Bloom Watch #4 – Will It Be This Weekend?

It appears that the Queen accepted the rain with exuberance. She broke stall on Sunday and Monday and is on the move toward bloom. Today most of the buds are in the in the 60 to 80 mm range putting them only 5 to 6 days out. There are a few at 90mm, a few at 50mm, and one at 110mm. Right now it looks like there will be a small split on the bloom with the majority going on the same night. It is possible however, that her plans will be different than mine, as is usually the case.

The P. tepalcatepecanus had two flowers on Saturday night and the P. oaxacensis had one bloom on Sunday. The P. fosterianus has started pushing toward bloom and may happen on the same night as the Queen. I sure hope so anyway. My Queen is on track with her counterparts in the gardens and all of her Court are pushing for the bloom.

It appears that we could together as early as this Friday or as late as Monday, but right now my best guess (which I hate to do knowing how much she likes to frustrate me) is Saturday or Sunday. So get ready to stand by with your boots out and put new batteries in your flashlight. I will let you know the exact day as soon as she lets me know.

Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul

Bloom Watch #3 – Will Rain Make Her Bloom?

On June 3, Plant #64 let two of her flowers go. This is the same plant that went first last year with two flowers on May 19. The rest of her flowers remain in stall status. It will be interesting to see if they will push off stall, if and when the rain really does come this weekend. If so, the big night may come seven to ten days afterwards. Stay tuned.

The Queen has seen fit to abort ten more buds since last week. I did see some fuzzies yesterday, but don’t really believe they will produce. She may have a different plan as she frequently does, especially if it serves to frustrate me. We’ll see.

I always enjoy receiving pictures from you of your bloomed Queens. Please keep sending them our way! Jesse Byrd from the Pima County Native Plant Nursery has had four bloom in their collection already. They have also lost several buds, but still have more to come.

As for the Queen’s Court, the P. tepalcatepecanus has produced two more buds that will more than likely go in the next few days. The rest of the P. fosterianus and P. oaxacensis are still in a holding pattern. I told you in the last blog that the P. serpentinus in the pot had three buds which then bloomed on June 10. The plant in the ground decided to make a liar out of me and produced four more buds over the weekend.

I’m checking every day now and will let you know as soon as the Queen decides to make her big appearance.

Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul

Bloom Watch #2 – A Blooming Queen’s Court

Hello Everyone,

The Queen is doing her thing, her way, as she always does. This week she has decided to drop some buds that she determined are not supportable. The majority of what is left are in a medium growth range, while some are in stall. I did notice a few fuzzes that may develop into flowers, as well as lots of new stem growth. A few of the reliable plants are pulling their resources back to the tuber to regenerate. Hopefully they will start again later this summer and be ready for next year. This is a normal occurrence that we see every year on a few plants that have been going strong for several years. My observation is she gets tired and just wants a rest.

P. tepalcatepecanus
P. oaxacensis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Queen’s Court had some blooms. The P. tepalcatepecanus had one flower on the May 25 and then decided to abort the rest of the buds. Mine at home is just starting to bud, so maybe the one here at Tohono Chul will try again. The P. fosterianus had one on May 26 and still has more coming. The P. oaxacensis had two flowers on May 27 and has a few buds left. The P. serpentinus on the grounds has stopped producing buds, but the plant in the pot has three that will go in the next few days. The one at my home already had one flower on May 30.

 

P. fosterianus

That’s it for now, but it is almost time for me to start daily walks to visit the Queen and try to keep up with her moody progress. Talk to you all soon and have a good weekend.

 

Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul

Bloom Watch #1 – Her Majesty’s Resilience

Hello Everyone,

Hope you all had a good year. It’s that time again for the Queen and she is showing her resilience. Although it has been dry and warmer than normal, she is producing buds. There are some at stall size, but most are small or just beginning. Right now it looks like it could be a pretty good year provided they hold and go at the same time rather than popping off one or two at a time like they did last year.

We have had some pack rat damage, but the majority of the plants have done alright. It appears that the plants native to the property and those salvaged from the wild are doing the best under the current weather conditions. The plants that were nursery grown and in the ground for less than two years have suffered some, but with a little luck they will come out of it.

The interesting thing so far this year is happening in the Queens court.

Peniocereus marianus (left), Peniocereus johnstonii (right)

The Peniocereus marianus along with the plants in our greenhouses bloomed early in February, and the plants that were outside bloomed early to mid-March. Mine at home had four flowers on March 5 and three on the March 10. My Peniocereus johnstonii bloomed April 16 – 26 with a total of eighteen flowers. My Peniocereus viperinus had six flowers between April 20 and May 9. The Peniocereus serpentinus has been flowering for the past month, while the Peniocereus fosterianus, oaxacensis and tepalcatepecanus are all budded up and progressing nicely.

Peniocereus viperinus (left), Peniocereus serpentinus (right)

Hope you enjoy the update and the beginning of another year where the Queen will be in charge and I will be trying to get her to communicate her intensions so we can all get together for another wonderful night at Tohono Chul in honor of her annual show. Looking forward to seeing you all this year.

Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul