Those flowers are INCREDIBLE -- would you say the aroma is pleasing? Sometimes strongly scented flowers are not a good thing! Thanks for all the info! I'm excited to try Wilcoxia. Dennis in Cincinnati On Thu, Sep 15, 2016 at 7:46 PM, Leo Martin <stnalpsoel@gmail.com> wrote: > I haven't had time to post (dig out) photos to the wiki. Peniocereus > greggii ssp transmontanus is native throughout low-desert Arizona. There is > probably no real difference between P. g. t. and the type. The tubers are > edible and were sought for this. > > These and Wilcoxia / Echinocereus are very hard to find in the wild because > they grow under desert shrubs and mimic their stems. > > P. g. has wonderful large fragrant flowers between April and June. All the > plants in a given area will flower over the course of 1-3 nights. Fruits > are large and bright red when ripe. The tuber grows very large with time. > Historical records indicate tubers larger than many hundreds of pounds. > > It is easy to grow in a pot. It is best to use a mix without organic matter > so repotting is not needed until the plant breaks the pot. Plentiful summer > water is best so the plant remains in active growth. Plants need no winter > water if they are cool. Plants will not tolerate much Arizona sun; they are > understory plants. However, people in more northerly areas find full sun is > fine. Tops are killed in heavy frosts, but tubers are quite hardy in the > ground in dry soil (not in pots.) > > Cultivated seedlings can have tubers the size of golf balls by the end of > their second summer. Stem cuttings can be rooted during warm weather, and > form typical tubers. I am convinced this plant's reputation as hard to grow > is due to unrecognized root mealy bugs. > > Wilcoxia are equally easy to grow, but their tubers resemble those of > Dahlia. Cuttings also form tubers. Wilcoxia will flower throughout the > summer once large enough; Peniocereus flower once per year, rarely twice. > Either genus may carry dozens of flowers on a mature plant. > > There are quite a few Peniocereus native to Mexico and south. All are > rewarding. > > My favorite sources for cactus seed are Mesa Garden in Belen, New Mexico, > and the seed bank of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America. > > Leo Martin > Zone ? > Phoenix Arizona USA > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ >