This popular species still is better known by its synonym C. falcata, in reference to the laterally compressed leaves that curve like a falcon’s beak. These are arranged in four ranks earning it the common name of propeller plant. The flat-topped to rounded thyrses of scarlet, clove-scented flowers are attractive to butterfly pollinators and make an elegant contrast to the normally gray foliage. In this selection, however, the new foliage is a vivid chartreuse making for a slightly more charged display. Divisions of HBG 104191, a plant received from the late Seymour Linden in Feb, 2010. $6.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 87 (3), May - June, 2015