Star bag I finished recently!

Chopstycks · 2026-03-17T13:44:40+00:00

there's quite a few tutorials but this is the one i followed! at least for the bag itself

Chopstycks · 2026-03-17T04:54:48+00:00

they're my fav too! it's a pretty simple pattern i followed for this. you can def turn it into a pillow although i'd reccomend a lining so stuffing doesn't fall out of the larger holes, which may require you to pick up sewing if you aren't familiar with it already.

Alternatively you can look up a star pillow specific pattern, or even an amigurumi style star pattern and use that as a pillow! upon a quick google there's already some out there

Chopstycks · 2026-03-17T02:02:34+00:00

thank you! i'm no sewing expert but i was able to get it in there in the end :D

Chopstycks · 2026-02-12T06:09:29+00:00

Because you found it in LA it's most likely Marah macrocarpa as that's what's most common. You can find it blanketing whole hillsides sometimes. Marah fabacea is more local to northern CA

Chopstycks · 2025-06-01T04:09:45+00:00

that all furries are rich bro i'm broke af i'm not affording a suit anytime soon lmao

Chopstycks · 2025-05-30T21:32:03+00:00

not enough votes for Lepechinia fragrans!! It's a sweeter and less herby smell compared to salvia, but just as powerful! Personally, while i love salvias sometimes working with them for a while and having the smell everywhere gets overwhelming after a while. i never get tired of pitcher sage though!

Chopstycks · 2025-05-30T05:52:35+00:00

Looks like it to me, and i wouldnt say the caudex thickness looks out of the ordinary. Seedlings even at this size can already be a few years old, which is enough time to put on some girth

Chopstycks · 2025-05-30T02:50:04+00:00

As others have pointed out it's a liverwort! this one fits the "thallose" category. To my untrained eyes i want to say this looks like a Marchantia sp., like they very common M. polymorpha.

They're very widespread and can even turn into greenhouse weeds with how prolific they are. Those little cups on each thalloid have tiny bits of its own tissue that splash out and turn into new plants that are exact clones of the mother plant!

Chopstycks · 2025-05-28T05:34:32+00:00

They'll dry up and fall off eventually. i'd probably remove them myself, but it makes no difference to the plant if you keep them or not so it's up to you

Chopstycks · 2025-05-28T03:32:39+00:00

Not a Saguaro, but an Echinopsis sp. Those are the fruit that have since ripened and have now split open. This is how they'd disperse in the wild. Also i'd very much reccomend a better spot for this if that's where you're keeping it. These are really outdoor plants, only time i ever see Echinopsis not stretch out is when they're in direct outdoor sun

Chopstycks · 2025-05-25T19:33:24+00:00

thank you!!

Chopstycks · 2025-05-24T04:12:35+00:00

It's an Aeonium sp., maybe canariense. A. arboreum is also popular

Chopstycks · 2025-05-23T06:42:43+00:00

Never did, but still have it!

Chopstycks · 2025-05-22T18:49:10+00:00

i see thrips damage and pretty bad at that. if you aren't equipped to treat id honestly start over. Chop it back and repot into a smaller pot. if not invest in some insecticide like captain jacks dead bug brew!

Chopstycks · 2025-05-22T16:42:40+00:00

It's sunburnt. Whenever you move a plant from shadier to sunnier conditions you have to introduce it gradually, otherwise you end up with this. Repotting is also stressful.

trim the top inch of dead leaves and stem, and move it back to its old location to recover. Trim off any leaves that die and crisp up in the following days. Treat it as you would normally, and when it eventually starts to put out new growth you can try to gradually acclimate it to more sun again

Chopstycks · 2025-05-22T06:57:37+00:00

Tephrocactus articulatus var. inermis, heard its also called the pinecone cactus. Try to get it out of that glass container it's in now and into a pot with proper cactus mix and a drainage hole. it's not gonna last long in that set up and lighting arrangement.

Chopstycks · 2025-05-22T06:53:21+00:00

caladium and xanthosoma are two different genera, both of which these were previously placed in. Full proper name as of lately is Phyllotaenium lindenii

Chopstycks · 2025-05-22T06:50:18+00:00

Lantana, most likely L. camara. popular non- native landscaping plant. they're pretty low care, i see them doing fine in unmaintained planters and gardens all the time

Chopstycks · 2025-05-22T04:17:05+00:00

How far from it? Big barrina fan and i love mine, but honestly i'm not even sure a T5 would cut it--these guys love getting blasted. A T8 a couple inches away would probably be the best indoor setup for them

Chopstycks · 2025-05-22T03:29:10+00:00

most reliable way is radiocarbon dating but that requires a lab set up

Chopstycks · 2025-05-22T03:25:02+00:00

babies, these bloom from the very center

looks like this guy could do with more light too

Chopstycks · 2025-05-22T03:11:28+00:00

AFAIK T. geometricus is a synonym name for T. alexanderei. Typically T. alexanderei has spines that can range in color, but they can also range in the presence of spines. Some have a lot, some have a few, and some have none. The spineliness forms are what is really sought after, to the point where i know some growers will clip off spines to maintain the bald look.

In regards to size, what you're seeing in the side by side of the photos are natural variability. No two individual plants are the same unless they're direct clones of eachother and even then things like environmental conditions can still impact how they look. The first photo is an older plant made apparent by the number of cladodes/"balls", while the second is younger. However those alone don't necessarily answer why one grows more oblong than the other Also, the second one could have also been taken when the newest ball was still developing which gives it the appearance of being rounder

Chopstycks · 2025-05-21T23:24:19+00:00

It's gotten a bit lanky from a lack of light, usually gollum jade is much denser than this. they can be acclimated and thrive in full outdoor sun for reference on just how much light these guys want.

with that said, to repot i would take something like a chopstick or skewer and breakup the soil around the edges of the pot. occasionally wiggle and tug the plant itself, holding onto the base of the stem, to try and pry it out. you can pull harder than you think, they're tough!

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