How’s it Growing: March and April

Hello from Houston, Texas, Zone 9A! Spring is here in full effect and I’m really digging the sunshine. Tomorrow is April first so I’m going to include what plants flowered for me in March and what is budding or close to blooming in April. I’m also including some other notes on growth and dormancy. I keep my plants outdoors in pots and in the ground. There’s a lot happening right now…

 March- Bloomed and still in flower

Succulents: Graptoveria Fred Ives; Graptopetalum paraguayense; Sedum adolphii ‘Firestorm’; Sedum mexicana; Kalanchoes humilis, Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri ‘Donkey Ears’; Aloe maculata; Haworthias: retusa, venosa subs. tessellata, and viscosa; Ledebouria socialis ‘Silver Squill’; Stapelia grandiflora

Aloe maculata by Andrea Afra/Sucs for You
Aloe maculata by Andrea Afra/Sucs for You

Cacti: Parodia/Notocactus buiningii, Mammillaria spinosissima ssp pilcayensis, Mammillaria surculosa, Mamillaria melanocentra, and one more I haven’t ID’d yet…looks like a Rebutia.

Mammillaria melanocentra by Andrea Afra/Sucs for You
Mammillaria melanocentra by Andrea Afra/Sucs for You
Notocactus/Parodia buiningii
Notocactus/Parodia buiningii

Budding: Haworthias: retusa, venosa subs. tessellata, and viscosa; Gymnocalyciums  mihanovichii and baldianum; Chamaelobivia ‘Devon Maid’; Notocactus/Parodia  uebelmannianus; Echinopsis subdenudata; Echinocereus reichenbachii (waiting for flower to verify ID); Senecio Raindrops, my main Aloe maculata

Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri
Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri

Growth notes: Aloe humilis is making offsets; Euphorbia milli is awake and putting out a lot of new leaves; Jatropha berlandieri is out of dormancy and growing a nice new green stem with a few little leaves; fast growth on Hylocereus, Opuntia tuna

Jaatropha-berlandieri waking from dormancy
Jaatropha-berlandieri waking from dormancy

Notes on my other plants: A big 3-headed Amaryllis ‘Rio Negro’ surprised me in the backyard! I didn’t plant it and we’ve lived here two summers already. In late February I started seeds of Scotch Bonnets, Teaspoon tomatoes, and some other chilies, and they’re all doing well- a few more weeks before they’ll go in the ground. I also put a couple tomato plants in the ground and they’re really filling out.

Amaryllis Rio Negro
Amaryllis Rio Negro

The Monstera deliciosa that froze in the ground is coming back to life as well as several other plants I didn’t expect to see again.

I have been hacking back the crazy dead Bougainvillea all month to get it under control. It will be back with a vengeance and I’m using the space it’s in for veggies and stuff so I have to conquer and tames those beasts now.

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