Philadelphia Flower Show- Heaven for Succulent Lovers

The Philadelphia Flower Show (PFS), held in March each year, has thousands of plants, representing thousands of species, but it is an especially attractive venue for those who love cacti and succulents.

Like any large flower show, the Philadelphia show includes a Standard Flower Show, which conforms to the rules put forth by the National Garden Clubs, Inc. This includes various classes of display for cacti and succulents. I'm not sure what all of the exact categories are, but I can say that the three times I've been to the PFS there have been dozens of categories and hundreds of entries. Examples are "Mammalaria in 4 inch or smaller pot," "Mammalaria in pot larger than 4 inches," "Euphorbia other than lactea in pot larger than 4 inches." You get the drift.

There were five, three-level display stands for single plants in pots (again, just cactus or succulents). As well as the individual plants, there were miniature gardens in containers, rock garden plants, a long row of large succulents, terrariums, and miniature landscapes featuring these specialized plants.

In addition to the Standard Flower Show entries, the Philadelphia Cactus and Succulent Society had an exhibit with examples of some of their best plants. These were all labeled with the Genus and Species, and also country of origin, which was really interesting. They had someone at the booth who could answer questions, and offered a booklet for only $1.00 which gives good advice on caring for cacti and succulents.

For anyone who wishes to see lots of unusual plants of these types, I've never seen another show with so many different ones. I haven't been to dozens of different shows, but I've been to quite a few.

I've included some of my favorites in the pictures.

Euphorbia lactea cristata is one of the strange ones. It is sometimes known as Elkhorn or Candelabra Plant. "Cristata" means "crested" and the form makes it obvious why it has that name. The picture shows the blue ribbon winner from the 2009 show. The genus Euphorbia is one of the most diverse genera of plants. They are characterized by milky sap which is often irritating to the skin, and unisexual flowers. They are sometimes called Spurge.

Haworthia truncata is another oddball that is on my favorites list. I could have brought home a 4 inch pot with one fan in it, if I had been willing to shell out $25! I love the shape, and the ends of the leaves have a scalloped pattern of lighter green in them. Haworthias come from South Africa and also show great variety. I do own a couple of others which look more like Aloes. The small white flowers of the genus are the identifying feature, while the leaves can vary wildly. As taxonomy morphs to become based more and more on genetics, this genus is likely to undergo some serious changes.

Sanseveria kirkii pulchra is a cousin to the common houseplant, Mother-in-law's Tongue. The Sanseveria are native to the tropics and sub-tropics of the Old World. They all have strap like leaves, and the tall ones grow in spikes, while the shorter ones tend to grow in rosettes. I especially like the coloration of this one.

Deuterocohnia brevifolia is a mat forming bromeliad. The very interesting form of this specimen must be created by allowing it to grow on a shaped form underneath, but it has covered so smoothly that the effect is stunning. This species in native to Bolivia. Bromeliads are monocots (they have one "first leaf") and are mostly native to the tropical Americas. A familiar one is the pineapple.

Agave victoriae-reginae is a popular ornamental, since it remains small. It is obviously named for Queen Victoria. This one is most typical with white stripes on the chunky, geometric leaves, but there is a variegated one which has yellow stripes that is stunning too. They are native to the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico and the southwest U.S. They are more hardy than many agaves, and are often used in gardens since it is hardy to about 20 degrees F.

For anyone remotely close to Philadelphia who loves plants, I highly recommend finding the time and money to visit this annual Flower Show.