The Pinoy Shutterbug: Cactus Edition

I thought that raising cacti would be a walk in the park.  Though they are comparatively easier to care for, cacti still need a whole bunch of TLC.  In some cases a different kind of caring is needed.  Just the same, some species if truth be told are quite unfortunate looking and some literally looked like from another planet.  But I kid you not, some of the most gorgeous plants and flowers I have ever seen are from the cacti and succulents family.

Looks like a troll with seed pods for hair.

Last year I was completely addicted to these thorny babies.  I even went to the Cordillera mountains where some of the biggest greenhouses in the country operate just to get some fine specimen.  I attended trade fares to see and buy imported and exotic samples.  Truly, they are quite amazing!  Here are the pictures of some of my babies thriving at my window seal garden.  Some actually went to cacti heaven already.  Good thing that I still have their pictures to remember them by.

Without further ado, welcome to the wonderful world of cacti!  xoxo

A Ferrocactus with oversized thorns. 

This Gymnocalicium Mihanovicii is usually called a Rubra because of its red color.

My friend calls this Yoda as it resembles Yoda's head and hair.  But this is commonly called a Centipede

This is a variegated Echinofossulocactus Crispatus.  A cactus is said to be variegated when it exhibits a patch of different color from the usual color of the species.

Beautiful bald-like Astrophytum Asterias.  Something's missing???  Oh, right.  Where are the thorns?

These are seed pods in teh cephalium of a Melocactus.

A flower bud of an Astrophytum Asterias cactus.  It has a cotonny web and the flower's texture is like plastic.  I swear!

A three headed Rainbow cactus. Otherwise known as Echinocereus Rigidissimus.

It looks like Mickey, don't you  think?

Gymnocalicium Mihanovichii var. Friedrichii Variegata.  Wonderful patches of yellow and orange!

See, I told you.  The flower of the asterias looks and feels like a plastic flower. 

A beautiful Taiwan-bred Haworthia.  This healthy succulent specimen sure has a glass skin.