Delosperma 'John Proffit'

Early this summer I planted a Delosperma 'John Proffit' among my winter hardy cacti. It’s a prolific grower and has been flowering most of the summer.


Delosperma 'John Proffit'

Allegedly Delosperma 'John Proffit' is cold hardy in Denmark – I’m hoping it survives the coming winter.


Delosperma 'John Proffit' growing among cacti

Opuntia and Cylindropuntia – new growth

After a couple of weeks of almost summer-like temperatures in Denmark the Opuntia species growing in my unprotected bed has resumed growth.

The ever trustworthy Opuntia 'Claude Arno' cultivar is bursting with budding cladodes.


Opuntia 'Claude Arno'

Opuntia 'Smithwick' is also a survivor, coming out of winter dormancy with great vigor.


Opuntia 'Smithwick'

My Opuntia polyacantha also lived through winter without damage.


Opuntia polyacantha

Finally the Cylindropuntia imbricata plants growing in pots protected from the worst precipitation are much better off than the C. imbricata in the unprotected bed.


Cylindropuntia imbricata

Cylindropuntia - post winter status

My cacti are slowly recuperating as the growing season comes to a start. My regular Opuntias are all doing well; unfortunately my Cylindropuntias are marked badly by the cold and wet Danish winter.

The Cylindropuntia viridiflora looked beautiful in the snow but the top has now completely died back.


Cylindropuntia viridiflora – scorched by snow

My Cylindropuntia whipplei flowered last summer with amazing yellow-green flowers. Today it resembles a bunch of withered twigs – the only part still (seemingly) alive is the absolute base of the plant. If it’s still alive it will probably be years before it flowers again.


Withered Cylindropuntia whipplei

Alas, my Cylindropuntia imbricata is dead. I’ll leave it standing as a “snag” in the bed (given the plant was old enough to have formed wood).


Dead Cylindropuntia imbricata

All of the plants above are (or were) growing in an unprotected bed. I have similar plants growing outside in pots with some protection from rain and snow – these plants are doing considerably better. This indicates that the harm is not inflicted by the cold (even though the winter was exceptionally cold this year) but rather the consequence of too much precipitation.

Opuntia 'Claude Arno'

The second installment in the I-wish-it-would-be-summer-soon photo series features a flowering Opuntia 'Claude Arno'. The flowers are a distinct rosy red with a pearly sheen.


Opuntia 'Claude Arno' flower close-up

I bought the plant as a cutting from Bennys Kaktus a couple of years ago and it flowered for the first time last summer. According to Benny this cultivar is a hybrid of Opuntia fragilis and Opuntia polyacantha var. rhodantha.


Flowering Opuntia 'Claude Arno'

The pictures can also be seen as a fitting celebration of today’s vernal equinox ;-)

Cylindropuntia whipplei

While waiting for the return of summer I’ll post a handful of photos of plants that flowered last year. I'll start with my Cylindropuntia whipplei (MUG 125; 2100m, San Juan, New Mexico) that flowered for the first time even though it’s still young and far from being the compact shrub described in the Flora of North America.


Cylindropuntia whipplei flower

The flowers are a beautiful green-yellow and develops on the upper part of the stem segments.


Flowering Cylindropuntia whipplei

I’m a bit worried if the plant will make it through winter – last time I checked some of the stem segments seemed to be rotting. I hope the damage is located to individual segments and will not spread to the whole plant.

Cylindropuntia viridiflora in the snow

My Cylindropuntia viridiflora seems to be coping quite well with the cold and damp Danish winter. The plant pictured below is seemingly weighed down by snow, but the drooping form is common for plants in winter dormancy (as illustrated in the previous post).


Cylindropuntia viridiflora covered by snow

My plants are growing unprotected in a natural “raised bed” on top of a dune close to the north-western coast line of Denmark. Evidently the heap of sand is supplying sufficient drainage for the plants to survive the wet winters.


Cylindropuntia viridiflora


Opuntia sp. hidden in snow

Christmas Cacti

I can’t exactly say my cacti are basking in the sun – rather they are striving to endure the wet and cold Danish winter. The pictures below were taken December 25, 2005.


Drooping Cylindropuntia viridiflora


Opuntia humifusa hugging the ground


Opuntia 'Claude Arno'

My cold house grown Lophophora williamsii aren’t doing as well as the Opuntias – some critter ate large bites out of them.

Opuntia in the snow

This weekend Denmark was hit hard by a snow storm. The attached photo shows one of my Opuntias before being completely covered with snow.



Opuntia in the snow

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