T-rex Plants Blog
Published weekly. Ish. You can also follow along on Instagram at @trexplants
New Year, New Plants, and New Seeds: Kicking off 2022
New year, new projects! After a short hiatus for the holidays and unusual weather for San Diego, we've been busy over in our little garden corner! The weather was the most draining part of the month. We had nearly 4" of rain over the course of 8 days, which for us is...
Care Diary: Echeveria agavoides cultivars and hybrids
The beautiful Echeveria agavoides was the first succulent that really sucked me in to learning about the types and cultivars out there for some species and hybrids. They're generally quite easy to grow, quite forgiving, and can show some gorgeous coloration depending...
Care Diary: Myrtillocactus geometrizans and cultivars
The unmistakable, beautiful blue myrtle cactus: Myrtillocactus geometrizans! This species has spawned multiple cultivars, including the ever popular Booby Cactus, and is even commonly used as grafting stock due to how quickly they can grow. They're striking and...
Attending the November 2021 San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society Meeting
After nearly two years of COVID lockdowns and social distancing, I finally made it back out to our cactus club meeting! I'm a happy member of the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society, and have a seat on the board of directors. The club is massive, and our board does...
Care Diary: Aloe suprafoliata, or the Book Aloe
The Book Aloe is an uncommon species that is extremely striking as a juvenile, but seldom recognized in its adult form. I discovered the species during the COVID lockdowns in 2020, and picked up a handful to grow up and eventually use as landscape aloes (and also to...
Growing Blue Brazilian Beauties: Pilosocereus pachycladus
Originally published in the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society Newsletter for October, 2021. We always remember our first love – and for me, that’s the blue Pilosocereus pachycladus.You may have seen them listed as Pilosocerus azureus, but as far as I’m aware,...
The Best Tools and Gifts to Give a Gardener
One of the best things about being part of the plant community is that there's always something to learn and share with others who grow. Every grower has their own tricks and knowledge gleaned from their collection, and sharing that knowledge helps elevate us all! On...
Care Diary: Neochilenia jussieui AKA Neoporteria jussieui or Eriosyce curvispina
This little species of cactus is a cute, purple little thing that I have seen listed under a variety of scientific names. While the name Neochilenia jussieui is what I purchased my plants under and will typically list them as on my Etsy, but they may appear as: ...
Care Diary: Aloe erinacea
This aloe is a show stopper in nearly every collection, particularly as they gain some size. They are slow growing, which contributes to some of what makes them so coveted: a large specimen is often 30+ years old, usually older. I picked mine up in 2019, and they...
Care Diary: How to Grow Discocactus chrystillophilum
I have held off on blogging about the care of this particular species of cactus as I've read and heard that they can be finicky, difficult, and tend to be quite sensitive. I've had my Discocactus chrystallophilus for almost a year now, and they're relatively small,...