T-rex Plants Blog
Published weekly. Ish. You can also follow along on Instagram at @trexplants
Velvet Leaf Anthurium Flowering Stages – (Nearly) Everything You Should Know
In 2020 and then through 2021, I've been acquiring more and more of the velvet-leaf Anthuriums that I love. By now, I have several species, duplicates of a couple, and they have been reaching a size and maturity where they'll bloom. The crazy thing is, while there are...
Care Diary: Growing a Massive Monstera Siltepecana
As the pandemic was just winding up and the insane plant craze was beginning, I snagged myself a nice big pot of Monstera siltepecana. I'd tried a couple times before with smaller, single-node cuttings that weren't well rooted, and had had them slowly decline on me...
How to Arrange a Succulent Painting
A recent project I wrapped up just in time for winter rains was the addition of this stone alligator to our front courtyard area. After a trip to Mexico for my brother's wedding, we picked this up on our drive home. I didn't have a plan for it, just a general idea of...
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...