T-rex Plants Blog

Published weekly. Ish. You can also follow along on Instagram at @trexplants

How to Grow Echinocereus reichenbachii

I originally picked these up intending purely to resell all of them, but was so enchanted by the flowers when they bloomed before I could list them that I ended up keeping two. They're attractive even without the blooms, and a small enough size that they're easy to...

3 Big Tips for Indoor Plant Growing Success

Growing plants indoors is a whole set of challenges that are distinctly different from growing them outdoors. I'll preface this post with a note that due to my climate, I don't grow any succulents indoors at all, and would never consider any cacti indoors. All of my...

Star Aloe Hybrids Update – New Photos, New Hybrids

I keep telling myself I have enough aloe hybrids, that I don't need more, and where am I even going to put them, anyway? But then I see a new one at a local show or club meeting, and of course, it just has to come home with me. These are so easy to care for,...
Care Diary: Astrophytum capricorne

Care Diary: Astrophytum capricorne

Many people love the Astrophytum myriostigma and its lack of spines (and many cultivars), but there's a different cactus in the Astrophytum genus that holds my heart: Astrophytum capricorne. There are, as with the myriostigma, many cultivars and clones of this...

Care Diary: How to Grow Astrophytum asterias

Care Diary: How to Grow Astrophytum asterias

These small little cacti are extremely popular for how small they stay and their complete lack of spines. They grow in a single, small globe shape, with their growing and blooming season in summer. Grown well, they are rarely more than 3” tall, and can get as wide...

Care Diary: Glandulicactus uncinatus

Care Diary: Glandulicactus uncinatus

This little cactus has the dubious distinction of having a ridiculous number of genera ascribed to it. I recently entered mine in our winter cactus club show & sale, since as a winter bloomer, it's a fantastic little cactus to show.  Deciding on the category took...

Care Diary: Gymnocalycium andreae

Care Diary: Gymnocalycium andreae

I am, of course, obsessed with the Gymnocalycium genus. As a part of that, I have a habit of picking up pairs of species I haven't seen before any time I spot them.  Gymnocalycium andreae is no exception. I spotted these as small plants at Grigsby's cactus gardens,...

Care Diary: Stenocereus beneckei

Care Diary: Stenocereus beneckei

The Stenocereus beneckei is one of those cacti that when you see one grown in greenhouse conditions, or sheltered from natural rainfall, it absolutely takes your breath away. The ghostly pale body and stark contrast of the spines draws the eye no matter who you are. ...

Conophytum Eye Candy, Part 3 – Visit to Steve Hammer

Conophytum Eye Candy, Part 3 – Visit to Steve Hammer

As I said earlier, I took hundreds of photos when I visited Steve's, but I've cherry picked the best to post here.  Steve was a wealth of knowledge, kind, friendly, and it was wonderful to visit. His assistant, Oakes, was also extremely kind and helpful in showing off...

Conophytum Eye Candy, Part 2 – Visit to Steve Hammer

Conophytum Eye Candy, Part 2 – Visit to Steve Hammer

These photos are of named species that I could identify, although I won't claim any expertise in what's what.  I personally struggle to grow conophytums, or at least I have in years past. I think I tried too hard with them before; too much water in their off season,...

Conophytum Eye Candy – More from the Steve Hammer visit

Conophytum Eye Candy – More from the Steve Hammer visit

While there were oodles of Lithops at Steve's place, what was truly special was the sheer quantity of amazing specimen Conophytum. They were all just starting to wake up for the winter growth season, and beginning to bloom.  It was interesting to talk Conos with Steve...