jabblog: cactus

Sunday, 27 July 2025

Propeller?

Our cactus flowered again. It flowered at the beginning of June.

Obviously it has appreciated the high temperatures in the conservatory, which at times have reached 40˚C.

Viewed from above, it resembles a propeller.

Wednesday, 4 June 2025

Conservatory cactuses

Our conservatory cacti are rewarding us with pretty flowers this year.

This is the one that flowered in May.

There is a belief that indoor cactuses will only flower once, but if they have sufficient sunlight, they will continue to flower annually. Some, like the Christmas cactus, may flower several times.

This is the currently flowering plant. It has just one flower, but what a beauty it is.

This cactus flowered some months ago, but something interesting is happening on the surface. Having investigated, courtesy of the internet, I have a horrible feeling it’s giving succour to mealybugs, in which case it will go in the garden for a holiday.

Update: blogging is so helpful. On Lyssa Medana's blog she mentioned Dragonfli, a company that provides biological, environmentally friendly solutions to naughty bugs. I have ordered some mealybug predator larvae (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri) They're not cheap, but it will be worth it, if they work. I can't wait to set them loose on my poorly cactus. Thank you, Lyssa!

Now, which is the correct term for more than one cactus? Is it cacti or cactuses? Both forms are perfectly acceptable. Cactus is a Latin name, so cacti is the Latin plural, and the one most frequently used. Cactuses is the Anglicised version, obeying the rules of English pluralisation.