January 2013 - Genus of the Month - Espostoa

[Bill]

http://www.bcss.org.uk/pom012013.php

If you fancy writing a Plant of the Month feature, please contact Shelia C.

[Tony R]

84 of you have looked at it, but perhaps no one else except me (and Graham Charles, of course) grow them?!

[Sheila]

Re Plant of the Month

Re Bill's note above - please note that my user name is Sheila. There is a Sheila C who uses the forum, but I suspect she would be puzzled to receive messages about Plants of the Month. A little confusing as my surname also begins with a C.

If you have any suggestions for a Plant of the Month you would like to write you are welcome to contact me. I would always be interested and there are plenty of genera that haven't been covered yet.

Sheila

[Sheila C]

I was rather worried by Bill,s message.

I grew quite a few Espotoa but had to part with them when I moved to Shropshire as I had nowhere to put them,I only have Espostoa Nana which I grew from seed in 1979.

Sheila C.

[Bill]

Sorry ladies.

[Tony R]

Looking at the statistics, not quite as popular as Haworthias or Gasterias, then?!

[Martin]

Well I am with you Tony I have quite a few and am hoping that with the new greenhouse space this coming year I can get them bedded out and see if I can get them to grow a bit !!

I have quite a few for well over 10 years that are still only about 12 inched tall, they do not grow very fast in pots for menot sure why.

Would you say they can take more water in the summers I wounder if they are just too constrained / dry in pots to grow well

[RICHAUD]

Hi all
Some photos of Espostoa melanostele in nature (Lurin valley Peru)

Espostoa melanostele Lurin valley cephalium.jpg (37.06 KiB) Viewed 4906 times

Espostoa melanostele Lurin valley 2.jpg (52.02 KiB) Viewed 4906 times

Espostoa melanostele Lurin valley 1.jpg (59.55 KiB) Viewed 4906 times

[RICHAUD]

And this Espostoa lanata with a double cephalium in flower this summer in my glasshouse

Espostoa lanata double cephalium.jpg (94.43 KiB) Viewed 4905 times

Espostoa lanata fleur.jpg (63.43 KiB) Viewed 4905 times

[Tony R]

And this Espostoa lanata with a double cephalium in flower this summer in my glasshouse

Thanks, Richaud, that is just what I hoped we might see - it complements the Plant of the Month article beautifully. Cephalium and flower - we don't see those in England very often!

Best wishes,