June 28th Meeting – ‘Dudleyas: Our Native Succulents’ by Dean Karras
Our meetings are now on Wednesdays
When?
June 28th, 2023 WEDNESDAY
Social time starts at 7:00 pm
Meeting starts at 7:30pm
Where?
Anaheim United Methodist Church
1000 State College Blvd
Anaheim, CA
Meeting Information
‘Dudleyas: Our Native Succulents’ by Dean Karras
Dudleya is a genus of soft succulents that had often been overlooked until a recent explosion of interest in them by succulent collectors and native plant enthusiasts alike. Southern California is their center of geographic distribution and a hot spot of their diversity. However, Dudleya occur as far south as the tip of the Baja Peninsula, as far north as Oregon, and as far east as the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert regions of Nevada and Arizona respectively. In this program, Dean will share his field observations of a variety of different species both south of the border and in several US states occupying biomes as diverse as coastal chaparral, low desert, and high elevation pine and oak forest woodlands.
Dean Karras began collecting and growing cacti from seed as a hobby in 2008. He has been a member of the Palomar Cactus & Succulent Society since 2017, where he now serves as Vice President, and a member of the San Diego Cactus & Succulent Society since 2019, where he now serves on the Board of Directors. Some of his favorite succulent genera are: aloe, agave, Dudleya, Trichocereus, Echinocereus, Astrophytum, and Ferocactus. Dean is also partial to mesembs, caudiciforms, and xeric bromeliads. His passion for plants extends far beyond succulents to include organic gardening & permaculture practices, natives, edibles, and ethnobotanically significant plants. He realized his long-standing dream of owning his own nursery to serve the local community when he opened Gnosis Nursery in July of 2020, which he now runs full-time. When not busy propagating and selling plants, Dean can be found exploring and photographing the desert southwest and Baja, Mexico.
Let’s be sure to give our guest a warm welcome!
Mini-show plants
May Cactus: Parodia/Notocactus
Succulent: Agave
Please participate in the mini show by bringing in two to four plants for judging.
Learn more about our Mini-Show Guidelines
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May 24th Meeting – ‘Epiphytic Cacti: Select Species, Propagation, and Cultivation’ by Dylan Hannon
Our meetings are now on Wednesdays
When?
May 24, 2023 WEDNESDAY
Social time starts at 7:00 pm
Meeting starts at 7:30pm
Where?
Anaheim United Methodist Church
1000 State College Blvd
Anaheim, CA
Meeting Information
‘Epiphytic Cacti: Select Species, Propagation, and Cultivation’ by Dylan Hannon
We look forward to a fun, informative, and interactive meeting. This presentation will be part slide presentation and part demonstration. Dylan will focus on the history and diversity among the genera Epiphyllum, Schlumbergera, and Strophocactus, with photos of some of the standouts and information on their cultivation. Some stem cuttings will be distributed. If you grow epiphytic cacti, we encourage you to bring in cuttings to share.
Mini-show plants
May Cactus: Turbinicarpus/Thelocactus/Stenocactus
Succulent: Caudiciform Euphorbia
Please participate in the mini show by bringing in two to four plants for judging.
Learn more about our Mini-Show Guidelines
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April Meeting – Guest speaker Russell Wagner
Our meetings are now on Wednesdays
When?
April 26, 2023 WEDNESDAY
Social time starts at 7:00 pm
Meeting starts at 7:30pm
Where?
Anaheim United Methodist Church
1000 State College Blvd
Anaheim, CA
Meeting Information
Guest Speaker Russell Wagner – Canary Islands – Flora in the Extremes
Across these seven Spanish islands off the Moroccan coast, volcanoes have shaped a mountainous landscape in a mild Mediterranean climate that has led to the development of a unique succulent. In fact, every island features its own endemics and many species are restricted to just two or three islands in the archipelago.
From east to west the islands go from nearly barren moonscapes (Fuerteventura, Lanzarote) to lush laurel forests (La Gomera, La Palma), and the islands catch moisture on their north sides, and tend toward dryness in their leeward souths. Combine dramatic changes in elevation, up rocky hillsides, through pine forests and the marine layer, and you’ve got a recipe for hyper speciation. In short, it’s a botanical paradise. It’s also a tourist destination, with Gran Canaria attracting European snowbirds to its vast warm beaches. But how many notice the Dragon Trees?!
Russell lived in Spain while editing Cactus and Succulent Journal and made two excursions to the islands in 2009/10, to hike in Tenerife, Grand Canaria, and La Palma. In 2018 he returned to experience four days in Fuerteventura, a large, volcanic island of extraordinary beauty in the dry eastern end of the archipelago, and returned a few months later to La Gomera, a round green island resplendent with succulent plant life, as well as relict laurel forests, quaint villages, and excellent food. Rarely visited, and sparsely populated, but with excellent roads and well-marked trails, La Gomera is paradise for succulent-lovers and solitude seekers.
Mini-show plants
April Cactus: Rebutia/Sulcorebutia, Succulent: Tylecodon/Cotyledon Show-and-Tell table: Bring in a few plants from the Canary Islands
Please participate in the mini show by bringing in two to four plants for judging.
Learn more about our Mini-Show Guidelines
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February Meeting – Guest speaker Kelly Griffin
Our meetings are now on Wednesdays
When?
February 22, 2023 WEDNESDAY
Social time starts at 7:00 pm
Meeting starts at 7:30pm
Where?
Anaheim United Methodist Church
1000 State College Blvd
Anaheim, CA
Meeting Information
Guest Speaker Kelly Griffin “Plant Exploration and Plant Creation”
“Plant Exploration and Plant Creation….” Kelly will share with us his work at Altman Specialty Plants as the Plant Development Manager. His work includes hybridization and propagation utilizing state of the art propagation methods. He will introduce us to their tissue culture lab and procedures. As always, Kelly’s presentations are very enjoyable with superb photos and loads of information. He will bring in some of his creations for us so be sure to be there!
Kelly is a succulent plant hybridizer, propagator and avid plant explorer. Like many of us, his interest in plants and particular succulent plants, started at a fairly young age. Since his early exposure, Kelly has traveled to 20+ countries searching for plants, visiting Madagascar 5 times, South Africa 5 times and Mexico 25 plus times to name a few. He worked as the Curator of Succulents at Rancho Soledad Nursery for 11 years and for the past 10 years he has been working for Altman’s Plants as Succulent Plant Development Manager.He has become well known for his hybridizing and is responsible for over 100 succulent hybrids now in the trade, including Aloes, Agaves and Echeverias. His specialty that he is well known for are his Aloe hybrids that are 30 years in the making (Pink Blush, Delta lights, Christmas Sleigh and Coral Fire etc) and some Agave hybrids and selections too (Blue Glow, Snow Glow, Cubic, Black and Blue, Dragon toes, Spawn, and Crème Brûlée to name just a few). He is also responsible for obtaining seed from many interesting species and propagating the seed for all to enjoy in cultivation.Kelly has been a member of the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society since 1992. He has been on the board of Directors for the SDCSS for as he says; “way too long” He has served 4 years as SDCSS President and 2 years as Vice-President. He was very honored to have been named a Fellow of the San Diego Society. He currently serves as a director on the board of the National Cactus and Succulent Society of America. (CSSA)
Mini-show plants
Monstrose cactus and monstrose succulents are the mini show plants.
Please participate in the mini show by bringing in two to four plants for judging.
Learn more about our Mini-Show Guidelines
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January Meeting – Guest speaker Dylan Hannon – The Genus Othonna
Our meetings are now on Wednesdays
When?
January 18, 2023 WEDNESDAY
Social time starts at 7:00 pm
Meeting starts at 7:30pm
Where?
Anaheim United Methodist Church
1000 State College Blvd
Anaheim, CA
Guest speaker Dylan Hannon
We are pleased to have Dylan Hannon as our speaker this month. He will introduce us to the genus Othonna. Many are enjoyed by cactus and succulent collectors because of their fat stems, peeling bark, and bright flowers. Being winter growers, they are currently in full growth and flowering.
Dylan was raised in Southern California, where he developed an early interest in a wide range of plant groups. Both his mother and grandmother helped nurture an avid appreciation of plants. He has worked for over 25 years in the botanical garden field, starting as a research assistant to Dr. Thomas B. Croat at Missouri Botanical Garden, working on the taxonomy of Araceae (aroids). He spent nine years as Plant Propagator at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, CA, and has been Curator of Conservatory Collections at The Huntington Botanical Gardens since 2003. In between these posts Dylan worked in the wholesale cactus industry and for consulting firms as a field botanist in the San Diego area. His main interest is the propagation and distribution of cultivated plants, particularly material of known wild origin. These themes run through Dylan’s writing, lectures and plant collecting. He is blessed to have his supportive wife Antoinette by his side.
Meeting Information
Mammillaria and Haworthia are the mini show plants.
Please participate in the mini show by bringing in two to four plants for judging.
Learn more about our Mini-Show Guidelines
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Summer Mini Show Results
Unfortunately due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, OCCSS will not be able to meet in person this August. We will not be meeting in September and it is unlikely we’ll be able to meet again until 2021. We’ll keep you posted.
In the meantime, take a look at our Summer Virtual Mini-Show! Thanks to all who participated! Special thanks to Alden Norris for organizing and Gary James for being our Show Judge.
Parodia schlosseri
Advanced Cactus Winner
Alden Norris
Parodia schlosseri
Notocactus scopa
Intermediate Cactus Winner
Kathy and Jeff McNair
Notocactus scopa
Notocactus magnificus
Beginner Cactus Winner
Rei Sales
Notocactus magnificus
Faucaria sp.
Beginner Succulent Winner
David Domash
Faucaria sp.
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August Meeting Canceled
Sorry to say we still cannot meet due to ongoing pandemic. We do have the results of our Virtual Mini-Show and we’ll have them posted here very soon.
The CSSA is hosting A Zoom event with Tom Glavich on September 5.
Heres the info:
| CSSA Webinar: Saturday, September 5 at 10:00 a.m. PDT Tom Glavich : Mutant Cacti and Succulents |
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Join us Saturday, September 5 at 10:00 a.m. PDT for the 9th in a series of webinars featuring Cactus and Succulent experts from around the world. Tom Glavich is a long-time grower of succulent plants. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America and is currently the co-chair of the Inter-City Cactus and Succulent show and sale, one of the largest C&S shows in the world. He is the author of the Beginner’s Guide to Succulent Monocots, and the Beginner’s Guide to Succulent Dicots. He is a frequent contributor to the CSSA Journal and an active member of several Los Angeles area Cactus and Succulent Societies. 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. To register for the webinar in advance Click here |
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SUMMER SALE CANCELED
Sadly, due to the ongoing situation with Coronavirus, we will not be having our regular July Cactus and Succulent sale.
Watch this space for the results of our Virtual Mini-Show!
Posted in Sale and Shows
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