New plants ex Colin Norton

[Tina]

Hi All,
Thought I'd post this picture of my new copiapoa griseoviolacea, purchased at the National its an ex Colin Norton plant.
Not one I had seen before but its a favourite atm, any one else got some Ex Colin plants they fancy showing

[ralphrmartin]

Wow, super spines on what must be an old plant...

[Stuart]

I know these look a bit rough but they're seed pods from Opuntia Pachypus which Colin would have brought back from Peru. It's one of the few cacti that can grow new plants by rooting a seed pod and producing offsets from the seed pod.
Each year I'd give Colin an entry pass for ELK and he'd often send me a little 'thankyou box' a few weeks afterwards. I never expected anything in return but it was nice to get a surprise in the post. He'd always send two of the same species, Lophophora one year, Trichocaulon another year. The Opuntia pods have taken a few years to root and the one on the left has rooted and the one on the right has made new growth but still has a way to go. Colin was a gentleman of the cactus world and loved to have an early look around the ELK sales plants, he'd often find giant Eriosyce - the real ones, not Neoporterias, I was happy to do my bit to help. Plants that people have given me mean much more than random nursery finds and I'm happy to have these two Opuntias from Colin even though they're not 'show plants'.

Stuart

[jhb]

Hi Tina. That Copiapoa is a fabulous plant, I’m so envious.

[el48tel]

DSCF0702.JPG

I know these look a bit rough but they're seed pods from Opuntia Pachypus which Colin would have brought back from Peru. It's one of the few cacti that can grow new plants by rooting a seed pod and producing offsets from the seed pod.
Each year I'd give Colin an entry pass for ELK and he'd often send me a little 'thankyou box' a few weeks afterwards. I never expected anything in return but it was nice to get a surprise in the post. He'd always send two of the same species, Lophophora one year, Trichocaulon another year. The Opuntia pods have taken a few years to root and the one on the left has rooted and the one on the right has made new growth but still has a way to go. Colin was a gentleman of the cactus world and loved to have an early look around the ELK sales plants, he'd often find giant Eriosyce - the real ones, not Neoporterias, I was happy to do my bit to help. Plants that people have given me mean much more than random nursery finds and I'm happy to have these two Opuntias from Colin even though they're not 'show plants'.

Stuart

That's a great story. Thanks for sharing. I have a few plants which are not rare but mean a lot because they were given in friendship.

[Paul in Essex]

Absolutely, the best plants I have are those with a story and especially those given by friends. And especially those given by friends who have died - it is like a little piece of them is still there. They are not just plants, they are time machines - looking at and touching the plants brings back all those those happy memories. 'I bought it on eBay' is not quite the same.

[Tina]

Hi
Yes I thought it was beautiful, I think its a relatively new introduction but this must have been acquired very early as its on its own roots with offsets.
I read somewhere its a little more temp sensitive than mosy copiapoa so it may have to squeeze in with the Euphorbia, anyone any experience of this.

my auction buy of Colin's was this lovely echinocereus polycephalus, loved the bright pink colour I just need to find the right pot for it now.

[Tina]

I know exactly what you mean Paul, I have lots of 'memory plants', its a tour round the cactus growers of the Uk in my GH's, just read the labels.
Maybe that a good idea for a thread,

[Stuart]

That's a strange Polycephalus, it normally grows like a large clumping Ferocactus. It grows over a lot of SW USA including places with winter frosts and snow so temperature shouldn't be a problem. That's an odd plant as it looks to have made a cluster of small heads, maybe a Pereskiopsis or Hylocereus graft that has been rooted. It's rare to see a healthy plant in cultivation. There was one that got best cactus at the US National Show a few years ago with no sign of any new growth and probably no roots. It likes to live in the desert and doesn't seem to like being in cultivation. There's some huge clumps around Death Valley. Nobody can seem to say why it doesn't grow well in cultivation.

Stuart

[Tina]

It is on a graft not hylo or peresky, seed collection says death valley. I'll have a look at the graft stock & see if I can ID it.

It was just so bright & pink I had to have it ( girl thing ), the only plant I really wanted & luckily I won that bidding war, lost several others .

I do have a few others of these, they are slow even on a graft & nowhere near as pink or nice looking.