Cactus and Agave

We just returned from a week in Arizona, visiting friends in Phoenix. They gave us small plants of two things that I can't find in the flower and plant books we bought while there: A spineless cactus with cylindrical stems, which they called "Corncob Cactus", and a spineless agave they called "Octopus Agave". Does anyone know the botanical names for these?

We drove out into the desert and walked around for an hour or two. I never feel like I've really been to a place until I've walked the ground a bit. Lots of things starting to bloom, like Opuntia engelmannii (that may not be the currently accepted botanical name for this species); the bright rosy pink flowered"Hedgehog Cactus" (Echinocereus engelmanii); a Pincushion Cactus species (Mammalaria sp.) in bloom; Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) were starting to bloom, although it was very early for them; "Fairy Duster" (Calliandra eriophylla) in the Pea Family; Yellow Palo Verde (Cercidium microphyllum) everywhere; "Banana Yucca" (Yucca baccata); some small California Poppies; and probably lots more.

While we're on cacti, can anyone suggest a "dwarf" prickly pear cactus species suitable for growing in containers in the cold and wet Midwestern USA? We have a native prickly pear here in Indiana, which grows well in containers outdoors all year round; I have that one. It is not particularly attractive after a hard winter. I believe it is called Opuntia humifusa, a prostrate and spreading species found in sandy soils in the northwestern part of the State.

We saw some orange or bronze flowered prickly pears used in landscaping in Phoenix. Does anyone know the botanical name of that variety? I also admired the pink or purple pads of the Santa Rita Prickly Pear, Opuntia violacea santa-rita. I took some 35-mm color slides of the plants that caught my eye there. Can one post images to this list? If so, I would be happy to share them once the slides are developed and scanned.

I grow a large prickly pear here in a container, presumably a form of Opuntia engelmannii. It has bloomed for me when I don't neglect it to severely. It has stayed in the greenhouse all year round, but that seems to constitute neglect. It does better when we move it outdoors into the full sun and rain in summer. Same applies to Cereus peruvianus, which I have let get infected with scale. I've moved it outdoors already, and will start treating it with granular "Marathon" insecticide.

Regards,
Jim Shields
in central Indiana

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Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Tel. +1-317-896-3925
Member of INTERNATIONAL CLIVIA CO-OP

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