|
 |
||||||||||||||
|
Published on Friday, August 6, 2021
 By Victoria Torley Your yard is looking pretty good now. You’ve added as many native Costa Rican plants as you can and can point to them proudly. There are, however, a few niches left for unique plants. How about a nice cactus? If you live in a nice beach area, you have probably seen cacti clinging to volcanic outcroppings. Some of these may be Hylocereus costaricensis, the dragon fruit cactus. The dragon fruit is an epiphyte and usually grows on rocks, although it can sometimes be seen on tree stumps. It prefers dry weather, lots of sun, and lots of heat. The night-blooming flowers are heavily fragrant and measure about ten or more inches wide. Watch out, though; this is a spiny cactus, so grow it close enough to enjoy the fragrance and far enough away that you don’t have to avoid it every day. The interior of the fruit is a startling magenta and delicious. Once you have your trees started, you might consider a spineless cactus, the Selenicereus wercklei, or tionoste. This cactus can look like a green waterfall – a cascade of slender branches hanging from the tree. It can often be seen hanging from trees northwest of San José but is happy at the edges of moist forests in elevations from 600-1,100 meters. Propagate it from cut stems; although you have to wait about five years for it to bloom, it's worth the wait. Flowers are tri-colored and about eight inches across and night-blooming. Because it is an epiphyte, the tionoste can be grown in hanging planters. The Rhipsalis baccifera, the mistletoe cactus, is also epiphytic on trees. Like the tionoste, it clings to trees and drapes away in a cascade of green, and, like the tionoste, it is spineless. The Caribbean slopes are the cactus’ natural habitat, and it is seldom seen on the Pacific slope other than on the Osa Peninsula. It prefers a wet climate and grows easily. The flowers are small with a translucent white. This is another cactus that can be grown in a planter. If you want a real cactus-looking cactus, you will go for the Stenocereus aragonii, locally just called ‘cactus’ or cardoni. This is one mean cactus with the spines to prove it and is related to cacti of the US southwest. It grows in attractive columns from a single base. The cactus will need space – it can grow up to twenty feet tall. Like the other three cacti noted here, it is a night bloomer, and the fruit is edible (if you can reach it when it is fully grown). Look for it in the wild in dry areas up to 800 meters in elevation. We’ve filled in your yard reasonably well and will wrap up next week. Plant for the
Week
 These are the fruits of the dragon fruit cactus. They are even prettier on the inside! ------------------- Editor's note: More information on this article or about gardening, Ms. Victoria Torley, gardener columnist, can be reached at victoriatorley1@gmail.com  Professional's
services and business
 Costa Rica
Residency Services
U.S. Income
Tax & Accounting
 Nonprofit organizations
 Shipping
Services
 Real Estate
Agents
   Car Rental Service
 Laboratory and
Medical Services
  Business
Consulting Services
   Academy Sports
 Matchmaking Services
 
|
||||||||||||||
|