Obregonia denegrii

Obregonia denegrii blooming in Hamilton, September 29th

If I had to make a short list of exceptionally rare and unusual cactus species O. denegrii would probably be on it. Old and large specimens of this species are almost never seen in Ontario. It is a species which seems to have a habit of doing well for a while and then suddenly deciding that something is not quite to its liking and dying. The plant shown in the photo was blooming today, September 29th, in Hamilton. It was a surprise find at Sorensen's a couple of years ago. Like the Ariocarpus they were never seen at Sorensen's until the OCSS asked if they could get them.

Whenever I see this plant in my collection I reminisce about the ones I saw growing wild in Mexico. It remains one of the fondest memories I have to this day.