Huge trichocereus terscheckii plus flowering agave in inherited Essex garden

[greatnorthernexotic]

Spotted this wonderful assortment of plants on Reddit. (Link to original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/cactus/s/w2z8dXKmSS)

Found in the garden recently inherited from the father of the original poster. To my eyes, that's the second largest outdoor t. terscheckii in the country after Paul Spracklin's. Plus an agave (parryi? Looks too small for an ovatifolia) above to bloom.

He's located in South East Essex so I've passed on details for Chelmsford branch (neither he nor his father were members) as well as Paul Spracklin's website.

[Paul in Essex]

Funnily enough the guy has just emailed me! he reckons it has been there 25/30 years which, if correct, predates my one. Had it not been cut back at some point it may have been colossal!

Some weird things on Canvey Island - couple of champion palms, one just round the corner from where this cactus is - a Washingtonia filifera and, elsewhere on The Island the biggest home grown (as opposed to giant plant imported and planted out) Brahea armata palm in the country.

Agave parrasana, btw.

[Chris L]

I like the way that the fence is held up by the plant......

If the plant did fall over that concrete post and the brick wall don't stand a chance.

[RayW]

Paul. Must be a great micro climate on Canvey island, that Opuntia basilaris would not stand a chance outside up here.

[Paul in Essex]

Ray, you are right it's not bad at all. Conflicting things happen there - on the good side, being a small island it is surrounded by water and therefore benefits from the warming effect of the sea. On the bad side much of the island is below sea level and cold air can pool. So it is a bit of a mixed bag over there but, yes, the best spots are very mild.

I'm trying to arrange a visit soon.

[Paul in Essex]

Popped round this morning. Very interesting. The son who has now inherited the house reckons it has been in the ground since 2001-ish. Few other interesting things as well - big old clumps of Aristaloe aristata and an echeveria, couple of Opuntia santa-rita or similar and Opuntia elata. Plus of course the agave parrasana coming up to flower.

[el48tel]

Certainly makes for a more unusual and interesting garden.

[juster]

Very interesting. Glad that the son has left the plants there and hope he enjoys them. He might even join the BCSS!

[greatnorthernexotic]

Fantastic, Paul, and planted straight into the topsoil by the looks of it!

I'd love to know more his dad's interest in these plants, where he sourced them, and if he was aware of the BCSS. I do wonder how many people out there are growing cacti and succulents without knows of the society's existence.

[Paul in Essex]

Fantastic, Paul, and planted straight into the topsoil by the looks of it!

I'd love to know more his dad's interest in these plants, where he sourced them, and if he was aware of the BCSS. I do wonder how many people out there are growing cacti and succulents without knows of the society's existence.

From the questions I asked I got the impression father and son were estranged in some way as he didn't know much about what was there. He grew up at the house, remembers the cactus being planted out as it became too big to keep potted, left 20 years ago and, it seems, only came back when his father died. He mentioned his father's partner at some point, from which I made an entire life story's worth of assumptions

The fate of the cactus as it stands remains in the balance. He and his wife intend to move in. She wants the cactus to go, he wants it to stay. He seemed to think it might be quite heavy - perhaps even as heavy as a water melon. I said it was probably nearer 200kg.