Lithops karasmontana C169 (Opalina)

No flowers today, but there is this photo of 'Opalina' - Lithops karasmontana (Opalina) C169 - to be precise.

Enjoy your plants!

Conophytum latum

It's not just the lithops which are flowering. This is Conophytum latum (Umdaus, north of Steinkopf) which is outright luminous. They kind of glow in the light, almost as if they had an LED light down inside them somewhere!

Lithops aucampiae (Kurumon form)

This is a seed grown Lithops aucampiae Kurumon form. The ones in the back, including the one about to flower, are lithops terracolor seedlings, a couple years old.

Lithops karasmontana ssp. karasmontana v. karasmontana (Signalberg form)

These were originally labeled the mickbergensis form, but I think that was incorrect. Another white flowered form.

Lithops karasmontana var. bella

Then there's these little beauties: Lithops karasmontana var. bella. We don't have a lot of these at this time; they go fast when we do.

Lithops lesliei var. venteri

Our lithops are going through flowering conniption fits right now. (OK, not really conniption fits, which refers to "a fit of anger or panic expressed loudly." No anger here. Just a lot of bodacious flowers!) We must have 20 or more flowers at a time. This one is Lithops lesliei var. venteri in the early stages of opening up wide.

One factor is that all of our lithops are now under lights for the winter, and they love it.

Aeonium haworthii

 

In areas where this can be grown as a landscape plant, such as along the California coast, it's used extensively for that purpose...so much so that it's become one of those plants which people just give to each other as cuttings. And because of this, nurseries don't seem to carry it.

But, in our less hospitable climates, it's also a wonderful potted specimen. In the right place, it's a cool companion plant to the ever-present Jade.

Bananas in Oregon

 

This is the second time our banana trees have produced a flower (along with some tiny little inedible bananas). It's hardly what people really think of when they think of Western Oregon.

But one of the things we do here is shatter stereotypes. We are indeed a place of rainy, gray days. No denying it. Yet, for the past 3 months, we've had no rain...only .6 of a centimeter since July 1. Of course we'll make up for it this weekend when we'll probably get over an inch (2.54 cm) of rain. The cacti are rushing for shelter (mostly in the arms and hands of Lynn-Marie), especially as the temperatures start to fall, but the banana tree is waiting to slurp up all that water! I assume it is; I haven't really asked it. After all it's an Oregon banana.  :)