As plant lovers know, there is nothing as fulfilling as seeing a plant growing happily in nature whose cousin has been carefully nurtured in a collection. We all marvel at the ability of succulent plants to survive, even thrive in conditions that appear to be so extreme that survival alone is incomprehensible. Of course, most of us do not speak plant, so we will never know how a seed started growing in that crack in the rock.

Please join Buck and Yvonne as they explore South Africa and find plants, mostly succulent plants, growing in some interesting places.

Be sure to register in advance at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4u-vYqweQOyR8gUIcgeuhg

NTCSS will meet following the webinar.

Join us Saturday, September 5 at 12:00 p.m. for the 9th in a series of webinars featuring Cactus and Succulent experts from around the world. This time the webinar will be lead by author and long-time grower of succulent plants Tom Glavich.

This webinar is a look at mutant cacti and succulents, with an emphasis on the genetic changes and their impact on the appearance of crests, monstrous and variegated cacti and succulents. A survey of typical and unusual forms will be followed by a short introduction of cultivation and propagation.

Be sure to register in advance by following the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Tt4H790aTFScGdJL0O_JSA

NTCSS will meet following the webinar

Join us on Tuesday, Sept. 1, when retired National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist and fellow cactus aficionado Buddy McIntyre will share with us the best methods to keep weather aware and what to look for when scanning the skies at home, what the best websites are for weather information, how to stay safe during storms and a glimpse into the future of climate change.

Email irwinlightstone@att.net for a link to the Zoom meeting.

Join us Saturday, August 22 at 10:00 a.m. PDT for the 8th in a series of webinars featuring Cactus and Succulent experts from around the world

Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hHTWR-7kSiGd2NleqtlYNQ

Stephen McCabe has been studying and growing Dudleya for over 30 years and has been growing other succulents since he was a child. He is the Emeritus Director of Research for the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and is currently a researcher at the UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies Department and a private consultant. His interests are in the classification, evolution, ecology, and conservation of Dudleya and other plants. His hobbies include rock climbing and hybridizing similar species to each other within the following genera: Dudleya, Gasteria, and California monkey flowers.

CSSA Website: https://cactusandsucculentsociety.org/

Join us Saturday, August 8 at 12:00 p.m. CST for the 7th in a series of webinars featuring Cactus and Succulent experts from around the world. You must register in advance to participate.

Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Gcus6zYsQeyOQT5ss_j4KQ

Peter Breslin began Ph.D. studies at Arizona State University in the fall of 2014 and completed the Ph.D. in spring 2020, investigating questions regarding the biogeography and evolution of Cactaceae. Under the advisement of Martin Wojciechowski, with the help of committee members Lucas Majure, Shannon Fehlberg, Fabio Albuquerque and Jon Rebman. Breslin pursued research regarding the molecular phylogenetics, ancestral biogeography, climate change impacts on habitat suitability and population viability of the Mammillaria and Cochemiea (Cactaceae) of Baja California and adjacent regions.

Breslin is one of the authors of A Field Guide to Cacti and Succulents of Arizona, published by the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society, soon in its 3rd edition. He has been traveling to Baja California to find and photograph populations of rare cacti and succulents for the past 25 years. He recently moved to Los Angeles, CA, to teach biology and environmental science at Geffen Academy at UCLA, where he also hopes to continue several research projects

Hello all! August’s meeting has been cancelled. Don’t worry! Zoom meetings will resume in September with our next guest speaker. In the mean time, we will continue to post information about the CSSA biweekly webinars as well as information about our upcoming events. See you all soon!

Brian Kemble presents “Iconic Plants of the Ruth Bancroft Garden”

Join us Saturday, July 25th at 12:00 p.m. CST for the fifth in a series of webinars featuring Cactus and Succulent experts from around the world.

Brian is a CSSA board member, as well as the vice-president of the San Francisco Succulent & Cactus Society. He is the curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, CA, and has worked there since 1980. Brian loves to see and photograph succulents in habitat, and has made many trips to Mexico, South Africa, Namibia and Madagascar. His photos appear in numerous books on succulents, including The Timber Press Guide to Succulent Plants of the World, and he often gives talks on succulents for garden clubs, succulent societies, and plant conventions. Brian is also a prolific writer on topics relating to succulent plants, with hundreds of articles published in print and online, including pieces in the Cactus & Succulent Journal and on the website of the Ruth Bancroft Garden. Brian has a longstanding interest in Aloe, Gasteria, and Haworthia, and he is the vice-president of the Institute for Aloe Studies, based in Oakland, CA. He has sought out the habitats of many species in these three genera on his trips to southern Africa and Madagascar, and has over 40 years of experience growing them and hybridizing with them.

Hello All! Check out CSSA’s webinar program with Rod Haenni who will present a program entitled, “Secrets of Success with Cacti/Succulents in Cold Climates. Following the program, NTCSS will have a social meeting to discuss the presentation and other cacti related things. Please keep in mind you must register at the provided link prior to attending the webinar.

Rod’s bio is as follows:

My passion for cacti and succulents that could thrive in a cold climate began 42 years ago when I traveled the Colorado Plateau and the Southwest desert as a minerals geologist, looking for uranium deposits. Cacti, yuccas,and agaves were commonly seen in my travels and I wondered what I could grow in Denver. Today, I grow thousands of plants outdoors and in the lightly heated conservatory of my one acre microclimate – based succulent gardens . I have traveled the world to see what exotic cacti and succulents might be hardy in Patagonia, South Africa , and from European collections. I am an adventurous seed grower and utilize a wide network of other growers, nurseries and seed brokers, always expanding my search for new cold-tolerant succulents.

Webinar Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FrZgQ8GeS7Sn1o56XcCrwA

Hello all! Here is the info for our July meeting. Topic is “my favorite cacti and why I love them” and the meeting will be held 7:30PM on Zoom.

Hello all! This virtual tour is cancelled. Instead check out the plant sale hosted by the Fort Worth Cactus and Succulent Society. The plant sale will be June 19th through the June 20th from 9AM-6PM both days at 3401 FM 1189, Weatherford, Texas.