Who Says I don't have a Cactus? ha ha

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 9:16 pm

Repotted this guy yesterday.
Had to smash the old clay pot because roots would not budge.
Had completely attached (almost like suckers) INTO the unglazed rough clay pot...weird.

See, Jim? I've got a cactus

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8577937379/" title="001 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8370/8577 ... c3f5_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="001"></a>

This time I wrapped my jacket around the cactus, instead of me. Worked great.

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 3:29 am

IF that is a Euphprbia. TECHNICALLY its not a cactus

Big sucker though.....

Is that your grapefruit in front of the window?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:13 am

Jesse,
It's got hooked thorns, close enough (to a cactus) for me.

I think Igor provided the Latin name last year...can't remember if he said Euphorbia

Nope, that's a little long-leafed Fig, on its way to sick bay.

Here's the Grapefruit before I dragged it back inside:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8518565465/" title="006 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8112/8518 ... 999b_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="006"></a>

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:19 am

Thats a nice one Barb...I was going to barb you about it not being a cactus too but Jesse beat me to it.....

How about this though,it should be a lot easier to get out of that pot once it's root bound again-LOL

Very cool plant though-has the shape of a text book Saguaro!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:07 am

Like I said, close enough to a cactus for me.

re getting it out of THAT pot, nope, it's staying in there forever.
Look at the pot shape...once roots get below that "skinny waist" and expand to fit that "bulb shape", it'll never come out again.

Bought the pot on a California trip eons ago when daughter was little.
In those days the family car was a VW Rabbit, I recall it cost $95 in diesel for the trip to within 10 miles of Tijuana, there and back.
Pot rode home in the back seat, in a seat belt, beside daughter.
Lots of chuckles from the border guards when we came back.

I like the pot, but the plant is H's fav.

Would be nice if it was a Saguaro.

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 11:22 am

i could be wrong..... but it looks like those euphorbia that put out those little leaves along the spine margins.... I love those ficus. I think its Ficus "Alii". I can never find one here. That is indeed a nice pot . Also lol at "if it has hooked spines its a cactus", I guess i have a "catctus"..... a really heavy feeder and goes semi dormant in the winter

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 11:49 am

like those euphorbia that put out those little leaves along the spine margins.

that's it, Jesse!
And yup, that is a Ficus "alii", near death.

really heavy feeder

Really?

Can't recall ever giving it any fert.

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 12:40 pm

I was refering to my Cat havinsg "hooked claws" as you said "anything with hooked spines is a cactus". "CATctus"....

Yeah my humor is a bit dry today. Im sorry

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 2:19 pm

nice specimen Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 3:18 pm

CATctus

Jesse

Thanks Tim.
Hoping it'll keep its little leaves this year with more soil for the roots.
They always fell off a few weeks after forming.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 3:47 pm

Probably this, but there are a few that look like it.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57020/#b

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:55 pm

Thanks Jesse, this link talks about how VERY poisonous the sap is for skin/eyes, etc.

http://www.blueheronblast.com/2011/12/p ... ement.html

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 7:12 pm

Yup, people in travelling in africa thought they were cactus, were lost and needed water.... I dont have to finish for you to figure out what happened.... Basically, if the sap is milky white, you dont go near it....

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 12:33 am

canadianplant wrote:Yup, people in travelling in africa thought they were cactus, were lost and needed water.... I dont have to finish for you to figure out what happened.... Basically, if the sap is milky white, you dont go near it....

That what has been happened to me once upon a time...

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 4:05 am

Holy crap Igor

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 4:13 am

That's what Barb gonna has sometime in the future

janci · Post by **janci** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 5:07 am

that monster of cactus

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 7:52 am

canadianplant wrote:Probably this, but there are a few that look like it.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57020/#b

I believe that one is Euphorbia hermentiana

Barbs is probably some form of Euphorbia lactea

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 9:24 am

Holy cow, Igor!

I'd better get a bigger pot

Thanks for the name Jim.
Gonna have to finally make a label so I don't ask every year.

Barb

marceli · Post by **marceli** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 2:52 am

Igor, I'm speechless

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 5:52 am

. Welcome to Kenya!