Ended Official BYC 2024 Summer Fair—Indoor Plant Show

[fluffycrow]

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From the greatest mesemb nursery in the US next to Living Stones, Mesa Gardens! It's 22 years old this year, I'm incredibly thankful to grow this plant. I bought it from the owner of the nursery through messages, it wasn't available for sale to the public. I used to have a specimen from the 80s but root mealy bugs killed it unfortunately, that's the worst pest for these plants and lots of cacti and succulents. It's usually certain death for them if you find em.

Gorgeous specimen! I hope that one day one of mine get to be like that



It's very nice that you have a "story" behind your plants

 

[fluffycrow]

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Sense so many people loved Astrophytum in here, these are some seedlings I grew out from mother plants imported from this nursery in Italy that grew some monsters! The left is pure species A.ornata and the right is A.(ornatum x myriostigma) x (ornatum x myriostigma)! The genetics from the complex hybrid are crazy and I'm curious to see how they turn out...

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This is a Gymnocalycium arrangement, I don't wanna type out all the species. It if you wanna know one I'll drop it. My fav is the flattened brown one, but they all have their merits.

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Ever heard of Ant Plants?! Ants live in them! This is Hydnophytum sp.Malaybalay, meaning it's an undescribed species within the genus of Hydnophytum, I imported it from a nursery in Germany a couple years ago and this one hails from Mindanao. Most ant plants and ant ferns are from Southeast Asia I think, with at least one or two from South America. I love ant plants because each one is unique in its caudex shape so, to me, each one seems like a piece of art!

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Ok the last one is extremely rare in nature but it's actually being grown by a lot of conservatories and even in hobbyists collections. Zamia vazquezii, there are only two populations in Mexico containing no more than 50 individual plants. This pic is of the new leaves that come out bronze and turn to green. I burned the old leaves during a transition outside on accident, luckily it's a tough plant that stores lots of energy. Fun fact, Cycads which Zamia and even the common "Sago Palm" commonly sold as a house plant are extremely toxic and could kill your cat or dog or prob many other pets. Cycads also been around since the dinosaurs, I could go on all day about them lol...


Alright that ends my mini plant tour, hope y'all enjoyed the extras that I didn't enter!

Gorgeous, once again! I've been trying to pollinate some of my astrophytum and gymnocalycium as well, but so far I haven't be successful. The last one was two or three days ago, so we'll see how that one turns out

I love ants plants! Never been able to source one here, but they've never been at the top of my list either. I've only started collecting relatively recently.

The last one is very unique, never heard of it!

We have quite a few sago palms on the property, they're a relatively standard plant to encounter in backyards here. So far any dog or chicken we've had hasn't been affected, but we do know the risk

 

[PimsGarden]

Gorgeous, once again! I've been trying to pollinate some of my astrophytum and gymnocalycium as well, but so far I haven't be successful. The last one was two or three days ago, so we'll see how that one turns out

I love ants plants! Never been able to source one here, but they've never been at the top of my list either. I've only started collecting relatively recently.

The last one is very unique, never heard of it!

We have quite a few sago palms on the property, they're a relatively standard plant to encounter in backyards here. So far any dog or chicken we've had hasn't been affected, but we do know the risk

I mean true lily family plants are extremely toxic too, spent 2,500 flushing the kidneys of our cat after he ate some tiger lily. Most people don't even know the pet ingested it and the pet mysteriously dies. Most don't get an autopsy done so usually they don't know, but it's prob kidney failure that takes em down in that situation. I worked at an animal hospital so I know all these sad details.

With pollinating cacti I like to use a small paint brush, most astrophytum cross with other species I'm pretty sure. Some even self pollinate, but lots of cacti you need another plant to cross it with. Gymnocalycium I'm not as familiar with breeding so I am not sure how hard it is to cross, but making pure species seed is prob easy if you have two genetically different plants.

Ant plants can be hard to find in cultivation here, but they exist! I import mine from Wistuba which anyone can do but it is expensive and it's a wait and they will need some acclimation once they arrive in the mail. I'd just find one here in the US and practice with that first.

 

[PimsGarden]

Gorgeous, once again! I've been trying to pollinate some of my astrophytum and gymnocalycium as well, but so far I haven't be successful. The last one was two or three days ago, so we'll see how that one turns out

I love ants plants! Never been able to source one here, but they've never been at the top of my list either. I've only started collecting relatively recently.

The last one is very unique, never heard of it!

We have quite a few sago palms on the property, they're a relatively standard plant to encounter in backyards here. So far any dog or chicken we've had hasn't been affected, but we do know the risk

If you're ever near East Tennessee, I can sell you an ant plant cheap. One of mine started making fruit too, so I'll have more soon! If I didn't live in the middle of the country I'd mail one, I have to drive pretty far for a real UPS or FedEx. I don't use USPS for plants anymore.

 

[TwoCrows]

If you're ever near East Tennessee, I can sell you an ant plant cheap. One of mine started making fruit too, so I'll have more soon! If I didn't live in the middle of the country I'd mail one, I have to drive pretty far for a real UPS or FedEx. I don't use USPS for plants anymore.

@fluffycrow Are you coming to the States any time soon, a plant is waiting for you!

 

[fluffycrow]

I mean true lily family plants are extremely toxic too, spent 2,500 flushing the kidneys of our cat after he ate some tiger lily. Most people don't even know the pet ingested it and the pet mysteriously dies. Most don't get an autopsy done so usually they don't know, but it's prob kidney failure that takes em down in that situation. I worked at an animal hospital so I know all these sad details.

With pollinating cacti I like to use a small paint brush, most astrophytum cross with other species I'm pretty sure. Some even self pollinate, but lots of cacti you need another plant to cross it with. Gymnocalycium I'm not as familiar with breeding so I am not sure how hard it is to cross, but making pure species seed is prob easy if you have two genetically different plants.

Ant plants can be hard to find in cultivation here, but they exist! I import mine from Wistuba which anyone can do but it is expensive and it's a wait and they will need some acclimation once they arrive in the mail. I'd just find one here in the US and practice with that first.

So far I haven't used any tools, if this doesn't take, I might have to reconsider. Currently working with an astrophytum asterias hybrid, and two astrophytum asterias nudum. The last pollination was between one of the nudum and the hybrid.

For the gymnocalycium, I have two variegated specimens of the same species. I have one producing a flower right now, so I'll get some of its pollen and wait for the other to flower.

 

[fluffycrow]

If you're ever near East Tennessee, I can sell you an ant plant cheap. One of mine started making fruit too, so I'll have more soon! If I didn't live in the middle of the country I'd mail one, I have to drive pretty far for a real UPS or FedEx. I don't use USPS for plants anymore.

Thank you for the offer, but I don't even live in the States! They're still not at the top of my list, so I don't mind waiting until one becomes available locally

 

[fluffycrow]

@fluffycrow Are you coming to the States any time soon, a plant is waiting for you!

Nope! No plans to visit the US any time soon

 

[Debbie292d]

The judges have finished judging, and we have our winners!
@mararva, @Tookie, @Galaxy chicken
​

First Place - @mararva

Different aloe from last year! (same location, in the dining room) My plant corner is too cluttered to get a nice image. Egg and groundhog skull for comparison.

Second Place - @Tookie

Entry #1, my indoor cactus I’ve had for a bit over a year! It used to have another cactus in there but for some reason it died.

Third Place - @Galaxy chicken

This is my blue columnar cactus called sky , my brother got it for me for Christmas 2 years ago .

@mararva, @Tookie, @Galaxy chicken, I will be sending you instructions on how to claim your prizes momentarily!

A HUGE THANK YOU to all who participated, this wouldn't have been possible without all of your entries!!!!
Great job everyone, this was so much fun!!

~ Shout out to all judges who took the time to judge this contest. I know it was incredibly difficult to judge, and I appreciate all of you! ~

And THANK YOU to our BYC Sponsors (click to view & support them)​

 

[muddy75]

@mararva @Tookie @Galaxy chicken