The fastest way to reach the editorial side of Prickly Petals is by email.
What I read every message
- Plant identification queries. A clear photograph in good light, ideally with a flower, beats every paragraph of description. If you have measurements (rosette diameter, leaf length), include them.
- Errata. If a claim on this site is wrong or outdated, please flag it. Cite the page and quote the line. I update directly from these.
- Cultivar lineage corrections. Hybrid succulents — particularly Echeveria and ×Graptoveria — go through a lot of unrecorded crosses. If you have first-hand knowledge of a parentage I have stated incorrectly, I want to know.
- Editorial / press / review enquiries. I respond, just not always quickly.
What I cannot help with
- Pest emergencies. If your collection is collapsing, a local plant pathologist or an extension office will respond faster than I can. The British Cactus & Succulent Society maintains regional branches with experienced growers who can help on the same day.
- Commercial cultivation advice. Prickly Petals is written for hobbyist and semi-serious-collector contexts. For commercial nursery questions, I'll usually recommend talking to a professional consultant.
- Plant valuation. I do not value collections or individual specimens.
Response times
I read messages within a week. Detailed plant-ID replies sometimes take longer because I cross-check current names in Plants of the World Online and double-check against the relevant monograph before answering.
A note on photographs
Submissions sent by email are treated as private correspondence. If you would like a photograph used in a future article (with attribution), say so explicitly in the message.