T-rex Plants Blog
Published weekly. Ish. You can also follow along on Instagram at @trexplants
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. ...
The Other Mesembs – What You’re Missing by Focusing on Lithops and Conos
My visit to Steve Hammer's greenhouses included a number of amazing mesembs that weren't the typical lithops or conophytums most people think of. Like Steve, I love these other mesembs! There's so much to discover in the Aizoaceae family, which is much, much larger...
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
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
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...
Visit to Steve Hammer – the Lithops houses
I had the fortune to visit Steve Hammer earlier this year, right at the start of fall, and was able to see some incredible plants. Here’s the lithops I was most enchanted by!
Care Diary: Gymnocalycium vatteri
I love Gymnocalyciums, and these are one of my absolute favorites. With an appearance that looks like they were chiseled into shape, mild spines, and huge, showy flowers, there's a lot to love about these cacti! Species Description and Distribution Gymnocalycium...
Care Diary: Thelocactus hexaedrophorus
These incredibly slow-growing, turtle-shell looking cacti are one of those species in a collection that can be a clear indicator that you've encountered a real cactus nerd. They're uncommon (and slow growing) enough that you rarely, if ever, see them at your typical...
Care Diary: Epiphyllums, the Orchid Cactus
Unassuming in appearance, even vaguely ugly (depending on who you ask), the Orchid Cactus is an unusual looking plant whose true beauty lies in the huge, beautiful blooms they product through late spring and early summer. Depending on the species, they'll bloom only...
Surprising(ly Stinky) Stapeliads
Originally printed in the February edition of the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society newsletter. Easy San Diego Growers The genus Stapelia hails mainly from South Africa, as many of our favorite succulent species do. They’re generally low-growing, spineless, and...