Life would succ without succulents

Oreocereus celsianus Today’s post is about the beautiful Oreocereus celsianus . Oreocereus celsianus also gets called the ‘ Old man of the mountain ’, which is possibly my favourite common name for a cacti every, it’s so full of character! It makes me antropomorphize my cacti and imagine it giving grumpy advice! I picked this cactus up at my favourite garden centre pre-lockdown. It cost £6. It came unlabelled and to be honest, I had no idea what species it was. After scouring my identification book, I was still unsure, so I posted in my favourite cacti forum, and a very kind member identified it for me, which was great. I really recommend https://www.cactiguide.com/forum/ for friendly advice. Anyway, back to Oreocereus celsianus . The Oreocereus genus is found at high altitudes in the Andes. ‘Oreo’ is from the ancient Greek word ‘oros’ which means mountain, and ‘cereus’ is derived from the Latin word for torch. I presume celsianus is reference to the botanist Jacques M...

Titanopsis calcarea Today's post is about a very odd looking succulent, Titanopsis calcarea . Titanopsis calcarea also goes by ‘ Jewel plant ’, and ‘ concrete leaf ’- both of which I think describe it nicely! The warty appearance of the leaves look like limestone, making it well camouflaged in the rocky outcrops of South Africa it is found.   As a small succulent (mine is only a couple of cm tall), it does not stand out. However, on close inspection Titanopsis calcarea is so unique, I am sure you will enjoy having one in your collection. The genus Titanopsis is small, containing ~10 species. The genus name Titanopsis is derived from the Ancient Greek words ‘titanos’(=limestone) and ‘opsis’ (=looks like), which sums up the genus perfectly. Calcarea is derived from the Latin for limestone, again referencing Titanopsis calcarea ’s appearance and habitat. My  Titanopsis calcarea was a gift, however I have seen these plants online for ~£8.   Care in...