what we have here is a failure to communicate

I visited the Phipps Conservatory on Tuesday to see the Winter Orchids and Tropical Bonsai Show, and while there were many impressively tiny old trees, and orchids of every size, shape, and color, it was this beautiful monster lurking in the Desert Room that captured my heart in it’s prickly tentacles – Ba-BAM!:

Look at that thing. I can’t even…

Seriously, it is out of control.

My mind boggles with all the sci-fi scenarios where this cactus (I guess it’s probably a giant agave plant…) would become more…er…animated, and be terrifying, or awesome – probably both!

Compared to this wonder of nature, the highly cultivated orchids and meticulously maintained bonsai rather paled…but I will give them props for style and class.

Very nice, yes, yes, lovely. I did thoroughly enjoy spending several hours in their company, marveling over root structure and petal detail. But the cactus was my favorite.

Marvelous things, plants.

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Don’t share my cacti fascination? There are lots more pictures of orchids and bonsai here.

Also:

Hehe.