Howdy from TX.

[ChrisN82]

Hey everybody, my name is Chris. Live in Houston, TX and Ive been a lurker on here for quite some time.

I grow mainly Dyckia and Hechtia but a few other succulents have begun sneaking into the collection. Now Ive got several Agave and Aloe. Being I live in an apartment, space is obviously a premium so I have to be very choosey of what lives within said space. Always on the hunt for a rare terrestrial bromeliad!

Heres a few pics of what I keep and where I keep it.

Dyckia Arizona x Brittle Star


Agave macroacantha


Dyckia brevifolia Yellow Glow


Dyckia Brittle Star F2


Dyckia Brittle Star F3


Dyckia South Bay


Dyckia Avalanche


Hechtia sp. Tehuacan


Agave pumila


Dyckia (Arizona x Brittle Star) x choristaminea


Another clone of AZ x BS


Dyckia (AZ x BS) x BS sm form


Agave titanota is NOT hardy down to 20F!


xDyckcohnia Zebra F2


Keswick x Brittle Star


Dyckia X


Obsession




Hechtia argentea


Enjoy everyone!

C

[Andy]

Hey Chris, funny to see you on some forums! Ha ha. Nice looking terrestrial broms. I am just now starting to get more into the terrestrials...and those great looking Dyckias make me a bit jealous. Nice variation between the F2 and the F3 Brittlestars.
-andy

[ChrisN82]

Alright Andy! I know you from somewhere but Im drawing a blank! Help me out here!

[Andy]

Just from the gardenweb bromeliad forum. I think there are a couple of other people on both forums. It is good to see more spiny and spiky bromeliads on both forums.
-andy

[Andy]

Oh, and can you show a side shot of your Hechtia argentea? I've been going nuts trying to learn more about Hechtias and that one is of course a hot topic. I think you've seen my 'not-argentea' on the other forum and it looks kind of similar to yours. But I haven't seen a side shot of the Kew's argentea to see how thick the leaves are.
-andy

[agavegreg]

Beautiful plants and in such a small space. Amazing what one can do. Thanks for sharing.

[wuzz]

Very nice collection, Chris
You will need a bigger piece of property soon so that you can acquire more plants. Those Hechtia will start pup'n on you soon.
Do you have any Cryptanthus? The southern Texan weather.. well the summer is perfect for those earth stars.
W

[ChrisN82]

Ah I recognize your pics Andy! Thats actually an old pic of my H. argentea. I took a few pics tonight. Not lookin so hot! The trimmed leaves are from cold damage.




And just for Wes: some of my Cryptanthus!
Crypt. warasii - looks like a Dyckia.


Crypt. Andromeda


Crypt. Brown Sugar


A hybrid of an Orthophytum and a Cryptanthus.


And a section of a shelf where theyre housed inside till it gets warm!


C

[digixjairo]

Wow I am blown away by all your Dyckias. Nice collection. Thanks for the pictures.

[Andy]

I have problems keeping the tips of my Hechtia looking good too. Other than cold damage, do you have problems from them drying out and burning during the summer? This year I think I am going to put them in saucers and see if I can keep them more moist.

And I love that Crypt. warasii. I haven't grown many Crypts. Does that one take a little more sun than the more colorful (and more tender looking) ones?
-andy

[ChrisN82]

Originally Posted by Andy

I have problems keeping the tips of my Hechtia looking good too. Other than cold damage, do you have problems from them drying out and burning during the summer? This year I think I am going to put them in saucers and see if I can keep them more moist.

And I love that Crypt. warasii. I haven't grown many Crypts. Does that one take a little more sun than the more colorful (and more tender looking) ones?
-andy

The tips of my Hechtia dry too. I guess you have to give em just the right amount of water. In the summer I water mine profusely once a week. There might be an occasional burn mark but for the most part they take the sun and heat here in stride. We have crazy nasty humidity here in the summer. Talk about unbearable at times.

I'm not exactly sure what the requirements are for Crypt warasii. Ive heard from many others that its a difficult plant to grow. Crypts as a whole like dappled light. Ive been growing my warasii in full blazing sun like a Dyckia or Hechtia. Chanin said he thinks they need subdued light but he didnt mention why. They get watered once a week too but they dry quicker since theyre in smaller pots. Its supposed to be a xeric but even they get dried tips too. Knock on wood the plant has performed well for me. Now if only they would grow faster!

[Andy]

Yeah, I know your humidity. I had to go to Houston a couple of times over the summer a couple of years ago for work. Our summer heat is the exact opposite, dry as can be. I water mine multiple times a week in the summer. And I don't think I would ever call Crypts xeric. Any habitat shots I've seen of them are in spots that get pretty swampy and wet. People who grow them here say to keep them in a tray of water in the summer. I'm just trying my first ones, so we'll see how I do.

[ChrisN82]

Originally Posted by Andy

Yeah, I know your humidity. I had to go to Houston a couple of times over the summer a couple of years ago for work. Our summer heat is the exact opposite, dry as can be. I water mine multiple times a week in the summer. And I don't think I would ever call Crypts xeric. Any habitat shots I've seen of them are in spots that get pretty swampy and wet. People who grow them here say to keep them in a tray of water in the summer. I'm just trying my first ones, so we'll see how I do.

This is where it gets interesting! From what I can see and feel physically, I dont think Crypt warasii is a Crypt. Taxonomically its a Crypt the way it flowers. From what Ive seen, virtually all Crypts have similar flowers. Crypt. warasii doesnt have similar flowers in an way other than they open from the center. Its leaf structure and texture are unlike any other Crypt that Ive seen. As you already know, Crypts like being pretty wet. C. warasii and leopoldo-horstii supposedly like to be very dry. Granted I treat my warasii to pretty Crypt-like conditions, I grow it in full sun which Id never do with any others. Who know's what it really is.

[Andy]

Hmmm, well bromeliads are all a mess. There are Vrieseas that 'look' like Tillandsias and vice versa. And Deuterocohnias bloom out of the rosette on some species and on large stalks on others. But the flowers themselves look very similar on both types of Deuteros. Do you have any pictures of your warasii blooming? (not that I am all that familiar with other Crypt flowers...) It can also be one of those odd balls that is on the far edge of the genus. But cool no matter what.

[ChrisN82]

None of my warasii have bloomed. None are actually big enough haha! Theres a local lady who has bloomed it however. She has several and they're all over the place. Some are in the greenhouse, some are on random benches and some are out on her patio table. Some are shaded and some get more direct light. She makes the plant look easy to keep.

Heres warasii.



And heres a typical Crypt bloom. There seems to be little variance of the blooms from hybrid to hybrid hence why I think warasii is not a Crypt.


Actually you know, I might have to eat my own words. Now that Ive looked over the pics, there are some similarities

[Andy]

Ha ha, thanks. I was too lazy even to do a simple search for images...but the ones you show are perfect. I haven't gotten deep enough into the finer points of identification to start dissecting flowers yet. Do you know if there are subfamilies in Cryptanthus?

[agavegreg]

Here's a link to the Missouri Botanical Garden website listing the Cryptanthus names.

Tropicos - Name Search

[Andy]

Ok, I stopped being quite so lazy. Thanks for that link Greg...that gave me something to start with. It looks like the subgenus Hoplocryptanthus is probably the subgenus for lepoldo-horstii and warasii. Looks like they are more heavily armed with spikes leading to the 'hoplo-' part of the name. So apparently they are the oddballs of the Crypt family much like the Neoregelias that are funny (Hylaeaicum subgenus). It would be interesting if they would be willing to hybridize with the Orthos.

[turtlewalker34205]

There is one Cryptanthus x Orthophytum cross.
XOrthotanthus (Orthophytum x Cryptanthus) O. 'Little Bits'

I have not seen it but did find a photo see link

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pla...-packages.html

[Andy]

Hmmm, that's an interesting plant. Kind of homely, but of course I wouldn't mind having it! I wonder who the parents are? I wonder if the more spiny Crypts would make a plant that would look a little less awkward? Or if you could get a better color combination with the correct parents. Well, looks like I need to get my hands on more plants and start to do some hybrids...

[turtlewalker34205]

Just found one more. It is xOrthotanthus 'Blazing Bonzai'

I like this one

http://www.bromeliadsocietyhouston.o...-bsh-show.html

[Andy]

Oooooh yeah, that ones more of what I was thinking about. Nice.

[wuzz]

oooooo
I haven't seen this one before


http://www.bromeliadsocietyhouston.o...se%2520-%2520-

[wuzz]

Sorry ... the complete url wouldn't paste in the above post.
Just follow Turtlewalker's link...and scroll down to the Billbergia 'Kahakai'

Way to go Chris!

[ChrisN82]

Hey Len,

That xOrthotanthus I posted above is the same cross as that of Blazing Bonsai, but it is not Blazing Bonsai. I know several people who have it but wont sell me a pup. in fact, the person who owns that best of division Blazing Bonsai lives not too far from me.


Andy, that xOrthotanthus is Orthophytum navioides x Cryptanthus microglazioui. Look those two plants up and the resulting cross will make more sense to you . On your Crypt subfamilies question, I wasnt even aware they had any subfamilies. Shows what I know haha

Wes, I hope to get more awards this year! I already geared up at the beginning of last Jan even before that show. May will be here before I know it.