I am a Proud Plant Mom a.k.a. HalaMom or PlanTita | How my Hobby Brings Me Joy

I love plants, they give beauty, peace, and harmony at home. I started to collect when I attended an exposition in Manila, where cacti and succulents are put in cute pots and bottles, I found it so cute. Since I can't bring a plant on a plane, of course, I told myself I'd get some when I come back to Cebu. The week after I visited a mall in Cebu which caters to all-things-plants, I am so happy with all the cuties I bought. So it just started with three different cacti:

A.) Gymnocalycium - commonly called chin cactus, is a genus of about 70 South American species of cactus. The genus name Gymnocalycium refers to the flower buds bearing no hair or spines. Their main area of distribution is Argentina, part of Uruguay, Paraguay, southern Bolivia, and part of Brazil.

B.) Rattail Cactus - Aporocactus flagelliformis, the rattail cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae and is the most cultivated species in the genus Aporocactus. Due to its ease of cultivation and attractive floral displays, it is often grown as an ornamental potted plant

C.)Prickly Pear - Opuntia, commonly called prickly pear, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae. Prickly pears are also known as tuna, sabra, nopal from the Nahuatl word nōpalli for the pads, or nostle, from the Nahuatl word nōchtli for the fruit; or paddle cactus.

It's amazing how they grow in a small pot, it is like they are multiplying in a span of 3 to 4 months. I read on Google on how you can re-pot each cactus, it is an exciting chore. So when the pandemic started, where most people found happiness in planting, and so am I. I then go to mountain barangays with my friends to look for plants, from small plants to trees, I bought them all for our garden. It is amazing how plants can make a person happy and fulfilled.

I now also collect succulents, I have some species that I also propagate, it is a practical gift to friends during special occasions.

Some say plants give "luck", like the mother of millions and mother of thousand because it produces babies fast!

Here are some of my collections with good benefits:

D) Aloe vera - Aloe vera is a succulent plant.

What are the health benefits of drinking aloe vera juice? Benefits include hydration, better liver function, ideal for constipation and for clear skin, it's a nutritious boost, used for heartburn relief, has many digestive benefits and also used for beauty hacks.
E.) Mother of Thousands - is considered a medicinal plant against premature labour in pregnant women and is used in cases of infertility. Its use is not without danger, because how much of the poisonous steroid Daigremontianin is contained in the used leaves of the plant is different for each plant.

Here are the additional members of my collections of cactus & succulents:

F.) Parodia Magnifica is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae, native to southern Brazil. One of several species called ball cactus, it grows to 7–15 cm tall by 45 cm broad, with heavily ribbed, spherical to columnar, spiny, and hairy stems, bearing pale yellow flowers in summer

G. ) Rhipsalis baccifera, commonly known as the mistletoe cactus, is an epiphytic cactus that originates from Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Florida. It is also found throughout the tropics of Africa and into Sri Lanka where it is known in Sinhala as nawahandi.

H.) Powder Puff or Mammillaria bocasana is a species of cactus in the subfamily Cactoideae. It is often sold as a "powder puff" cactus, and also as a "Powder Puff Pincushion." The plant is protected from collecting in the wild in Mexico.

I.) Jade - Crassula ovata, commonly known as jade plant, lucky plant, money plant, or money tree, is a succulent plant with small pink or white flowers that is native to the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa, and Mozambique; it is common as a houseplant worldwide.

J. ) Mother of Millions

I'm looking forward to collecting more, but for now, I am propagating all these babies.

Stay tuned to my next blog fellow Hivers! Where love, life, and all in-betweens are much to share.