Field Guide by Kelsey Kinane

CACTI & SUCCULENTS

CACT I & SUCCULENTS

A Field Guide to Designing Your Garden

Kelsey Kinane

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

1 About Succulents

1 5 Prickly Pear

3 Blue Chalk Fingers

1 7 Old Man

5 Perle Von Nurnberg

1 9 The Pincushion

7 Zebra

2 1 Bunny Ear

9 Sedum Jelly Beans

2 3 Crested Myr tle

11 Nussbaumerianum

2 5 Plant Nurseries

13 About Cacti

SUCCULENTS

Succulents make great house plants because they grow under many different light and water conditions. Some are found growing under rocks, crevices or even under bigger plants. Find a window or shelf with lots of sunlight or bright light and you will have a happy plant. Indoor succulents don’t require as much water as outdoor plants.

Succulents | 2

BLUE CHALK FINGERS SUN Needs heat and full sunshine; atleast eight hours of direct sunlight daily. Too little light will cause weak, elongated leaves.

SOIL This tropical succulent requires fast-draining soil, preferably one that is sand-based with some organic matter incorporated.

WATERING Only needs little watering. During the intense heat of summer, it only needs an inch of water weekly, but during the fall and winter, this plant doesnt need more than an inch of water every two to three weeks.

TIPS Succulents growing in patio containers or house plant pots should be moved outdoors in late spring. Bring indoors before winter. Never overwater.

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PERLE VON NURNBERG SUN Requires partial to full sunlight. It is adaptable to low lighting but also sustains well in bright light with high heat.

SOIL Plant in fertile free draining soil or a cacti well drained mix.

WATERING Once established, it only requires little watering. During the warmer months, water once every week. During the winer, water once every 2–3weeks.

TIPS This succulent is tolerant of a wide range of conditions including extreme heat to frost. If the pedals begin to wilt and wither, this means they are drained of moisture. To prevent this from happening, keep out of the heat for long periods of time.

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ZEBRA SUN Requires bright indirect sunlight, but not in actual direct sunlight. It can survive without minimal light.

SOIL The soil should be completely dry before you water the plant.

WATERING It requires a small amount of water – about 1/4 of a cup maximum. During the summer, you should water typically every 3 weeks. In the winter months you should water every few months, as there is less light absorbing the water.

TIPS This succulent can be prone to mealy bugs. Inspect your plant every so often. If you notice these little pests, spray the plant with a soapy dishwasher mixture for two weeks.

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SEDUM JELLY BEANS SUN Prefers direct sunshine or very bright filtered light for optimum growth. Sunrooms and greenhouses are preferable. This succulent is very drought tolerant, heat tolerant, cold tolerant, and will grow in shade to full sun.

SOIL Requires fast draining soil. Grows best in a balanced liquid fertilizer.

WATERING Only requires watering two or three times a month depending on light intensity and temperature.

TIPS Although not seen in the photo, the more sunlight this succulent receives, the pinker the leaves become. When grown in full sun, the leaves are almost red. Be careful when handeling, the leaves will fall off easily.

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NUSSBAUMERIANUM SUN Requires a minimum of four to six hours of direct sunlight per day for successful growth. Though they can survive in partial sun locations, sedums perform best in sites with full sun exposure.

SOIL Grows with a half-strength solution of a balanced, water soluble fertilizer in the early spring.

WATERING Requires water only during dry spells that last longer than two weeks. Provide no more than 1 inch of water each time.

TIPS If you’re experiencing unseasonably cold temperatures, this succulent may wilt and discolor. In areas where temperatures are below 25 degree, it should be grown indoors.

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CACTI

All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. Cacti are a group of plants that are not only easy to grow, but offer a variety of shapes, color and form. They can be grown in any well-drained area. They require little maintenance. They make excellent houseplants and many varieties may be grown outside.

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PRICKLY PEAR HABITAT Course, well-drained soil in dry, rocky flats or slope, in areas where the soil is sandy or gravelly.

LOCATION Deserts of American southwest, predominantly from California to Mexico.

SIZE Can grow up to 7 feet tall

FLOWERS & FRUIT Most have red, yellow, or purple flowers, and fruit.

FUN FACTS There are 15 different species of prickly pear. and they are the state cactus of Texas. Packrats often build dens at the base of these plant, which then provides protection from some of its predators.

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OLD MAN HABITAT Requires a well-drained soil mix (more so than many other cacti), and a lot of bright sunlight, which encourages growth of the hair.

LOCATION Guanajuato and Hidalgo in eastern Mexico.

SIZE May grow to 5–15 m tall. Very slow-growing, it can reach ceiling height, but only after many decades.

FLOWERS & FRUIT The flowers are red, yellow, or white, though the plant may not flower until 10–20 years old. Flowering is unlikely indoors.

FUN FACTS Although the “white fur” looks soft, it conceals very sharp spines

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THE PINCUSHION HABITAT Desert, grasslands, and woodlands on dry, gravely limestone hills, rock crevices, and several other types of sedimentary and igneous substrates.

LOCATION Southwestern USA, Mexico, and Cuba.

SIZE Can grow up to 2.4 inches tall and 2 inches wide.

FLOWERS & FRUIT Flowers may have a variety of colors, while the fruits are always red. Flowers bloom in April and May.

FUN FACTS There are 23 species of this cactus. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the pincushion cactus as an endangered species since October 26, 1979.

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BUNNY EAR HABITAT Requires gravel or sandy flats, mesas, hillsides. In some places, it is a landscape plant.

LOCATION North and Central Mexico.

SIZE Grows from about 1.5 foot to about 2 feet tall, spreading to about 6 feet wide.

FLOWERS & FRUIT The lemon yellow flowers are 1 – 2 inches in diameter and bloom from Spring to Fall. It has green spineless edible fruit, 1-1/4 inches in diameter and dry when ripe.

FUN FACTS This cactus does not have spines, but has white or yellow glochids that are 2–3 mm long in clusters.

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CRESTED MYRTLE HABITAT Can be found in temperate and tropical environments, but is mostly seen in southwest Ameriaca.

LOCATION Native to Mexico, but also grows from California down to Texas.

SIZE When mature, the plant will grow up to fifteen feet high and if left untrimmed almost that wide.

FLOWERS & FRUIT Flower petals can be white with purple sepals, and the fruit is edible, bluish to purple, and tastes simular to blue berries.

FUN FACTS There are more than 1000 species of this cactus.

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P L ANT NURS ER IE S IN THE AU ST I N A R E A A

R ED BAR N GARDEN CENTER

12881 Pond Springs Rd (512) 335-8093 B

R ED SP RIN GS NURSERY

1211 W Lynn St (512) 478-9977 H

3601 Bee Caves Rd (512) 328-6655 C

T HE GR EAT O UT DOORS

T HE NATURAL G ARDENER

S HOAL CR EEK NURSERY

CO UNTRY SID E NURSERY 13292 Pond Springs Rd (512) 249-0100

S U NSH INE LA NDSCA PE 2002 Ranch Road 620 S (512) 263-5275

2710 Hancock Dr (512) 458-5909 F

E M E RA LD G A RDE N 5700 W Highway 290 (512) 288-5900

8648 Old Bee Caves Rd (512) 288-6113 E

IT’ S A BOU T T H Y M E 11726 Manchaca Rd (512) 478-9977

2730 S Congress Ave (512) 448-2992 D

S LE DD NU RSE RY

B IG RE D SU N 1311 E Cesar Chaves St (512) 480-0688

E AU STIN SU CCU LE NT S 801 E Tillery St (512) 947-6531

Pl an t Nu r s e r i e s | 2 6

CE DAR PAR K

R O U ND R O C K

HUDS ON B E N D

A 1

J OLLYV I LLE

J L AKEWAY

E LAK E HI LLS

BEE CAVE

B I

C AUS T I N

290

L 71

BUDA

D E L VAL L E