Hello Everyone!

We are officially returning to the Arboretum this month! To celebrate, this meeting will be a combination of our annual holiday party and our annual plant swap! The club will provide pizza so please bring your favorite side, dessert, or a healthy alternative to share. We will also be doing a plant swap so bring any plant you’d like to exchange. In order to make sure there is enough Pizza please RSVP with Irwin by July 5th.

The meeting will start at 7:30PM at the Arboretum. We can’t wait to see you very soon!

In this presentation, Stefan will discuss the genus Copiapoa, its taxonomy, ecology, and conservation status. The in-situ conservation of cacti and succulent habitats globally has become of increasing concern, and Chilean cacti have unfortunately been the target of multiple, significant poaching events, and are also under threat from climate change and the expansion of civilization. 

You can register to participate at the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZH70deekSdWZ_JjgyMrZTA

Join us at 12PM CST for another CSSA webinar! Rob Skillin has been growing C&S since the 1970’s, and has been particularly interested in Pediocactus and Sclerocactus for 30 years. During that time, he has made dozens of trips to their habitats to observe and photograph them; his program is a distillation of those years of experience.  In-between trips to the Southwest, Rob has pursued a career as a petroleum geologist (now retired – but busier than ever!), been a founding member of the Central Coast and Bakersfield C&S societies, and has been an officer in those groups as well as the Santa Barbara society, and a director of the CSSA. 

Register in advance via the link below to participate:

Join us at 12PM CST on May 29th for another CSSA webinar!

The program will provide a background of how Gasterias fit into the aloe group. There will be many habitat photos of all the current 30 species, with the emphasis on the recently named species. The program includes the topic of Gasteria propagation -pollination, growing from seed, and cuttings.

You must register in advance using the link below to participate

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qsyKgvaqR3aG6OhUTY_rSw

UPDATE: Hello all! Unfortunately we had to move this meeting online. We will be meeting at our usual time at 7:30PM. Please see the link in our monthly newsletter for the link to participate.

Good news everyone! This month’s cactus meeting will be in person again! We will be having an outdoor socially distant welcome back party at the Dallas Arboretum. The meeting will begin at 7PM instead of 7:30PM in order to maximize daylight. We can’t wait to see you all face to face!

Join us at 12PM CST for another CSSA Webinar!

Adromischus (Crassulaceae) are popular leaf succulents from southern Africa and are easily propagated from leaves. Being relatively small, they make good pot plants and a wide selection can be grown in a modest space. Look closely at their diverse range of leaf shapes, textures and colours. Our tour of the genus in both habitat and cultivation will showcase all the species.

Register at the link below to participate in the webinar

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z3Dy-ILnQAarrdlDbm3moQ

Our scheduled work meeting is set for this Sunday May 2nd at 9:00 AM at the Dallas Arboretum. We will be cleaning up the garden. Parking will be in the main parking lot and entry is free when you mention you are volunteering.

Please bring your mask (an Arboretum requirement), gloves, and digging implements (if you have).  For those who are interested, there is a nice nearby restaurant with outdoor seating where we can have lunch. I look forward to seeing your faces in person!

Join us 12PM on May 1st for another CSSA webinar!

Program: Matt Opel: Cape Geophytes: Remarkable Bulbs, Tubers and Corms from Southern Africa

The Cape region of South Africa is home to one of the most diverse and distinctive floras in the world, including a large number of geophytes: plants that grow from underground buds, and have subterranean storage organs such as bulbs or tubers that persist through times when conditions are unfavorable for growth. University of Connecticut botanist Matthew Opel will introduce a selection of species in important groups of Cape geophytes, concentrating on plants from arid areas or with succulent leaves. He will discuss the unusual growth forms and ecological adaptations of these plants, and include information on their cultivation.

Register in advance though the link below to participate.

Join us at 12PM CST for another CSSA Webinar with Julia Etter & Martin Kristen!

Since we live in Jalisco on the western side of the Eje Volcanico Transversal, as it is called in Spanish, we will be taking you on a tour from west to east to see as many Crassulaceae as possible that can be found along the volcanic belt. Some of the species such as Echeveria colorata, E. subrigida and Sedum clavatum are highly ornamental and well-known, but others like Villadia ramirezii, Thompsonella garcia-mendozae, and Sedum ocuilense, to name just a few, are much less known and probably even less shown in presentations.

Register in advance through the link below to participate!

Join us for this month’s NTCSS meeting at 7:30 PM with Dr. Liliana Cracraft!

This lecture presents the importance of cacti and other succulent plants in the process of settlement and civilization of the native tribes of México. These plants were, and in many cases still are an important source of food, drinks, medicinal products, building materials, and many other useful things. An emphasis will be placed on ethnobotany.

Please contact Irwin Lightstone at irwinlightstone@att.net in advance for access to the meeting link.