I do like clumping cacti. Here are some of my favorites shown from yesterday and this morning.
Escobaria sneedii - I thought it would be another year before the cavity in the rock was completely filled, but at the rate it's growing this year it will be measured in days -not months - 'til that process is complete.
Escobaria vivipara var neo-mexicana. Even sunken down in the container it's really appealing to me. Not every one of this native will make a clump like this, but a lot do. The single barrels are nice, but I love the clumps and they can be truly spectacular for a day when they bloom.
Parodia leninghausii 'Golden Ball Cactus' . I find the cluster of little golden balls at the base of the column really appealing. I'm hoping some day it will encircle the entire base of the column, but not too many new ones have shown up this spring. Instead it's in the process of making a nest of buds at the top of the column. That process hasn't been a quick one in the past, so I try to watch for chances of hail in the forecast and move it under cover if needed.
Mammillaria plumosa. Just sitting so far this spring. No sign of growing, increasing or blooming, but also no signs of health issues. Taking a vacation maybe. I'd like the puff balls to almost fill the container.
Echinocereus triglochidiatus ssp mohavensis 'Inermis'. This is another in a stone planter. It's a small fellow, but it would be further along except an offset with offsets of its own developed rot last year. I saw the injury and watched it, but eventually had to carve it away from the rest of the plant. There's a new offset erupting on that side this year, so hopefully it will continue to increase.
