Monday, October 4, 2010

Crested

What does "crested" mean when it's used with cacti?

Crested cacti are unique formations that happen every now and then in nature. Above is a picture taken of a Crested Saguaro Cactus at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.  Of course you can find other kinds of crested cacti which are really striking to have in your collection.

When you see a cactus that is a little unusual looking, in that it is not straight or round,  or that it has swirls and twists....you are probably looking at a crested plant.  A crested cactus will make another crested cactus....just carefully break a  segmented section off and follow cacti transplanting rules.  However....
This cannot be done with a Saguaro Cactus as it grows differently from other cacti. You can't propagate it the same way.  That is why a crested Saguaro is really a thing of beauty and a unique feature in the desert landscape.  And I should also mention that it is protected.....so you can't touch these guys:)

Yes....Saguaros get that tall!!:)  Happy Gardening!!

3 comments:

  1. I've never seen a crested cactus before, glad you posted this!

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  2. Dear Rohrerbot, What a fascinating and informative posting which I have greatly enjoyed reading. Indeed, your illustrations of the cacti give them a very sculptural and tactile appearance which makes them immediately intriguing.

    I am delighted to say that after several false starts your weblog now appears automatically in my blog rollbar.

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  3. Oh, I saw something like this at the Botanical Garden. Now I know what it's called!

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