Visiting Rita Lee's Nursery

Saturday March 9th started bright and early. When I would normally still be in my pajamas on the couch I was fully dressed and in Gervais, Oregon visiting a small, family owned, cactus and succulent nursery.

I know of Rita Lee's Nursery from Hortlandia. where they've been a vendor for the last few years. I always buy something from their booth, so I was excited to visit. We started our tour (I was with a small group) in their propagation house.

So many good things! Most of which I can only guess at their names, so I won't, unless it's just genus. I believe this is a Haworthia...

Staplia at the back, Crassula in front.

The next house had lower tables with shade cloth over the top of individual rows. Seeing the nursery set-up was almost as interesting as seeing the plants. Almost.

More Haworthia. I would have snapped up one of the brownish ones, except the color was only due to stress. I'm not sure I would love it quite as much if it were green.

Under the sea Haworthia...

It became quite a sunny day, but the clouds were hanging low during our visit. On to the next house...

So many Epiphyllum!

And friends...

This Rebutia heliosa was amazing, and not for sale. Are you impressed I remembered the name? Only because my friend Nat posted it over on his nursery's Instagram page (here).

At the back of this house was a raised veggie bed. A little out of season but it made me happy to see.

Can you make out the long white "flap" at the top, running the length of this house? When the heater comes on it inflates. There are small holes along the length that allow the hot air to to escape and heat the house. Pretty ingenious!

So bright they almost look artificial.

I do not care for the bumpy Aloes, at all. Plenty of other people must...

This THIS is the one that got away. Might it be the Haworthia venosa tessellata I fell in love with here? I meant to pick one up but got distracted and then forgot to go back. I didn't even remember this plant until I downloaded my photos the next day. Damn.

Have you ever seen such a dense Aeonium? It looked like a plant that had been decapitated and was popping out new growing tips all along the stem. Except there wasn't a central stem, at least not that I could find.

Finally, there were Agaves. I swooned over these but didn't ask about price, they were in huge pots after all.

There were smaller ones too, but none I needed. I should explain I was here mainly for another genus entirely, as I have a new garden project in mind.

Agave potatorum

Agave titanota

Agave albopilosa

Another A. potatorum, I think.

Unique supports for rooting Opuntia.

Okay, back home with my haul. Rita Lee's has a great selection of affordable Rhipsalis, and that's what I was on the hunt for...

This one got the label R. baccifera, I think it's Rhipsalis baccifera subsp horrida.

R. ewaldiana, which has a slight twist to its stems.

R. tonduzii which may actually go by R. micrantha, according to online sources.

I did find a smaller one of those very dense Aeoniums, I couldn't resist.

And finally Abromeitiella chlorantha aka Deuterocohnia brevifolia, Navia brevifolia (basionym), Abromeitiella brevifolia, Tillandsia chlorantha....seriously! Whatever, it's that moundy thing that ends up looking like a rock covered in little spikes (here). Excellent outing! Thanks to Dale of Bear & Briar for organizing it.

Weather Diary, March 18: Hi 68, Low 47/ Precip 0

All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.