Der-shing 德馨 Helmer
@shingworks.com
Award-winning science-fantasy & edu comic creator 🌱 www.shingworks.com Dorstenia enthusiast | Managing editor at Vault Comics | Dangerous Nights Crew
X[___________] This is so in the spirit of Dorstenia that I can barely stand it. You're amazing. I hope they sneak through at some point!!! They are legit some amazing design. Here are some more Dors for inspo lol
November 10, 2025 at 7:57 PM
X[___________] This is so in the spirit of Dorstenia that I can barely stand it. You're amazing. I hope they sneak through at some point!!! They are legit some amazing design. Here are some more Dors for inspo lol
UHM… I have two different clones of D. gigas flowering at the same time… this is not a drill…
I feel like the dog that finally caught the car, I have no idea what I should do now, lol. I guess just makeup brush pollination and pray to the powers that be
I feel like the dog that finally caught the car, I have no idea what I should do now, lol. I guess just makeup brush pollination and pray to the powers that be
November 9, 2025 at 7:40 PM
UHM… I have two different clones of D. gigas flowering at the same time… this is not a drill…
I feel like the dog that finally caught the car, I have no idea what I should do now, lol. I guess just makeup brush pollination and pray to the powers that be
I feel like the dog that finally caught the car, I have no idea what I should do now, lol. I guess just makeup brush pollination and pray to the powers that be
Also he had a giant and extremely well-grown D. gigas that is very cool so it goes here too. Plants for the Southwest, if you ever want to visit a nursery that has the most interesting weeds on the world just sitting around everywhere, and one of the nicest growers of all time
October 24, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Also he had a giant and extremely well-grown D. gigas that is very cool so it goes here too. Plants for the Southwest, if you ever want to visit a nursery that has the most interesting weeds on the world just sitting around everywhere, and one of the nicest growers of all time
Third pic is actually pretty cool, it’s Aristolochia watsonii, the Watson’s Dutchman‘s Pipe plant, an Arizonan native. The owner of the nursery we went to is a fucking sweetie pie and gifted me a bunch of seeds from his plants that have been on the property since 1930 ;__; I’m so grateful
October 24, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Third pic is actually pretty cool, it’s Aristolochia watsonii, the Watson’s Dutchman‘s Pipe plant, an Arizonan native. The owner of the nursery we went to is a fucking sweetie pie and gifted me a bunch of seeds from his plants that have been on the property since 1930 ;__; I’m so grateful
More friends from Arizona
October 24, 2025 at 1:31 AM
More friends from Arizona
I’ve been in Tucson for 20 mins and already drowning in best friends
October 23, 2025 at 7:23 AM
I’ve been in Tucson for 20 mins and already drowning in best friends
Getting a little in the weeds (ha) but D. dolichocaula is a subspecies of D. ramosa. The main species can be variable as well. Here's a specimen with curled appendages.
POWOs:
- powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:ls...
- powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:ls...
POWOs:
- powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:ls...
- powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:ls...
October 16, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Getting a little in the weeds (ha) but D. dolichocaula is a subspecies of D. ramosa. The main species can be variable as well. Here's a specimen with curled appendages.
POWOs:
- powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:ls...
- powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:ls...
POWOs:
- powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:ls...
- powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:ls...
Rest in peace to Queen Silver, my favorite quail. She was 4.5 years old. I'm glad I gave her an inadvisable amount of mealworms as her last meal yesterday. She's survived by her sisters Caramel and Irish Creme.
Very on-brand of her to bounce on the first windy, rainy day of autumn. I'll miss her.
Very on-brand of her to bounce on the first windy, rainy day of autumn. I'll miss her.
October 14, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Rest in peace to Queen Silver, my favorite quail. She was 4.5 years old. I'm glad I gave her an inadvisable amount of mealworms as her last meal yesterday. She's survived by her sisters Caramel and Irish Creme.
Very on-brand of her to bounce on the first windy, rainy day of autumn. I'll miss her.
Very on-brand of her to bounce on the first windy, rainy day of autumn. I'll miss her.
Uerm… need more stick
October 5, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Uerm… need more stick
Okay… WIP and looks like hot shit, but also unironically going according to keikaku.
October 5, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Okay… WIP and looks like hot shit, but also unironically going according to keikaku.
EXTREMELY betrayed to find out that all the Gulf Fritillary caterpillars I've been herding from my chewed up seedlings to an adult plant for the last 2 months are not in fact harboring dangerous spines, but are just spiny for show to fool predators!! I thought we were FRIENDS. I've been had.
![screencap of wikipedia showing a spiny black and orange caterpillar. The text reads, "Despite being covered in spikes, gulf fritillary larvae are not a stinging caterpillar.[10] The spikes are soft to the touch and serve the purpose of scaring predators"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:uxtokhxzncqowunxugxf5v4d/bafkreiau7ehcleag2sxxbcre2exeyx6gh5cdwl4ms2lxeao2nxyjyprmle@jpeg)
September 29, 2025 at 1:50 AM
EXTREMELY betrayed to find out that all the Gulf Fritillary caterpillars I've been herding from my chewed up seedlings to an adult plant for the last 2 months are not in fact harboring dangerous spines, but are just spiny for show to fool predators!! I thought we were FRIENDS. I've been had.
I've had this on my computer for 2 decades. it's still funny tho so whatever, happy autumn
September 23, 2025 at 12:51 AM
I've had this on my computer for 2 decades. it's still funny tho so whatever, happy autumn
you're living my dream rn lol. D. brasiliensis, D. ramosa, D. cayapia, D. urceolata, etc. Give em a kiss if you see any
September 15, 2025 at 10:36 PM
you're living my dream rn lol. D. brasiliensis, D. ramosa, D. cayapia, D. urceolata, etc. Give em a kiss if you see any
Epilogue: what do you even do with these things? the answer is: put them on the table at thanksgiving for decorations and to be botanically mysterious.
the end, thanks for reading~
the end, thanks for reading~
September 3, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Epilogue: what do you even do with these things? the answer is: put them on the table at thanksgiving for decorations and to be botanically mysterious.
the end, thanks for reading~
the end, thanks for reading~
I pollinated with my finger, and this is my first time seeing the seeds... they're like little beans. We ended up getting seven beans >:3 more Boophanes is great. They're toxic as fuck (the name literally translates to "ox killer") so I pray that ____ stops by to take a big ol bite
September 3, 2025 at 1:19 AM
I pollinated with my finger, and this is my first time seeing the seeds... they're like little beans. We ended up getting seven beans >:3 more Boophanes is great. They're toxic as fuck (the name literally translates to "ox killer") so I pray that ____ stops by to take a big ol bite
Final update on our 6-week journey! The Boophane inflorescence has detached from the stalk and is ready to become like a tumbleweed; rolling in the wind to get as far away from possible from the parent plant while also dispersing the seeds at the end of those longass penduncles! Great design imo
September 3, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Final update on our 6-week journey! The Boophane inflorescence has detached from the stalk and is ready to become like a tumbleweed; rolling in the wind to get as far away from possible from the parent plant while also dispersing the seeds at the end of those longass penduncles! Great design imo
very cool of google to change their sun icon to a Dorstenia gigas inflorescence just for me
September 2, 2025 at 5:43 PM
very cool of google to change their sun icon to a Dorstenia gigas inflorescence just for me
w/o downloading anything new, where are you mentally?
August 25, 2025 at 11:01 PM
w/o downloading anything new, where are you mentally?
alternatively, the tall kinda crab eyes
August 22, 2025 at 3:52 AM
alternatively, the tall kinda crab eyes
If this makes you feel better (obviously it's still very shitty/ scary plus a waste of money, but hopefully your previous meals were unaffected)
August 19, 2025 at 8:04 PM
If this makes you feel better (obviously it's still very shitty/ scary plus a waste of money, but hopefully your previous meals were unaffected)
In which twitter's dumbshit AI repeatedly can't identify Kiswahili
August 15, 2025 at 4:32 PM
In which twitter's dumbshit AI repeatedly can't identify Kiswahili
I'M SO PROUD OF MY HUSBAND, today was his first time selling Euphorbia he grew from his own seed... he sold 20 plants!!! Pretty good for our small monthly gathering.
I'll have stuff to sell eventually, but am still working on some of my own seedlings...
I'll have stuff to sell eventually, but am still working on some of my own seedlings...
![Our table with plants. In the front is E. awashensis adult in flower mode next to a sign reading "Pretty Odd Plants by [husband] and Der-shing. Rare & Unusual Succulents seed-grown ~with love~ in [our location]" and a qr code and website info. Behind that shit is a bunch of plants. See next photo.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:uxtokhxzncqowunxugxf5v4d/bafkreihfh44cidk6q2dcwpvdrg34tmsrdywr34jurycoass6upfajc7n4y@jpeg)
August 10, 2025 at 2:34 AM
I'M SO PROUD OF MY HUSBAND, today was his first time selling Euphorbia he grew from his own seed... he sold 20 plants!!! Pretty good for our small monthly gathering.
I'll have stuff to sell eventually, but am still working on some of my own seedlings...
I'll have stuff to sell eventually, but am still working on some of my own seedlings...