Euphorbia obesa – Our New Babies
02 Jun 2011 2 Comments
in 1. Cactus and Succulent Tags: Baseball Plant, Euphorbia Obesa, Newly Bought, Rare Cactus
Our search was finally over. Now we have not only one but two more Baseball Plants which is the other name for Euphorbia obesa. They are still small, and it will take a while for them to grow, but I am very excited.
I used to have two of them that I bought long long time ago, but one of them died last year. The other one that is still alive has grown quite big for this kind of cactus. It is about 20 cm high. We bought one of the new little ones last March in Victoria Market, and the other one which is better in shape was purchased two days ago in Garden World. In Victoria market at that time only one Euphorbesa obesa available there and the shape was not perfect but we bought it anyway. It is a surprise to me that they are finally available in Garden World. There were only three of them. One was quite large and beautiful but it was much too expensive and the other two were small. I decided to buy one of the small ones. A little bit pricey still, but it was worth it for such a rare cactus plant.
Euphorbia obesa do not multiply, so the only way to grow it is by seeds. This is one of the reasons why this cactus is dear beside the fact that it grows very slowly. We will never know the young baseball cacti is male or female until they flower. They say that the male E. obesa usually grow taller than the female.
To go to my last post on Euphorbia obesa:
http://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/euphorbia-obesa-rot-in-peace/
Euphorbia obesa…Rot in Peace
30 Aug 2010 1 Comment
in 1. Cactus and Succulent Tags: E. anoplia, E. melbraformis, Euphorbia collection, Euphorbia Obesa, My garden, Rotting Baseball plant
I am very upset now! One of my Euphorbia obesa plants died. It was getting very soft and eventually it collapsed.
I bought two Euphorbia obesa cactus more than ten years ago. One day we went for a drive to the Mornington Peninsula and there was a Sunday market in Hastings. In this country market I bought a pair of Euphorbia obesa which is also known as Baseball plant. It was supposed to be a male and a female pair. The seller told me that I should buy a pair to produce seeds.
To cut the story short, one of these rare South African cactus plants, I think the female one, was never grown as good as the other one (male). It was always stunted and kind of yellow. Both had flowers but they never produced seeds. After more than ten years sulking and miserable, lately I started to notice that it was very soft and more yellow. I was already very careful during this winter to keep it dry and warm. But it did not help at all. Yesterday it completely collapsed. I took both plants out of the pot and replanted the healthy one into a different pot and I cut the dead one into 2 sections to see what was happening inside the poor plant. The inside was mushy and it had holes (similar to lotus root).
For a long time I had tried to buy more Euphorbia obesa in the shop but it was not available. I can buy different species of Euphorbia, but not the obesa. I have two other euphorbias - E. anoplia and E. melbraformis.
Well, I have to be careful with my cactus plants now. No more over watering. I am really sad to think that one of those Baseball plants was slowly and silently rotting away…. or should I say that it was rotten in peace???
To view my previous post about Euphorbia obesa:
http://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2009/01/05/my-baseball-plants/
Euphorbia melbraformis:
Euphorbia melbraformis
Euphorbia anoplia
My Baseball Plants
05 Jan 2009 3 Comments
in 1. Cactus and Succulent Tags: Baseball Plant, Euphorbia Obesa, Gardening, Life, Plant
More than ten years ago we went to Western Port Bay (Mornington Peninsula), Victoria Australia and we stopped at a Sunday market in small town of Hastings. There we bought two unusual plants called Baseball Plant. The friendly man who sold the plant told us to buy two of them, the male and the female one. This way he said we would have a chance for the well rounded cacti to flower and produce some seeds. Unfortunately, up today, eventhough these plants are still alive, they never produce the valuable seeds.
What is a Baseball Plant?
Baseball Plant is also known by the name of Euphorbia obesa or Klipnoor. Originally it is from the Great Karo land in South Africa. Over collecting for many years has made this unusual plant rare on the wild and now is strictly protected.
Growing Need
(from: http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Euphorbiaceae/Euphorbia_obesa.html)
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Recommended Temperature Zone:
USDA: 9b-10
Frost Tolerance: Hardy down to 28°F (-2°C) Minimum Avg. Temperature: 45°F (7°C) Sun Exposure: Light shade, morning sun Growth Habits: Succulent, up to 8 inches high (20 cm) Watering Needs: moderate water in Summer, keep dry in winter Propagation: Seeds, sexes are separated, so a male and a female plant are needed for the fecundation
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Cultural Practices:
This species is dormant in winter, keep it totally dry at or around 40°F (4°C).
Blooming Habits:
The tiny flowers are delicately scented. They form at the top of the plant. This species is dioecious (meaning that there are male plants and female plants).
When the plant is still young it is symmetrically rounded and resembles a sea urchin shell. When aged, it tends to have a longer shape. Like many other succulents and cacti, it produces milky sap that can irritate sensitive skin.
This is the picture of my Baseball Plants (over 10 years old):
