Beaucarnea hookeri

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GreekDesert
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Beaucarnea hookeri

#1

Post by GreekDesert »

Calibanus hookeri (Lemaire) Trelease

Synonyms:
Dasylirion hartwegianum
Dasylirion hookeri
Dasylirion caespitosum
Calibanus caespitosus

The woody base of the plant can reach a diameter of 3 ft. (1 m)

Distribution: central and northeastern Mexico, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas.

Hardiness: 17°F (-8°C)
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Frühjahr 2011 379.jpg
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Frühjahr 2011 380.jpg
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Geoff
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#2

Post by Geoff »

Calibanus anothe view.jpg
Calibanus trimmed.jpg
Calibanus starting to flower.jpg
Calibanus starting to flower.jpg (223.35 KiB) Viewed 7222 times
Calibanus flowers closer.jpg
Calibanus flowers closer.jpg (150.85 KiB) Viewed 11660 times
shots of my plant

Have discovered through trial and error that this plant is super easy and hard to kill... but I managed it still, planting one in shade in pure clay and watering it heavily (did not know what it was at the time), are turned the entire caudex to mush. But if planted in well draining soil and in sunlight, this plant accepts lots of water happily. I trim mine periodically to rid it of all the retained dead grass-like foliage... looks a lot nicer that way.
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Geoff
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#3

Post by Geoff »

Calibanus hookeri new Tammys.jpg
Calibanus hookeri new Tammys.jpg (145.55 KiB) Viewed 7223 times
left this shot out... have several of these dinky plants... seem pretty easy even at this size
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GreekDesert
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#4

Post by GreekDesert »

Calibanus hookeri
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mickthecactus
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Calibanus hookeri

#5

Post by mickthecactus »

Badly in need of repotting and very rootbound-

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Geoff
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#6

Post by Geoff »

what kind of pot is that in? I have one about that size, too… been in the same pot for 10 years… wonder if I need to move it up.
Calibanus anothe view.JPG
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mickthecactus
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#7

Post by mickthecactus »

Mine had been in the same pot for about 10 years too. Got to find a nice new one at the weekend.
Apologies for putting it in the wrong gallery. In shows here it always gets put in the Agave class.
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Paul S
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#8

Post by Paul S »

I am a dimwit. Penny has just dropped - mickthecactus = Herts Mike on the BCSS forum. :red:

Hello. :))
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mickthecactus
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#9

Post by mickthecactus »

Hello Paul.

Paul S = Paul in Essex?
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Paul S
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#10

Post by Paul S »

Yup. Small world.
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mickthecactus
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#11

Post by mickthecactus »

Tiny.

We need some of your pics Paul............
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Paul S
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#12

Post by Paul S »

Yes, I fully intend to bombard the site one day - my trouble is knowing where to start and when to stop! :))
calibanus1.jpg
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mickthecactus
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#13

Post by mickthecactus »

Good start. Is that in your garden..........
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Paul S
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#14

Post by Paul S »

:)) I wish... El Charco del Ingenio, which is the botanic garden in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. There are several monsters there the size of armchairs that were rescued prior to a dam project flooding their habitat.
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mickthecactus
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#15

Post by mickthecactus »

When it was rediscovered by Glass and Foster didn't they say it was the size of a small car?
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Paul S
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#16

Post by Paul S »

Wouldn't surprise me if they got that big.
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mickthecactus
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#17

Post by mickthecactus »

Now repotted -

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agavegreg
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#18

Post by agavegreg »

Here are a couple of shots from near Palomas in north-central San Luis Potosi taken during the last CSSA tour. See what you missed.
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Same plant from above
Same plant from above
IMG_0151.JPG (182.88 KiB) Viewed 11193 times
Near Palomas in north central SLP, from below obviously
Near Palomas in north central SLP, from below obviously
IMG_0143.JPG (153.01 KiB) Viewed 11193 times
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mickthecactus
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#19

Post by mickthecactus »

Beauty.
Luc
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#20

Post by Luc »

agavegreg wrote:See what you missed.
If I could !
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Agavemonger
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#21

Post by Agavemonger »

Believe it or not, this plant is now redefined as Beaucarnea hookeri; D.N.A. testing has found it to be well ensconced in the middle of the Genus Beaucarnea! ::wink::

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Otter
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#22

Post by Otter »

Here's mine, in a 12" pot with a stand to let adequate drain through. It has really appreciated the winter rains, but after the 2nd storm came thru I decided to cover it. Moss(!) was starting to appear around the perlite. San Francisco problem, i know. :roll:
Pot in stand
Pot in stand
IMG_20160201_084109.jpg (188.8 KiB) Viewed 10769 times
6" caudex
6" caudex
IMG_20160131_085935.jpg (204.76 KiB) Viewed 10769 times
Coloration on leaf bases
Coloration on leaf bases
IMG_20160131_090015.jpg (141.16 KiB) Viewed 10769 times
Top of caudex
Top of caudex
IMG_20160201_084150.jpg (184.89 KiB) Viewed 10769 times
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Another shot
Another shot
IMG_20160201_084240.jpg (211.93 KiB) Viewed 10769 times
Stan
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#23

Post by Stan »

Otter- yours has an exceptionally nice tortoise back caudex. Mine is old--I mean its been 10,15 years now since I bought it. Hardly grew in a pot...I put it in ground and the top got luxurious...but I can't say the caudex is that much larger. I might have left it too pot bound too long. That will end any super size dreams with some or maybe most plants.
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
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Otter
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Re: Calibanus hookeri

#24

Post by Otter »

I have to admit the caudex looked like this already when i bought it. Came from a nursery where it got much higher temps growing up than now. I don't expect mine to turn into a schoolbus anytime soon either!. :lol: :(
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Viegener
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Re: Beaucarnea hookeri

#25

Post by Viegener »

Does anyone know what the best time is to transplant this?

I've got a sorely neglected one that's almost 20 years old. It's growing on an E facing hill with mostly clay soil, and survived both drought and terrible shade by being covered by a white sage. But as I've been poking around it, I think the caudex is almost 12" wide.

I'm in Los Angeles re climate, and I've noticed it's a summer grower, so that means now would be a good time to move it, right?
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