Weird and Hard to find plants 15 May 2025

Time to show off some of the oddballs in my plant collection! 

First on the list is Ceropegia sandersonii   

Its striking, upright, green-speckled flowers look like little parachutes. But get this: it tricks the Desmometopa flies into pollinating it by smelling like a honeybee in trouble! The flower traps the fly until the pollen has been transferred.

Since I keep most of mine in my unheated tunnel house, I don't water them very much in winter.

They go a nice sun-kissed color if they get enough light, though I'm not one for over-stressing my plants. 

This plant grows these long, wandering stems that I usually train by wrapping them around themselves to keep them from going wild. I propagate more by holding the little bumps (nodes) down until they root.

I even found one sneaky bit that had snuck down to the floor and was happily sending down roots in my pavers.

You can order one here

Rhipsalidopsis alba  

I'm unsure if my Rhipsalidopsis alba has a specific cultivar name, as I've struggled to find any information about it.

This is a charming, small-flowered Rhipsalidopsis (formerly Hatiora) with pure white blooms. If you know the small pink Rhipsalidopsis rosea, you'll be familiar with its distinctive thin cladodes, quite different from the larger, rounder ones you often see. The pink varieties also come in numerous hybrids with slight flower variations. I wonder if this white form has a similar range of relatives. 

I have included a photo of my Rhipsalidopsis family to show you the size comparison of flowers.

Here in New Zealand, Rhipsalidopsis (formerly Hatiora, or Easter Cactus) is the last of the holiday cacti to flower, usually around October or November. So, the common (American) name, "Easter Cactus," doesn't fit our flowering season.

I have sold a few of these on Trademe. But I am offering a limited release of these through my website. You will be the first to know about these listings.

NZ Tree Crops Association - Tree & Plant Plant Sale 

Waikato Branch - Saturday, July 5th, 9am - 1pm Camelia Carpark, Gate 2, Hamilton Gardens

Have you ever attended this market?   

They are organised by various branches throughout NZ.  Your closest Tree Crop branch should have the details about when their Sale is.

If you enjoy trying to grow new and unusual trees or plants, then this market is the place to source them.

I have only ever attended the Waikato one.

The Waikato Branch Sales Day is always on the 1st Saturday in July.

It is held at Hamilton Gardens. Entry via gate 2. Parking is in the bottom car park, and you walk back up the hill to where the stalls are.
Bringing your own wheelbarrow is not a silly idea.
I often take some of my plants along to sell and always come home with some new variety of plant.

Been waiting for some funds to materialise so I can get my kiln fixed.   In the meantime I have been doing some more work on my "Vat Room Studio".    Painting and leveling the floor mainly.    

If you got this far, thank you for reading this Newsletter.

Any feedback or suggestions are always appreciated.   Websites etc are not my place of expertise so there are often some things that I do wrong.

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