Dawn
This spiky cactus is also called the ‘Ladyfinger cactus’. I wonder who had the imagination to call this spiky , thorny cactus by that name. It grows to a height of 8-10 inches and can get quite crowded in a container in a few years.
I love the bell shaped flowers that spring along the whole length of the Mammilaria Elongata in spring. The pale pink flowers look stunning against the russet spikes. When exposed to 6-8 hours of sun these cacti change color from dark green to red/rust.
I love these cacti when they are in bloom , they suddenly show a new aspect of themselves. Most people do not believe that cacti have lovely flowers and most of them bloom.
The Ladyfinger cactus needs to be handled with care because of their hooked spikes which could easily tear the surface of the skin. Working with gloves is very important when handling cacti.
My other posts on cacti in bloom which you interest you –
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Question of
Do you like cactus?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Do you have them in your garden or home?
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Yes
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No
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Thank you. The link appearing this way is real cool isn’t it. This is the one of the few sites that has it displaying this way. Got to give Viriliy credit for some of the nice features here. 🙂
Thorns are the only minus point when it comes to dealing with cactus but everything is forgotten when flowers show up You have a good collection.
Most of the spines of cactus can be handles by wearing gloves. Only some are treacherous. I have delegated those to the back of my garden as they serve some purpose too.
Cacti are fun to grow but I have none right now.
They are the easiest plants to grow, but not many like them.
Now I have a Christmas cactus at home, dear Dawn
I love Christmas cacti, I had them in red , pink and white . but the excess rain we had killed all of them. I need to get them back. They are pretty expensive here. They look so gorgeous when in bloom.
No we don;t have this plant in garden.
Not many people are fond of cacti, I understand.