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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

A new green life!!!!

I got such a huge surprise today after work! At least, I should say it was a big surprise TO ME, anyway!!! I had a moon cactus like the one below (except it was hot pink on top)...and the top rotted off...strange, but true. That left the euphorbia stalk that it had been transplanted onto still there...so I took the pot and stuck it down on the bottom shelf where I put all my dead or half dead plants (ones that I've given up hope on)!

Well, today I was emptying some of the pots, to clean up for other plants, but when I pulled out the stalk of euphorbia, look at what was growing out the side! A new CACTUS (or could it be something other than cactus???)! It has very fine white spines...what do you make of it? Any ideas on what kind of cactus it is??? I must go out on the web and see if I can find any pics of one like it!!! I was so excited to see that a new life (completely new) came from this...WOW!

I have a mammallaria, a haworthia limifolia, and an aloe in bloom right now. It's spring in the succulent world too!!!

19 comments:

Claude said...

cool! but not a euphorbia... Technically, euphorbia isn't a cactus... it just looks like one and acts like one, and a cactus can't be grafted onto it... This is a Hylocereus undatus. One of the dozen or so plants called queen of the night... and the plant that produces edible Dragon Fruit... It will have to get pretty big before it blooms though...

My Little Family: said...

Can hardly wait to see the progress of this one.

Claude said...

I think I answered your question on my blog... let me know if you need to know more...

Julie said...

Claude---I looked this up...the new growth does look like Hylocereus undatus, but isn't the base stalk a euphorbia? I always thought that was what they grafted the different cactus into the top of.

Thanks for the answer to what the new growth is!!! YEAH...will be fun to watch!

Pudgeduck said...

How strange! can't wait to see what it becomes!

Margaret Ann said...

OMG...What a wonderful surprise form Mother Nature...now there's a lesson about not giving up! :)

Hermes said...

Whatever it is, its fascinating.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

What a pleasant surprise. You will have to keep it and see what develops.

Claude said...

There are some euphorbias that are grafted onto other euphorbias, but they're members of the milkweed family, not the cactus family, and won't support a graft of cactus.

Almost all the grafted cactus you see are grafted onto Hylocereus undatus, usually in factory greenhouses in Taiwan... Primarily because Hylocereus can grow fairly rapidly, and is redily available, and will take most cactus species as a graft, and when cut has fairly obvious xylem and phloem. There are websites that explain it in detail...

mr_subjunctive said...

You can graft cactus on cactus or Euphorbia on Euphorbia, but a graft between cactus and Euphorbia won't take; they're not related enough. Like Claude said, the new piece is Hylocereus, probably H. undatus.

Unknown said...

It is exciting to find these little surprises even if they do contain a mystery to be solved!

Bobbie Lynn said...

Never say die with a succulent. Hubby and I have hung on to some succulents that look pretty much gone, but we just took them out of the sun and little by little they came back. Please keep us updated on this little guy. Have a Great day!

stapeliad said...

Wow, how exciting! I think the shoot is a baby of the same type the parent plant is. Are you sure its a euphorbia? Looks more like a cactus.

I hope you have been well! HUGS!

Teri said...

Wow, how fascinating! Your friend Claude is so knowledgeable!!

Judi said...

Julie
Isn't that exciting to have it come back like that? I can't wait to see its progress.
I have one exactly like the one it was before but its in an orange pot as well and sitting at my desk at work. I'll have to get a picture of it.

Hope you find out more about it.
have a lovely day.
and oh yes I'm sure your hubby will like the seafood recipe...adjust the stewed tomatoes with chilis to suit your taste.
Yum
Judi

Anonymous said...

Oh that's funny Julie, because I did the same thing. The cactus head rotted off and I stuck mine in the ground beside a palm seedling and the same thing popped out. I would take a picture right now if I was more mobile. Great minds think alike I guess. It will be fun to see what happens with them....and thanks for all your encouraging words. I really appreciate you.

Aiyana said...

Hi Julie,
I imagine Claude is right about the species, but sometimes the graft base is Hylocereus trigonus. They use both species of Hylocereus to make these 'Moon Cacti' grafts.
Aiyana

Unknown said...

wow! thats good news, or this little guy would have been doomed for sure!

kesslerdee said...

That is so cool! I've seen those little "moon cactus" but I never really knew what they were before. I am thrilled to see yours has a new life happening!