T-rex Plants Blog
Published weekly. Ish. You can also follow along on Instagram at @trexplants
Growing Ariocarpus for Beginners
Ariocarpus is a wild genus. With the rise of plant popularity during COVID, these went from a relatively niche cactus, popular among experienced growers but almost unheard of otherwise, to incredibly in demand and fetching insane prices. Unlike the tropical plants...
Coryphantha Confusion: andrae, pycnacantha, or elephantidens?
This article first appeared in the SDCSS monthly newsletter, and references the local club meeting. Coryphantha! A genus you may or may not have heard of - they’re native to Mexico and even up into the Southwest US. In recent years, some species have become highly...
How to Grow Monilaria pisiformis – the Bunny Ear Succulent
These little plants have captured the hearts of just about everyone who sees them - and can you blame them? These are charming things that look like bunny rabbits, and are popular on Etsy and Ebay, most often sold as seeds. Sadly, many novice and even more experienced...
What Does It Mean When a Cactus or Succulent is Hard Grown?
As you begin to sink further and further into the addiction - sorry, the hobby - of cactus and succulent collecting, you'll encounter the phrase "hard grown". What does it mean? Why do people like (or dislike) it? Should you be doing it? Is it bad for your plants? Is...
Avoiding Leaf Burn and Browning on Thai Constellation and Albo
I recently saw a friend post to Facebook asking about how to prevent the white parts of her variegated monsteras from browning as fast as they had been - which led me to examine my own plants, and consider how long it typically takes me to see real browning or...
Caring for Copiapoas: A General Beginner’s Guide
I'll preface this right away with the caveat that I have only been growing my 'poas for the last 3 or 4 years. Compared to the venerated growers who have had some of their plants for decades, I am still a novice copiapoa grower myself. Having said that - I've only...
Summer 2023 – General Update and Garden Progress
Apologies to anyone who typically visits my blog each week, eager to see a new post about a new plant, or an update to existing specimens. The last couple months have had a lot of chaos happening for me personally, and I needed to take a step back from writing so I...
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,...