Show of shows!

What a weekend! 1600 plants entered this year and roughly half (probably more) were fat plants. Incredible specimens, from a 7ft tall Fouquieria purpusii to the tiniest Euphorbia. Saw a new hybrid Fourquiera purpusii x macdougallii in flower with beautiful pink clusters. Charlie and Debbie Ball entered 7 of the most impressive looking Bursera simplicifolia I have ever seen, each one in a pot made by Charlie. Larry Grammer stole the show with his impeccable staging and beautiful plants, he had at least 5 plants on the trophy table.

The sales area is always a treat, one thing about SoCal vendors they provide material that you can not get anywhere else and I brought home quite a bit of them. At last count I had 40 plants and have of those were from Tim Harvey’s table, he had Cyphostemma humile, humile dolichipus, a beautiful sp. Cf. simulans and bainesii x juttae. I was able to get them all, although I did give Gregg one of the bainesii after he could not find any that I may have missed (those puppy dog eyes got me ;o). Some of the other plants I got were Dorstenia gypsophylla and gigas, Stathmostelma praetermissum, Moringa boriziana, Pelargonium bowkerii, Othonna furcata, Pachypodium ambongense, Dendrosicyos and a large Boophane. If that was not enough I also went to a couple of private collectors and brought home more, those plants are Adenia ballyi and pechuelli, C, uter, D, gigas, Aloe pillansii, Peniocereus greggi, Digi caput-medusa and a Euphorbia that I can’t remember.

The following are specimens I picked up from private collectors and banquet auction

I've been searching a decent sized reasonably priced Aloe pillansii for years...and now I have one! It measures 30" from soil level to the tallest leaf, trunk diameter is 3.5"

I could not pass on this Dorstenia gigas, 40" tall with a 7" base

Normally I would not even think of getting a cacti, but this Penoicereus greggi is perfect and big! It has an 8.5" diameter!

Another plant I could not leave. Sure it's been grown with too much TLC but I'll fix that ;o) This Cyphostemma uter is difficult to find in any condition, it is 40" tall. I'll be taking cuttings over the weekend.

Here's one you rarely if ever see available, Adenia pechuellii is a jewel! It had a 4" diameter and needs a good trim.

I won this at theauction put on the Inter-City clubs after the banquet, it's newly introduced Jatropha species. Has an 18" spread and ready to bonsai!

This one is labeled Euphorbia hopetownensis, can't find out much other that it's found north of hopetown, it has some potential. It stands 12" above the pot.

I've only seen this at one place for sale and it was too small and too expensive. This is a fat rooted cutting of Adenia ballyi I purchased from a friend collection.