succulent treasures

Dante' s terrace

On a terrace in front of the Adriatic Sea, amid the roofs of the historical center of San Benedetto del Tronto, live some of the most beautiful cactus specimens that I ever saw. Besides favoured by the mild climate these plants enjoy being...

14/12/2009 | 236 Hits | Print | Email | Read more...

Escobaria vivipara buxbaum

Escobaria vivipara keeps puzzling botanists because of its green fruits and its big flowers (right), so different from those of the other Escobaria. It has long been considered a Coryphantha until Buxbaum, in 1951, placed it in Escobaria...

04/06/2009 | 327 Hits | 1 comment | Print | Email | Read more...

Puna clavaroides in flower

Puna clavaroides (Pfeiffer) Kiesling is a beautiful plant from San Juan and Mendoza, Argentina, which was included in Maihueniopsis by Anderson in 1999, based on recent DNA studies and because of similar fruits and seeds.  However, plants...

29/03/2009 | 445 Hits | Print | Email | Read more...

The Land of the Mermaids

Nicola Prisco is an active member of the Cactus&Co forum (where he operates under the nickname "Oddaejin" - Adenium in Arabic) and has been growing cactus and succulent plants since 1980. Nicola's collection hosts outstanding...

07/10/2008 | 577 Hits | Print | Email | Read more...

Echinocereus leucanthus

Echinocereus leucanthus Taylor is a Mexican plant coming from SW Sonora and NW Sinaloa bearing  magnificent hypnotic white flowers, slender thin stems and tuberous Dahlia-like roots.       ...

08/08/2008 | 807 Hits | 9 comments | Print | Email | Read more...

Stefano' s spines

Stefano is running a collection of cacti in Calci, near Pisa. During winter time his plants are hosted in a small green house but are placed outside, in full sun, as soon as spring begins. This treatement, together with rare waterings, seems...

05/06/2008 | 911 Hits | Print | Email | Read more...

Echinopsis famatimensis

I am currently growing one single plant of this beautiful species from Argentina. A very slow growing plant with many names. The magnificent flower     The plant and the petals    see more in the gallery other...

14/04/2008 | 922 Hits | Print | Email

Amnocharis and other amarillis

A few years ago I was attracted by bulbs, since then part of the space on my lower terrace is dedicated to these plants. I start this gallery about bulbs with a few plants from South Africa belonging to the family Amaryllidaceae. I especially...

15/03/2008 | 949 Hits | Print | Email | Read more...

Opuntiae & Co

If Pereskia is the most primitive cactus we know, Opuntia is definitely an intermediate step towards what we commonly think of a cactus. Besides playing an important role in the evolution of Cactaceae and being an important...

26/02/2008 | 1165 Hits | Print | Email | Read more...

Agave

Agave is one of my favourite plants genus. I especially appreciate the color of the leaves together with their fierce spines. Most of the plants I am growing are from seed sowed about ten years ago. All pictures are taken in february 2008. ...

13/02/2008 | 1057 Hits | 1 comment | Print | Email | Read more...