If they have good drainage they thrive on our winter rains. All of the Aloes in my neighborhood are starting to get buds now. In summer I only water mine about once a month.

Went to HD today looking for B.O.P. (Bird of Paradise) and Dog tail cactus (Selenicereus Deamia Testudo). They sell orange BOP in 5 gal pot for $60 and white in 3gal for $19 (I am looking for orange). Some of the multi-bop in 5 gal pot are in bloom, but many damaged leaves... not very nice. No where any dog tail could be found... not very satisfying trip... Will try WM next time.

$60 at HD really surprises me....

I would not expect to find the Dog Tail Cactus at HD, but stranger things have happened, I suppose. Is it an aporocactus?

I don't think it's aporocactus. But check the following pictures for id:

The 5 gal BOP at HD have about 3 big plants (~4' tall) in each pot. So about $20 for each plant? I didn't buy cause they all look abused with many damaged leaves and even the bird (flower)...

Aha! Apparently a selenicereus...cool looking plant.

I think it's the rat tail cactus that's aporocactus then.....

Thanks, now I know the rat tail is aporocactus... how about the donkey tail? more like a succulent I think?

Yes, Donkey Tail is a sedum. I love those, had a very old one that I bought from a neighbor many years ago. They were moving to Canada and then I left it for the new owner of our house in Fallbrook when we moved. Pretty hard to move a big old Donkey Tail.

fiat said:Are these two big Aloes starting to make blooms?

I have an aloe plant on the side of my house. Had it for over 8 years and now it has multiplied to 15 of them. Looks exactly like yours.
They are big and now over taking my walkway to my backyard. I'm always getting scraped in my shins and ankles when I walk by them.
I will take a pic and post it as it has lots of bloom stocks forming.
The bloom stock gets about 3-5 foot high before it opens up with mine.
BTW: they are planted directly in the ground and are home to lots of spiders

Look forward to seeing Pat's pic.

Sherry, Did your old D.T. ever bloom? All the pic I see show chains of green pearls (branches, leaves), no flowers. But plants do look nice.

LOL...yes, my DT did bloom and friends who visited would often exclaim that they did not know they would bloom.....it was quite old and I don't know how old it was before blooming....

Thanks, Sherry, for the info. Happens to still keeping an old pic of the bloom? or how about a 'vivid' description from your memory?

There may be a pic on an old memory stick stuck away somewhere...lol..

The blooms are small, rather inconsequential, peachy colored

Online image....

Thanks, Sherry. Small nice flowers they are.

Fiat, those Sedum morganianum flowers also have a slight cinnamon-like scent. Sometimes I get an occasional bloom during late Spring to early Summer.

hmmm...never noticed that!

OK here's some blooms from February.

OK here's some blooms from February.


Tulip Tree





Lachenalia


Echium flowers, really pretty.


Echium of some kind with ice plant on right a lavender that never got cut back behind.