Posted on by tonytomeo

Not Ocotillo

Echinocereus engelmannii, hedgehog cactus?

Ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens, was the species that I intended to procure as Rhody and I walked out and into the desert that surrounded the home we lodged at northwest of Phoenix at the end of last April. I had seen it from the roads on the way there. I should have stopped to procure cuttings or small specimens while I had the chance. Furthermore, I should have stopped for cuttings or small specimens as we left without procuring any earlier. It is a fascinating species that I am completely unfamiliar with.

Hedgehog cactus, Echinocereus engelmannii, is all I procured instead. At least I believe that it is this particular species. I really do not know for sure. A few species of the genus are native to the area. This species just happens to be the most common among them, and its description seems to conform to my observations of this specimen. Other species bloom with floral color that is different from that which I observed with a few remaining shriveled floral carcasses. Most other species exhibit different foliar patterns or textures with their spines. This particular species is distinctly more unappealing than the others, but I got it.

Now, I have no idea of what to do with it. First, I should probably wait to see if it survives. The bits that I got might have been a bit too fresh to root before they rot. I suppose that I should remove the developing fruit to divert resources to vegetative growth and root development. I thought that they would abscise naturally after bloom, in response to the distress of separation from the original specimen. I would prefer natural abscission to unnatural intervention. Pruning wounds from such intervention might promote rot while the cuttings are already vulnerable to rot from below.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 5 Comments

Xeriscape Is Definitely Not Zeroscape

Ocotillo actually prefers more xeric climates.

“Zeroscape” is a neologism that evolved from “xeriscape”. It was a mispronunciation that became a misspelling that became a real word. Ironically, it makes sense. It evolved with the misconception that a xeriscape requires no maintenance. Now, the two are different types of landscapes. A Zeroscape is pavement or gravel that requires zero maintenance.

A xeriscape is a landscape of xeric vegetation. Generally, such a landscape needs less maintenance than conventional landscapes. Nonetheless, some degree of maintenance is necessary. Furthermore, several xeric species require very specialized maintenance. Such specialized requirements may be more demanding than more familiar gardening.

The primary advantage of a xeriscape is that it needs less water than other landscapes. Some xeric species are native to Mediterranean climates. More are native to arid desert climates. Once established, they need minimal irrigation. Many xeric species get all the moisture they need from seasonal rainfall. Some can not tolerate much more than that.

Native species that grow wild can be surprisingly difficult to establish in home gardens. Some xeric species can be even more uncooperative. Cultivation within a garden is very different from natural conditions. In the wild, such species disperse roots proportionately as they grow from seed. In a garden, they begin with detrimentally confined root systems.

Even xeric vegetation within a xeriscape needs moisture while it disperses roots. A few may get enough through winter if they get into a garden early in autumn. Most prefer a bit of irrigation at least through their first year. The difficulty is that some can rot if irrigation is even slightly excessive. They are more susceptible to rot than species that are not xeric.

Maintenance of a xeriscape, is more challenging than demanding. That is because so many xeric species are from harsh desert ecosystems. They innately defend themselves from grazing wildlife. Consequently, cacti, agaves and yuccas are wickedly thorny and spiny. Several are potentially dangerous to handle. So are some euphorbs and acacias. They may not need maintenance often, but when they do, they do not make it at all easy.