the hybrids, but it’s a good bloomer.

Echinopsis oxygona

Echinopsis ‘Apricot Glow’

‘Apricot Glow’ was created by Tucson hybridizer Mark Dimmitt, who also gave us ‘First Light’ (as well as the ‘Desert Museum’ palo verde). ‘Apricot Glow’ grows to 2-3 ft. in height and produces the most stunning orange flowers. I got mine from Jeff Moore (Arid Adaptations ) in Tucson when I visited him last December.

Echinopsis ‘Apricot Glow’

Echinopsis ‘Apricot Glow’

Echinopsis ‘For Norma’

‘For Norma’ is a Bob Schick hybrid released by the Huntington in 2015 under their International Succulent Introduction (ISI) program. It was named after Norma Lewis, a long-time Huntington supporter and volunteer.

Echinopsis ‘For Norma’

Echinopsis ‘For Norma’

Echinopsis ‘Daydream’

Another Bob Schick hybrid sold by the Huntington. The photos below show the difference in how we perceive color in the shade (first photo) and sun (photos 2-6). Excuse the excessive number of photos, but I have two ‘Daydream’ and they both bloomed. The flowers aren’t huge, but they’re soooo pretty.

Echinopsis ‘Daydream’

Echinopsis ‘Daydream’

Echinopsis ‘Daydream’

Echinopsis ‘Daydream’

Echinopsis ‘Daydream’

Echinopsis ‘Daydream’

Echinopsis ‘Ishtar’

A Bob Schick hybrid with flowers in hues ranging from ashen pink to orange pink. Photo by Makenna Brabrook who house-sat for us while we were in Southern California in the middle of the month.

Echinopsis ‘Ishtar’

Echinopsis ‘Flattycake’

A Bob Schick hybrid with supposedly disc-like flowers, hence the name. Mine has flowered twice now and never produced flat flowers. So more like ‘Roundycake’.

Echinopsis ‘Flattycake’

Echinopsis ‘Flying Saucer’

‘Flying Saucer’ is the benchmark against which all columnar echinopsis/trichocereus hybrids are measured. It flowered in May when I was in Germany and again in mid-June when we were in Southern California. I missed the flowers both times, but there should be another flush later in the summer. Photo below by our house-sitter Makenna Brabrook.

Echinopsis ‘Flying Saucer’

Echinopsis ‘First Light’

Many echinopsis hybrids are fairly similar. ‘First Light’ is the exception. There’s nothing like it. If I had to pick my favorite echinopsis, ‘First Light’ would be in the top 3. It’s flowered twice this year, but as with ‘Flying Saucer’ above, I missed the spectacle both times. Photo below by Makenna Brabrook.

Echinopsis ‘First Light’

Echinopsis ‘First Light’

Echinopsis vs. Trichocereus

In 1974, a number of previously independent cactus genera were merged into the genus Echinopsis, including Trichocereus (tall columnar cacti) and Lobivia (small globular cacti). However, based on DNA evidence, Trichocereus and Lobivia were reinstated as separate genera in Taxonomy of the Cactaceae published in 2015. Since many “echinopsis” hybrids are a genetic mix of two or three of these genera, it makes sense to refer to them as echinopsis. In common parlance, the taller columnar trichocereus are often called “torch cacti.”

Bob Schick

Bob Schick, now in his 90s, volunteered at the Huntington for many years. He created a huge range of echinopsis hybrids in his backyard nursery and donated his stock to the Huntington after he retired. The Huntington started distributing Schick hybrids in the 1990s under their International Succulent Introduction (ISI) program, and many of them are still available on their ISI website. 

There’s surprisingly little information about Bob Schick himself and his approach to creating these amazing plants, but thanks to Wayback Machine, the oh-so-useful Internet archive, I found this technical article Bob Schick wrote in 2004. The level of detail in this article exceeds my level of interest, but the botanical experts among you might find it enlightening.

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So, there you have it, cactus flowers in June. If this degree of floriferousness keeps up, I’ll have another installment at the end of July.

© Gerhard Bock, 2023. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.