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RDTC Specimens

@rdtc_specimens

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🌵 Cacti • Agaves • Succulents
📍 Norco, California • Zone 9b
🌎 Documenting a personal collection from 2023 SoCal. Mich
🇲🇽 Raíces de Tierra Caliente 🇲🇽

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Agave sp. titanota/oteroi type .
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#Sun-beaten and forgotten, but still full of life. 🌵 Picked up this agave from my friend at Robles Cactus, cleaned it up, trimmed the dead roots, and gave it a bonsai-style home. Keeping those weathered leaves—its history is part of the look. Welcome to Raíces de Tierra Caliente. 🇲🇽

#Agave #PlantRescue #BonsaiStyle #SucculentCollection RaicesdetiracalienteRDTC taken in Norco, California by @rdtc_specimens

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4 days ago

🌵 Our First 500! 🇲🇽

A big thank you to all the fellow plant enthusiasts, collectors, growers, and nurseries following along!

Appreciate the connections, shared knowledge, and support.

Raíces de Tierra Caliente
One specimen at a time. 🌵.
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#RaicesDeTierraCalienteRDTC #CactusCollector #SucculentCollection #PlantCommunity #cactiandsucculents by @rdtc_specimens

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4 days ago

🌵 500 Strong! 🇲🇽

A little over two months into sharing the RDTC collection, and we’ve connected with 500 fellow plant enthusiasts, collectors, growers, and nurseries.

Thank you for following along, sharing knowledge, and being part of the journey!

Raíces de Tierra Caliente
One specimen at a time. 🌵 taken in Norco, California by @rdtc_specimens

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7 days ago

Two Ariocarpus from the retusus complex waking up in bloom 🤍🌵

Both plants came from Tony at The Prickly Punk—the single specimen is grafted, while the multiheaded cluster is growing on its own roots.

The cluster is displayed in a handmade Jerry Garner pot purchased from Botanic Wonders, finished with weathered wood and dried cactus pieces to create a natural desert scene.

The grafted specimen is displayed in a handmade pot from Tom’s Bonsai Cacti Ceramics, purchased at my first Gates Cactus & Succulent Society meeting.

Grateful to the growers and ceramic artists whose work helped bring these two arrangements together.

Plants: The Prickly Punk
Cluster pot: Jerry Garner / Botanic Wonders
Single-specimen pot: Tom’s Bonsai Cacti Ceramics

#Ariocarpus #CactusFlowers #CactusCeramics #SpecimenCactus #RaicesDeTierraCalienteRDTC taken in Norco, California by @rdtc_specimens

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16 days ago

Here’s one that’s been in the collection for some time. I can’t remember exactly when or where I picked it up, but it finally gave me its first bloom—a two-for-one! 🌸🌸

The flowers opened white and pink with an almost purple tint. The iPhone and Husky LED came through and captured this Echinopsis oxygona opening in time-lapse. 🌵

#EchinopsisOxygona #CactusTimelapse #FirstBloom #CactusFlowers #RaicesDeTierraCalienteRDTC taken in Norco, California by @rdtc_specimens

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23 days ago

Finally finished this project. 🌴 long winded vid 😮‍💨 my bad.

This old Beaucarnea recurvata deserved something different.

We pulled it from the nursery pot, cleaned and worked the roots, then moved it into this oversized shallow concrete bowl with a little bonsai inspiration behind the planting. After putting that much work into the root system, I wasn’t about to throw it straight back into the Southern California sun — so the last part of the project was building a temporary PVC shade house to let it recover and slowly acclimate.

A lot of work for one plant… but seeing that old caudex sitting in this bowl made it worth it.

Now we let it settle in and age into the pot. 🇲🇽🌴
Thanks @pricklypunk

#BeaucarneaRecurvata #PonytailPalm #BonsaiInspired #CaudexPlants #RaicesDeTierraCalienteRDTC by @rdtc_specimens

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23 days ago

I picked up this cactus through OfferUp in 2024, planted in an old wheelbarrow. I eventually moved it into the ground, and this is the first time it has completely fired up like this! 🌵🔥🌸

Dozens of bright pink and orange flowers opening together—and the timelapse caught most of the show. This Echinopsis grandiflora hybrid has officially earned its place in the collection.

#EchinopsisHybrid #CactusTimelapse #CactusBloom #TorchCactus #RaicesDeTierraCalienteRDTC taken in Norco, California by @rdtc_specimens

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a month ago

Two buds, one bloom. 🌵🌸

I set up the time-lapse expecting both plants to flower, but only the Domino cactus opened—the variegated Gymnocalycium decided to keep me waiting.

Meanwhile, outside in the front yard, 13 cactus flowers were opening during the very same night. I had two time-lapses running at once, trying not to miss either show.

Not everything follows the plan, but catching this one unfold was still worth the late-night setup.

Echinopsis subdenudata
Gymnocalycium mihanovichii variegata

Raíces de Tierra Caliente
Norco, California • Zone 9b

#DominoCactus #EchinopsisSubdenudata #Gymnocalycium #VariegatedCactus #raicesdetierracalienterdtc taken in Norco, California by @rdtc_specimens

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a month ago

Two Astrophytums flowering side by side today 🌼🌼

A recently acquired Astrophytum asterias variegata blooming alongside my Astrophytum myriostigma. The myriostigma is an offset from the large clump I purchased from Mimi’s Nursery back in 2024.

Two very different looks, both putting on a beautiful show at the same time.

🌵 Raíces de Tierra Caliente
📍 Norco, California • Zone 9b

#Astrophytum #AstrophytumAsterias #AstrophytumMyriostigma #VariegatedCactus #RaicesDeTierraCalienteRDTC taken in Norco, California by @rdtc_specimens

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a month ago

Had a great time at the Prickly Monster Cactus & Succulent Festival! 🌵

It was awesome finally meeting so many familiar faces from Instagram in person. The vendor tables were packed with incredible plants, ceramics, Art work and, of course, a hand full had to come home with me.

#PricklyMonster #CactusAndSucculentFestival #CactusCommunity #CactusCollector #RaícesDeTierraCalienteRDTC by @rdtc_specimens

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a month ago

A little look back at how this specimen has developed.

The second photo dates back to January 2024, when I believe I picked it up from Mimi’s Nursery in Garden Grove. Since then, this Ferocactus glaucescens f. inermis has continued filling out with new offsets and developing into a beautiful clustered specimen.

Its latest chapter is this sculptural pot by @spines.n.clay Spines.n.clay, paired with stone and natural materials to give the entire planting the presence it deserves.

One specimen at a time. 🌵

#FerocactusGlaucescens #Ferocactus #CactusCollection #CactusStaging #raicesdetierracalienterdtc taken in Norco, California by @rdtc_specimens

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2 months ago

Thomsen Clayworks 🌵🏺

I had the opportunity to visit Thomsen Clayworks and see his incredible desert landscape and home ceramic studio firsthand. The property is filled with impressive old specimen plants worked beautifully into the landscaping, and the kilns in his workshop are absolutely unbelievable.

A huge thank you for inviting me over to pick up the custom 24” pot made for my Monkey Tail cactus. I was so happy with how it turned out that I also picked up a similar 12” pot for my Welwitschia.

Of course, I didn’t stop there… 😅 I ended up walking away with about half a dozen of his pieces.

Beyond the pottery, I really appreciated getting a look inside the workshop and hearing some of the story behind Thomsen Clayworks. There’s something special about seeing where these pieces are actually made and meeting the person behind the work.

Check out the video for a look around the property, studio, landscaping, and stay tuned. I’ll be sharing the other pots as they get paired up with plants from the collection.

Thanks again for opening up your workshop, sharing your story, and creating some incredible pieces. 🌵🏺.

the biggest kicker of all he don’t own a plant in a pot 🤔😮‍💨😅
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#ThomsenClayworks #CactusPottery #CeramicArt #CactusCollection #raicesdetierracalienterdtc taken in Whittier, California by @rdtc_specimens

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2 months ago