Top one Euphorbia Trigona rubra

Last one looks like Acanthocereus tetragonus aka 'Fairy Castle Cactus', but I've never seen seen them yellow. Plus they're usually always growing on top of each other hence the aka name:). Maybe it's variegated?

Nice job, Kara! Yeah, you are absolutely on point. Thank you for the added "rubra" on the E. trigona. That is one gorgeous plant. I was a little worried because it took over two months to root. But it now has developed leaves & is firm in the soil, which is a sure sign it's finally rooted. Would you happen to know how I can get it to branch? Does it self-branch? Should I simply lop off the top of this one once it is established and throws off some arms?

On the Acanthocereus tetragonus, the "Fairy Castle" threw me off because I have a potted Cereus Peruvianus that's reverted to "Fairy Castle" but that only means its growing in small tight clumps of varying heights as opposed to one giant single 10' stalk. I guess that applies to any cactus that grows in 'castle' form. My experience with light color on Cereus is that it's due to poor hard soil with insufficient root aeration ... also lack of sun and over-watering, but less so because these can acclimate. These came to me yellow, like this ... The mother is in a rock hard soil, so it has not grown much in years, They are now in a rich, airy succulent soil with lots of perlite. While I doubt the yellowed stalks will take on color, I am sure it will thrive and the new pups that come in will be green and hardy. I do fertilize all my C&S once a month during growing season.

They are small and are fine as is right now. I know I will eventually have to repot to individual pots as both can grow 6'-8' tall over time. I also know that the E. trigona is faster growing than the A. tetragonus.

Thanks again for your help.

Maria Elena

Euphorbias take soooooo long for their cuttings to root. I'm not sure how to get them to branch. They do tho. I bet if you cut the top off once well rooted you will definitely get branching much quicker:).

The Fairy Castle I've never seen yellow like that. It's kinda neat. Online there are a couple pics of a variegated version. So I wonder. Time will tell if it's stress or variegated:).

My rubra turned green, but got leaves & started branching, once the rainy season started. It had hints of red/purple over the winter. So I assume not just sun, but less water & less humidity causes the stress that gives the nice colour. (?)

I repotted it in pure tezontle so water just runs right through.

Do E. trigona rubra pup?

Ariel, no, I do not think they so much pup as branch out from the base of the trunk. A branch cutting is what you would allow to callous over, then root. Sometimes a cutting can have several 'arms,' which can be cut down further to create additional plants.

It's funny Kara, this tiny little piece DID take about three months to root. On the other hand, I had a huge 7' E. lactea that I cut down. I put a few large three-arm cuttings in a bucket and forgot all about it in an unvisited corner of the yard. It has rained a lot these past few months, so the bucket is full of water. You'd think they'd rotted. The uncalloused cuttings did not only NOT rot or die, but all the pieces are fully rooted ... in water ... for months!! Perhaps evidence that this is indeed not a true cactus, regardless of its big black thorns. Lots of Elkhorn/Candelabra there!!

Maria Elena

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This post has reminded/inspired me to go check my Euphorbia lactea variegated cuttings. The plant rotted over this past cold wet winter. My fault I should have put them in the garage. Cut them in February. I've kep them dry they better have roots by now:).

Connie, yours is very happy and healthy. What your doing he likes:)!

If I could give you one little warning bring him inside in the winter. They do not like even the slightest chill. Then add rain on top. A recipe for disaster.

Thanks for posting Connie. So the E. trigona rubra self-branches just like any other Euphorbia. That's really great to know. You've prompted me to move this one and the Fairy Castle to their own pots starting now. I will progressively pot up as they grow.

Ladies, what do you say about the E. lactea cuttings sitting in a bucket of water since March? Looks like there is no such thing as over watering.

Maria Elena

It's crazy goes against everything I know:)! I think it's just the perfect combination of things plus a little luck. So instead of turning to mush, they just grow and grow.

I had an Opuntia pad on top of a container lid. The lid of the container had standing rain water on it. That Opuntia pad had roots coming out of almost every areole.

I just checked my Euphorbia cuttings. Got roots! Finally:). Next time I have to do Euphorbia cuttings I should put one in water. Just to see what happens. A good experiment. I would only use rain water tho. Not the tap. Rain water is the best:). My luck the cutting would rot;).

Very nice, Kara! Congrats on your newly rooted plants. If you ever get a crest, the trick to keep it going is to cut off anything straight that grows on it. Otherwise, the straight part will take over. Here's an old picture taken three years ago of one of the plants I left with my son in NY ... It has since doubled in size, growing within its undulations. It was a straight cutting that grew that wild crested head and is still going strong. Actually, It was a cutting from the giant monstrosity above, which I cut down. I know it looks like a graft, but it's not. It grew naturally like that. The crest came in as if it were a protrusion that broke through the tip. One of its sides is clean with no corking line where the crest came in. It is soooo cool looking!

My Cactus & Succulents · More Info

My Cactus & Succulents · More Info

Wow that is cool:)! At first I thought they were grafted together, but they aren't. I hope I get that one day:). Your son must get his green thumbs from his mama:).

Here's a picture of the side that has no corking:

That is so crazy. It totally looks like those ones people buy that are grafted. Ooo I like the Stapelia gigantea in the back. Very nice:).

Ha! That was on my NYC window sill. The Stapelia is planted in ground on this property and we literally have an entire 8 foot bed of it.

My Cactus & Succulents · More Info

My Cactus & Succulents · More Info

Wow that's so beautiful. I think the Stapelia gigantea are really the most unique. They look so big and like they have velvet on them. the flowers are huge. Are they really smelly? I have a Stapelia sticula the flowers are small, but that thing stinks. My Huernia zebra I can barely smell it.

LOL ... Yeah, they really do stink ... like dead rats. When I lived in NYC, one bloomed in my apartment and I called my son over to help me find whatever died in my house! What a hick I am! I eventually followed the stench right to the flower ... There were black flies all over the window screen (outside) trying to get to it. It was like something out of a horror film. I quickly cut off the hairy bloom and flushed it down the toilet. Thank God for Lysol disinfectant and fresh air! Ha, ha, ha. Anywhooo, it bloomed continually that summer, so I placed that pot in a window box outside a closed window, where I could enjoy the plant and flowers without the stench.

The ones I have here are outside, so you see the blooms but hardly notice the smell ... except for every now & then. The plant itself IS very velvety. It keeps that texture and remains green when not under direct sun. Otherwise, it turns reddish and leathery (stressed) when exposed to heavy sunlight. If you remove it from the sun, it becomes velvety and green again.

Maria Elena

Forgot to mention, the reason for the odiferous carrion smell is to attract black flies. They lay their eggs on the flower thinking it's food for their young (ugh! maggots). When the maggots emerge a few days later, they squirm all around the center of the flower looking for food ... they smell it, but they can't find it! In the process, they pollinate the flower. The black fly maggot is apparently the only insect that can pollinate the bloom. Not receiving nourishment, they die a few days later, right there on the flower. Mother nature is ingenious and cruel all at the same time.

Evolution is amazing.

That is so gross. I hate flies so much. There's one in my house now and it's driving me crazy! At least the larvae die on the flower. One less fly in the world is fine by me:). I remember somebody on here I think Stush had a pic of fly eggs on one of his Stapelia flowers.

You made me laugh! It IS utterly gross ... Ugh!! I'm going to go take a shower! I feel like I soiled your thread! There's a twisted side of me that loves telling that story.

To "clear the air," this lovely little grape-candy-smelling beauty bloomed for me today - Meet Plumeria "Pink Pansy":

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Oooo Plumeria are so beautiful and smell even better. They remind me of Hawaii:). It's been so long since I've ever smelled one.

Lovely thread ladies. The Happy Cactus is especially nice, crazy I know, but I do believe it was a cactus that was so happy it grew leaves! I am so turning into the crazy plant lady, I can't even take care of all mine....and I still have a long list of wanta-haves.