Crested, monstrose & bizarre

Cacti and other succulents are not only worthwhile growing for their stunning flowers and blooms, but equally also for their awesome looks, spinations, unique and diverse appearances, shapes and forms... Among those diverse forms, there is a particularly special group of plants that I collect and grow in my greenhouse, and which has always been very close to my heart: my crested, twisted and monstrose cacti! In this video I would like to introduce you to some of these very special and awesome looking plants ...the truly weird and wonderful! Also, I explain how these special growth forms develop? What triggers this growth? How to cultivate these plants? These forms are also often called cristate, cristata, cristatus or monstrosus, monstruosus or spiralis, varispiralis, etc.
I hope you like them as much as I do, please enjoy!
Cheers,
Joe
@cactusjoe
#cactusjoe #cacti #cactus#cereus #cactus #succulents #succulent #greenhouse #collection #kakteen #sukkulenten #happygrowing #cactuscare #succulentcare #succulentes #succulentsforbeginners #cactaceae #cristata #cristatus #crestedcactus #crestedsucculents #mammillaria #cristata #crestedcactus #cristatus #crested #spiralis #varispiralis #totempole #lophocereus #monstruosus #monstrous #monstrosus

[@Gilberto_K]

These modifications occuring with old cacti and also the possibility of being reversible are really new information for me. This video is the best I've seen so far concerning this subject. Thanks my friend.

[@cactusjoe]

Thanks so much, Gilberto, for your awesome feedback and comments, really very much appreciated!! So happy that you found the video informative and interesting, that's indeed brilliant! Hope you are having an awesome weekend, best regards my friend, take care and happy growing of course!!👍🙏🌵🌵🌱🏵🌼🌻💚😎

[@Dave-if5qj]

There weirdnesses is why I've recently become fascinated With these strange beauties

[@cactusjoe]

Yes exactly, Dave, 100% agree with you, they are amazing, weird and wonderful aren't they! Thanks for watching and commenting! 😊👍🙌🌵🪴💚😎☀️

[@andersnrregren9087]

I feel crested sometimes after a hard week but then i feel monstrose again after a nice rest

[@cactusjoe]

Haha, brilliant Anders, know the feeling, lol, and I can see that you are fully living and breathing in synergy with your cacti! Have an awesome day my friend!!👍👍😊🌵🌱🌵🌺💚😎

[@jacobsiebert2204]

Hey Joe 🌞, after being 'silent' in the comment section for quite some time again, now I found the perfect timing 😉 for a new comment: Huge Congratulations for reaching 1000 subscribers on your channel!!! 🎉 You definitely deserve it! Furthermore it is phanomenally that this video already has over 1000 views only 1 week after uploading. Great to see how your channel and its awesome community is 'growing' so fast! 😄 It means that the effort you put into your posts is definitely being honoured I would say 👍🏻 Have a good evening and until next time! 🌵😎

[@cactusjoe]

Hey Jacob, brilliant to hear from you once again and thanks a million for your awesome comments and congrats!! Really means a lot to me as you have been such an active, dedicated and wonderful supporter and member of this community right from the start of this channel's journey!! Indeed it is very nice and motivating to see how all the efforts are slowly getting more traction. A bit like seeing the first flowers finally appear on a plant that we have been growing for quite some time, haha!! Wishing you a wonderful Thursday evening and weekend ahead, my friend!! Nochmals ganz herzlichen Dank und liebe Grüße nach Kassel!! 🙏🙏👍😊🌵🌱🌵🌺🌼🏵🌺💚😎

[@lindaware3082]

Fascinating x

[@cactusjoe]

Many thanks Linda, for watching and for your feedback! So glad you found the video interesting! Enjoy your day and happy growing of course!🙏👍😊🌵🌵🌺🌼💚😎

[@Juana_LaCubana]

So interesting and informative! Thank you!

[@cactusjoe]

Hi Juana! Thank you for watching and for your lovely feedback, I am so happy that you found the video interesting and informative! Hope you are having a great day, best wishes and happy growing of course!

[@javisantiago6424]

Great video Joe

[@cactusjoe]

Thanks so much for watching & commenting, Javi, very glad you enjoyed it!! Have a nice weekend ahead!👍😊🌵🌱🌵🌺💚😎

[@williamkittrell3342]

Very informative. Thank you. Look forward to learning more.

[@cactusjoe]

Thanks very much, William, for watching and for commenting, much appreciated! Very happy that you found the video informative! Enjoy your Sunday, best wishes and happy growing!

[@CactusCaffeine]

Lots of information on this video! Oooh, I’ve been in search for that Eulychnia castanea cv. varispiralis. You have a great collection of these interesting weirdos, Joe. ❤😊

[@cactusjoe]

Thanks so much Ana, for watching and for commenting! And happy that you found the video informative! Thanks, indeed I have been collecting these cactus weirdos as you call them (lol!) for quite a long time - and I can definitely recommend getting the Eulychnia castanea cv. varispiralis - I found mine for a reasonable price on ebay several years back, it was still quite small, only 10 cm tall or so, but it grows relatively well and is indeed such a wonderful sight! It is relatively sensitive to root rot, from what I have heard, so I keep it in a very mineral-rich substrate and so far so good! Enjoy your Sunday and also the week ahead, take care and very best wishes!!

[@justinmorrison321]

Thanks for wonderfully comprehensive video. I learned a lot from it. These are certainly structurally stunning specimens!

[@cactusjoe]

Many thanks, Justin, fantastic to read that you enjoyed the video and found it interesting! Thanks for watching and for sharing your wonderful feedback, very much appreciated my friend! Enjoy your Sunday and have a great week ahead!

[@user-lu1cr8ty6o]

Thank you, Cactus Joe. This was very helpful. Good video for me!

[@cactusjoe]

Many thanks for your feedback, excellent to read that you enjoyed the video about crested succulent plants and also found it useful! Thanks for watching and commenting! Enjoy your weekend, happy growing!!👍🙏😊🌵🌵🌼🌺🏵💚😎

[@supercat438]

So interesting Joe! Great lesson about the correlation between meristem tissue and monstrose/crested cacti. Thank you for sharing!

[@cactusjoe]

@Vera Vera thank you so much as always for your awesome feedback and support, truly appreciated! And fantastic of course to read that you found the video interesting, thanks! Sending you lot's of cactus greetings and wishing you both a wonderful Sunday and also week ahead! Take care and happy growing!!

[@desertplantsofavalon]

Another absolutely AWESOME video Joe :-D and its definitely the week for us sharing the weird and wackiest of our plants haha, this vid was so informative and we have learned so much from you about how these plants get to grow crested and monstrose, you are so incredibly knowledgeable, the Eulychina spiralis and Lophoceeus schotti monstrose are both on our future wish list haha, thanks so much for sharing such an INCREDIBLE and very knowledgeable video with us, and Hans and I are sending you lots of love and happiness and PLANT POWER to Bavaria for a fantastic evening XXXX

[@cactusjoe]

Thank you so much, Lyn and Hans, as always really appreciate all your awesome feedback, friendship and support! So happy that you enjoyed the video and also found it interesting! And indeed, haha, it was indeed the week of wacky, weird and wonderful cacti & succulents on our channels, so funny and amazing timing, lol!! Great to read also that these are both on your wish lists, and hope that you are sucessful in finding these plants soon! I was lucky to find the Eulychnia on ebay for a reasonable price several years ago, it was very small then but it grows quite nicely. Wishing you and Hans a super Sunday afternoon and evening, and also a wonderful week ahead! Spring is finally here, at least even officially this coming week, yaaaay, take care and happy growing of course!

[@TerryJent]

I just recently purchased a mammillaria that I think is dichotomous. This is another concept worth discussing and showing examples for because it is also a little off the beaten path.

[@cactusjoe]

Hi Terry, that is a wonderful suggestion, thanks so much! Indeed dichotomous growth can be observed relatively more frequently among some Mammillarias and that is basically due to a splitting of the central growth axis of the plant. Brilliant that you are observing this on one of your own Mammillarias! This plant should then also look particularly good, eventually, when it flowers on both stems! Something to look forward to! Thanks so much for watching and commenting, and also for your excellent suggestion, thanks, have a great day and happy growing! 🙏🙏👍😊🌵🌱🌵💚😎

[@Cactimania]

Another excellent and informative video, Joe. It’s definitely been the week for the freaky looking succulents haha. Thank you for sharing with us as always my friend. Have a wonderful evening from Edith & myself and happy growing as always 🌵☀️🌼🌺🌸🏜

[@cactusjoe]

Haha, indeed it has been the week of the weird, wonderful and wacky cacti on our channels, lol! What great timing, could not have done it any better if we had planned it! As always thanks for watching and for all your awesome feedback and support my friend! Greetings and very best wishes to both you and Edith! Enjoy your Sunday and have a great week ahead, happy growing indeed!!

[@jenalink6232]

I love the unusual, this was a great video. I'm learning so much from your videos, really enjoy watching them! Great job!!!!!

[@cactusjoe]

Thanks a million, Jena, for your awesome feedback, so happy you are enjoying and finding the videos useful! Have a fantastic weekend ahead, best wishes and happy growing of course!🙏🙏👍😊🌵🌱🌵🌺🌼💚😎

[@dazzx]

Very interesting video thanks for all the effort and research 👍

[@cactusjoe]

So nice of you, Darren, much appreciated! Very happy you found it interesting! Thanks so much for watching and for your wonderful feedback. Enjoy your weekend ahead!🙏👍😊🌵🌵🌱🌺🌼💚😎

[@Christof_isle_of_man_tt]

Hallo Joe, i buy some cristata cacti from Kakteen Matk in Berlin. They are beautiful, vital plants😊😊. Now I can't get enough from this cactus.

[@cactusjoe]

Hi Christof! That is great to hear, that you are a big fan of cristate cacti too, they are indeed quite unusual and strange but fascinating! Thanks for watching and commenting, take care and happy growing!! 🌵🌼💚😎☀️👍🙌

[@flowerszoneforever]

Thank you for sharing with us this amazing video Joe! Thank you for your information and advices! I have same crested cactus. I have too 2 echinopsis Tubiflora Cactus twins. Greetings from Flowers Zone Albania 🇦🇱

[@cactusjoe]

Glad it was helpful, Elda! I am always adoring your wonderful Echinopsis cacti with their stunning flowers in your beautiful videos on your channel! Have a wonderful day and weekend ahead!🙏👍😊🌵🌺🌵💚😎

[@petevsplants7516]

Great video, mate!

[@cactusjoe]

Hi Pete, thanks a million, really appreciated and so happy that you enjoyed the video! Sending lot's of cactus and plant greetings over to you, happy growing, mate!

[@ZiggySearchfieldCactus]

Well covered Joe 👍🏼 I've got a few of those lumpy ones 😄 I did have a Euphorbia lactea cristata but I killed it 🙄 Good video my friend 😊😊🌵🌵

[@cactusjoe]

Thanks so much, Ziggy, very happy that you liked the video and of course thanks for watching and commenting my friend! Yep, I unfortunately lost one of my Euphorbia lactea this winter too, they are quite sensitive to temperatures and obviously I could not keep the place it was standing in all cosy and warm enough for it all winter, haha! Good to read that you have a few of those lumpy ones too, haha, they are really quite weird but worthwhile growing I find! Have a super Sunday afternoon and a wonderful week ahead!

[@ministerstayfly9213]

Safe to say that the creator of the universe has a phenomenal imagination

[@cactusjoe]

Haha, wonderful, that's one way of looking at it! Hope you're having a great day, thanks and happy growing!!🙏👍😊🌵🪴🌵🌼🌺🌸💚😎☀️

[@chiodopolsosinistro3505]

Ok...i just discover yet cactus joe...and i just fall in love with this guy...just please joe, can you adopt me?

[@cactusjoe]

Hahaha, thank you so much, am humbled by and love your awesome comment and so happy that you like the channel! A warm welcome to you and have a wonderful weekend ahead!!😉🙏🙏🌵🌵💚👍😊

[@billgolightly7203]

Great lessons, Joe. Maybe I need to broaden my collection.

[@cactusjoe]

Thanks Bill, I'm very happy if the video was useful and you liked some of the plants! Enjoy your Friday and weekend ahead! 👍😊🌵🌱🌵🌺💚😎

[@morrisparkintheozarks6831]

Great video Joe!!! Very well explained!! One of the best I've seen on this subject!! Very informative!!! I love the unusual!! Monstrose & crested plants are awesome!!! Thanks for sharing this really great video!!! From Morris Park in the Ozarks, to Bavaria, Germany 🇩🇪, have a wonderful weekend ahead!!! Peace, Love, Plants!!!✌️💖🌵🥀🌳🌿🌷🌱🌴🌹🌲💐🍀🌻🌾🪴🌸😃👍

[@cactusjoe]

Hey Clyde!! Thanks so much for your awesome feedback, really appreciated!! And wonderful to hear that you too are a big fan of these weird and wacky plants, haha!! I'm super happy that you enjoyed the video and found it interesting! Sending you very best wishes for a super Sunday and of course a great week ahead at Morris Park in the Ozarks!! Indeed my friend, Peace, Love, Plants!!

[@donnasparlin4867]

❤

[@billgolightly7203]

I just finished my 3rd look at this video. It is not your first day on the job, is it. Thanks for your time.

[@cactusjoe]

Hey Bill, thanks! Haha, no it's not my first, but always feels like my second day on the job, always new things to learn and experience, all the time! Thanks so much for watching and also for your wonderful feedback and support as always! Hope you are having a super Sunday, best wishes for a great week ahead, happy growing!

[@TerryJent]

Hi Joe! I found the video both interesting and useful and thought it was VERY comprehensive. I will have to find that playlist to see more examples. I have a Mammillaria un pico cristata (a dwarf form) and an elongata cristata. I didn't know the totem pole was a monstrose form. Looking forward to more of your instructive, information-packed videos!

[@cactusjoe]

Hi Terry! Thanks so much for watching and for your awesome feedback, really appreciated! And brilliant of course that you found the video both interesting and useful, thanks! Sounds like you too have a very nice collection of these weird and wacky types of cacti too!! I love both these crested Mammillaria that you mention! Wishing you a super Sunday and a wonderful week ahead! Take care and happy growing of course!

[@cheryllemons3134]

Hello Joe! You have some great examples of these types of cacti. Isn't it amazing what Mother Nature can cause to happen to our plants??

[@cactusjoe]

Hello Cheryl! So true indeed, always breathtaking and mindboggling to see what Mother Nature has come up with!! I find these plants truly fascinating, even if they rarely flower! As always thanks so much for watching and for your awesome feedback!! Have a wonderful weekend ahead!🙏👍😊🌺🌵🌱🌵🌼💚😎

[@andyroo3022]

A very good video Joe, You explained how cacti mutate very well. I have a number of different crested and monstrose cacti. All were purchased at some point, and all my crested forms are all grafted. I got a nice surprise a few weeks ago when dividing some old clumps of pink flowering Echinopsis Oxygona. I found a crested one hiding in between the clumps. I removed it and place it in it's own pot. It has very strong roots. I wonder if it will ever flower?

[@cactusjoe]

Hey Andy! Great to read your awesome comments and feedback, thanks so much for watching and for all your support, really appreciated! Fantastic to read that you too like these types of wacky and weird succulent plants, and sounds like you already have quite a wonderful collection of these cacti too! Yep, growing them as grafted plants makes life so much easier and definitely increases your chances of growing and keeping them for a much longer time! That surprise find of a crested Echinopsis sounds awesome, congratulations! Wrt flowering, that is a great question, and whether or not it will flower is impossible to predict, and also seems to differ from one crested plant to another! At least I have seen several crested Echinopsis in full bloom and hope that yours does the same for you! Have a wonderful Sunday and week ahead, best wishes and happy growing!!

[@andyroo3022]

@@cactusjoe happy growing. 🌵

[@janecurtis5726]

I have two monstrose cacti, both different species of Cereus. The care tags recommended less than full sun. Is that necessary?

[@cactusjoe]

Hi Jane! Yeah, I would indeed recommend keeping them out of the hottest and most intense sunshine over the noon time if you can, as many of the monstrose and crested cacti are a little more sensitive towards sun burn (...as well as root rot, btw) than their "normal" growing relatives! Thanks so much for watching and commenting - and best wishes and happy growing!

[@janecurtis5726]

@@cactusjoe Thankyou for your answer!

[@cactusjoe]

You are welcome!🙌👍😊🌵

[@Joey-vw1id]

I apologize ahead of time but I'm an honest person. This video was good and informative but the only thing is that you take to long to explain the things

[@cactusjoe]

Hi Joey, no need to apologize, thanks for your feedback, appreciated. Glad you still found the video good and informative, thanks for watching.

[@Joey-vw1id]

@@cactusjoe No problem I love cactuses and succulents as much as you do! They are all my children 😂 Have a wonderful night my fellow plant lover 💚🌿💯