For this Wednesday Vignette we go back to my 2019 visit to the Ruth Bancroft Garden...![]()
I am somewhat obsessed with plants growing on other plants, and so I was thrilled to find this example of a cactus growing on the trunk of a palm. Did the RBG gardeners plant the cactus?
I emailed Brian Kemble, curator at the RBG to ask. His reply: "The palm is Butia capitata (also known as the jelly palm because its edible fruit is used to make jelly). The cacti growing on the trunk are Cereus hildmannianus, and they were not planted there by us. It would seem evident that birds perched up in the palm after having eaten cactus fruit, and they sprouted and grew. This is obviously not a good long-term choice of a growing spot, since the cactus gets to be several tons in time. . ."![]()
So, not a long term planting, but still fun while it lasts.
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Weather Diary, Jan 12: Hi tbd, Low tbd/ Precip tbd
Wednesday Vignettes are hosted by Anna at Flutter & Hum. All material © 2009-2021 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.