Yesterday when Bernard was showing me around the plants at the pool, I was intrigued by this cactus to which he gave the Zulu name Isithlethle. Bernard is originally from South Africa and has loved plants since he was 3 years old. He and his mother studied the Latin names together! His family had beautiful gardens under the care of a staff of six. Bernard left South Africa to attend the Royal Academy of Music in London and then came to the United States where he continues his musical career. He is certain that without his love for music, he would have gone into landscape or plants in some capacity.
So yesterday this cactus showed the promise of blooming and when I returned today, one of the buds had fully opened. The cactus is from the carrion plant family because it gives off a smell of rotting meat.( I honestly didn’t smell it) You will notice the fly, which rather than bees, provides pollination.
Now if you read all the way to the end, I hope you learned something new.
