Re: Ready for drugs


Jason, anyone else interested.. 

I think getting a consensus of So. CA native prickly pear Opuntias would 
be in itself a major undertaking, the Chollas slightly less so (thanks to 
Jon Rebman of the SDNHM).. but yes, talk about an underutilized group of 
plants. 

The paucity of Bergerocactus plantings in SD Coastal gardens baffles me 
to no end. What maddens me is the rate at which these plants continue to 
get dozed for new housing developments, yet it seems growers are terrified 
to grow them (is this purely a political situation?).. well, whatever, 
that's not really on topic. The only thing I would add about them, having 
gotten a few going here, is how amazingly 'no-care' they are. While the 
flowers aren't particularly showy, they do attract hummingbirds, and the 
fruit splitting characteristic in the summer months is intriguing.. 
especially to see that red jelly oozing down those bright golden spines. 
I suppose well-established clumps would attract a number of birds. 

I'll second your comments on the columnar and shrubby Chileans. I've 
noticed there are few of these that don't seem to thrive here, and that 
would not make excellent choices as accent plants in the medit-garden 
pallet. Perhaps the mistakes of those who attempt to grow Saguaros and 
other Sonoran desert plants that won't exactly thrive here without some 
serious watering in the summer and protection from our winter rains (this 
past year being the obvious exception) has infringed on their popularity? 

Mark 
San Diego CA 
___________________________________
On Wed, 27 Mar 2002, Jason D wrote:
> speaking of which, it would be especially cool to see
> an article specifically on cacti from medit climates,
> such as those coastal SoCal Opuntias, Bergerocactus
> emoryi, and all those columnar Chilean species that
> grow so far into their winter-rainfall zones.
> and since i don't read the San Diego papers, could you
> send an article link to the list without blushing?
> Thanks!
> Jason Dewees
> San Francisco
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