Sunday, October 18, 2009

Ocotillo Finale

Happy Cactus Monday! I took Claude's advice and tasted the fruit of my night blooming cactus. It was interesting but pretty bland. I think I will leave them for the birds and ants. They sure are pretty little fruits though. I think the night bloomer is done blooming for the year. I've tried to start it in several other areas so I'm hoping I have multiple night bloomers next year.

I think this is the last bloom of the season for my potted cacti. This was early October and they seem to be settling down now for the winter. I think I may have some winter bloomers in the bunch but so far not much going on.


I've had terrible luck with the Ocotillo that were planted in my yard when I bought my home. There were two huge Ocotillo in the big front area, that just fell out of the ground after a heavy monsoon rain a couple years ago. I have 4 small ones left- make that 3- as one is obviously dead. The other 3 don't look so great but I can't be sure. Anyone know what this is? The dead one smells bad, is obviously just rotten. These are not in an area where they get much water, but that shouldn't matter with these desert plants. This is the dead one in the next picture.
A close-up of the rotten smelly stuff coming out of it.


It is really nasty stuff. I'm going to have to get it out of there, and I'm not completely sure the other 3 don't have the same thing developing. Yuck!

Please visit Teri's Painted Daisies to see other prickly themed artwork and photography.

14 comments:

Debra Kay said...

I brought my pot in before I left (my cactus pot, not the other kind). They don't winter well here in Okie land-found that out the hard way last winter.

Unknown said...

Enjoyed post. Judy

Margaret Ann said...

My night blooming cereus just bloomed her first flower of the season... I hope there will be more...Poor Ocotillo...Yikes! Hcm!

Diane AZ said...

The night blooming cactus fruit looks attractive on the blue plate. I don't know what's wrong with your ocotillo. I never tried growing one and my neighbors seem to have trouble with them rotting.

Deb said...

love cactus....sorry to hear about your ocotillo...you never know sometimes....

Teri said...

The fruit sure does look interesting, too bad it doesn't have an exciting taste as well.

Poor Ocotillo tree.

HCM!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Oh my what a disaster with the ooey gooey stuff. Your cactus with the blooms are so nice. That fruit looks good enough to eat. Yum

PAK ART said...

HCM! I wouldn't want to be the one to pull that dead plant out, those spines look deadly. The fruit of the other looks interesting, almost like a strawberry.

Unknown said...

Wow - the flower is amaxing against the spiky little cactus (3rd pic) - love it.

Aiyana said...

Looks like some kind of funky fungus. It needs to come out!
Aiyana

Julie said...

So sorry avbout your Ocotillos!!! Sad.

You know the fruit from your cactus is very high antioxidant and good for you...maybe you could throw into a smoothy or something like that just for the benefits!!! (just a thought)!

Have a wonderful week!!!

Claude said...

I'm still trying to find a cactus that has fruit that actually tastes like something you'd go out of your way to eat. But, it's nice to know that you won't starve, I suppose...

That ocotillo is definitely a goner. And being a goner, needs to go.

yoon see said...

Wow! These are truly unusual.
OK, you are so kind to leave the night blooming cactus fruit for birds and ants!
I love the 2nd and 3rd photo a lot.
Rotten smell?!
I never heard of this encounter in Malaysia..

Singapoare Plants Lover said...

That is dragon fruit, one of my favorites. I love cactus.