Brilliant pop of color, courtesy of Echinopsis ‘First Light’

I haven’t been able to post much in the last few weeks because of a heavier than usual work schedule, but I’ll have a great garden to show you in a few days.

In the meantime, here’s a brilliant pop of color courtesy of Echinopsis ‘First Light’, flowering for the third time this year:

Echinopsis ‘First Light’, with yellow-flowering kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos ‘Harmony’) on the left and pearl bluebush (Maireana sedifolia) behind it. The skinny seed pods in the front are from an orange-flowering horned poppy (Glaucium flavum var. aurantiacum).

The spectacle is short-lived—the flowers only last one day. But the fact that the show is over so quickly makes is extra special, at least for me.


My Echinopsis ‘First Light’ originally came from Arizona; I bought it at Bach’s Cactus Nursery on my May 2021 trip. For some reason, this hybrid is hard to come by in California, but it’s very popular in Arizona. It’s easy to see why!


In case you’re curious, Echinopsis ‘First Light’ is a hybrid created by Tucson plant breeder Mark Dimmitt from two other hybrids: ‘Diehl’sche Hybride’ (Echinopsis candicans × Echinopsis eyriesii var. grandiflora) and ‘Newlands Orange’ (Echinopsis huascha ‘Gold’ × Echinopsis huascha ‘Red’). Based on the breeder code, HBG-ISI 93-5, it was registered in 1993.


© Gerhard Bock, 2022. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.

Comments

  1. Spectacular blooms! I didn’t realise that Echinopsis sp. could have multiple flushes of flowers. Is that common across the genus, or specific to certain species or cultivars?

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    1. Some echinopsis are known for having multiple flushes, 'First Light' is one of them, as is 'June Noon'. I was looking for a list of echinopsis hybrids that flower multiple times, but I couldn't find anything.

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  2. I really need to invest in some Echinopsis ;)

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    Replies
    1. YES!!! You can easily keep them in pots and move them center stage when they're in flower.

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  3. Thank you so much for the history on this plant, Gerhard! That always interests me! I see First Light has Diehl's Hybrid in it! That is one of my favorite Echinopsis and it does great here in Phoenix and blooms over and over from spring to fall! Diehl's Hybrid blooms more than any other of my Echinopsis and I have quite a few!

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    1. There are soooo many echinopsis hybrids, it's insane! I wish there were a comprehensive web site dedicated to echinopsis hybrids...

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    2. Yes, I sure do also. The site https://www.torchcactus.com/ is pretty good for identifying quite a few.

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  4. I'm impressed by the bloom and your knowledge.
    Chavli

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  5. Gorgeous flowers, and beautiful photos. Made me smile--thanks!

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  6. Never fails to amaze how zing-y cactus bloods tends to be, in sharp contrast to the plant itself!

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