COMMUNIQUE. THURSDAY, March 14. at 7:30 pm in AYRES HALL at the LA County Arboretum in Arcadia. San Gabriel Valley Cactus & Succulent Society

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1 San Gabriel Valley Cactus & Succulent Society COMMUNIQUE An Affiliate of the Cactus & Succulent Society of America March 2019 Volume 52, Number 3 The next Cactus and Succulent WORKSHOP will meet Wednesday, March 20 at 7:30 pm in the Palm Room at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. Topic: THE NEXT MEETING OF THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY WILL BE THURSDAY, March 14 at 7:30 pm in AYRES HALL at the LA County Arboretum in Arcadia. Haworthia IN THIS ISSUE Mini Show Plants for Thursday, March 14 Cactus: Ferocactus Succulent: Haworthia President s Message...page 2 Refreshment Reminder.... page 3 This Month s Program......pages 4, 5, & 6 POM Ferocactus.....pages 7, 8, & 9 POM Haworthii...pages 10 & 11 POM and Workshop topics.....page 13 Mini Show Results from February.. page 13 Calendar of Upcoming Events.pages 14, 15, 16, & 17 1

2 SGVCSS LEADERSHIP TEAM 2019 Gunnar Eisel, President Tom Vermilion, Past President Sharon Sedillo, Vice President Louise Guerin, Secretary Margie Wilson, Treasurer Shaun Adams, Director Kal Kaminer, Director James Lemos, Director Irene Chew, Director Richard Salcedo, Director Donn Muhleman, Director Tom Glavich, Inter-City Show Chair Manny Rivera, Winter Show Chair John Matthews, Winter Sales Chair Jim Hanna, CSSA Affiliate Rep Gunnar Eisel, Website Chair Woody Minnich, Program Chair Tori Wilson, Membership Chair Cindy Arakaki, Librarian Richard Roosman, Newsletter Editor President s Message Will the rain every stop? The good thing is our deserts are getting lots of rain which will hopefully yield a good spring bloom. We have an overnight car caravan to Cima Dome on April 6 and 7. Let s hope all this rain pays off! Another upcoming trip will be our bus trip to the San Diego Summer Show on June 1st. The bus is filling up fast, so let me know if you are interested in joining us. We will have sign up sheets for both trips at this month s meeting. If you cannot attend the meeting, me to be put on the list. geisel@citruscollege,edu. Our speaker this month is Woody Minnich, one of our favorites! Please join us! Best regards, Gunnar Material in the COMMUNIQUE publication may be reprinted by nonprofit organizations (unless such permission is expressly denied in a note accompanying the material) provided proper credit is given to the SGVCSS and the author, and that one copy of the publication containing the reprinted material is sent to the editor. Reproduction in whole or part by any other organization or publication without the permission of the publisher is prohibited 2

3 REFRESHMENTS FOR MARCH If your last name begins with E, F, or G please bring refreshments. Please have snacks ready by 7 pm. Some ideas: brownies, burritos, chips & dip, cookies, cupcakes, M & M s, pizza, sandwiches, trail mix, etc. Of course, we welcome snacks brought by anyone, even if your last name does not start with E, F, or G REFRESHMENTS SCHEDULE April 2019 last name beginning with H, I, or J May 2019 last name beginning with K or L June 2019 last name beginning with M or N July 2019 last name beginning with O, P, Q, or R August 2019 last name beginning with S or T September 2019 last name beginning with U, V, W, X, Y, or Z October 2019 last name beginning with A or B November 2019 last name beginning with C or D January 2020 last name beginning with E, F, or G Note** Join or Renew your membership with the San Gabriel Valley Cactus & Succulent Society. Membership dues are $20 per year. Your dues can be paid at the next meeting or mailed directly to: Tori Wilson 501 San Luis Rey Road, Arcadia, CA Make checks payable to SGVCSS 3

4 San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society 20 Years in the Atacama, Land of the Copiapoas Presentation by Wendell S. (Woody) Minnich Similar to the coast of Namibia, the coastal and inland regions of northern Chile, known as the Atacama, is mainly watered by amazing fogs, the Camanchacas. These fog-fed regions, in two of the driest deserts in the world, have some of the most interesting cactus and succulents to be found anywhere. The Atacama of northern Chile has an endemic genus considered by many to be one of the most dramatic to have ever evolved the Copiapoa. This ancient genus is also believed to be tens of thousands of years old, and there are those who feel it might well be on its way out! The ocean currents that affect the coastal Atacama have changed considerably over the last hundreds of years, and now its only source of moisture is primarily from consistent dense fogs. Some of these areas rarely, if ever, get rain, and the plants that have evolved their life almost entirely off the heavy condensation from the Camanchaca. There are many different Copiapoa species. They range from small quarter-sized subterranean geophytes to giant 1,000- year-old, 300 head mounding clusters. Thanks to Rudolf Schulz s excellent field work, and his two comprehensive Copiapoa books, we have all been introduced to these amazing plants. Having worked with Rudolf in Chile, I can honestly say that the genus Copiapoa is without comparison! Now, having visited Chile numerous times over the last 20+ years, I have become familiar with most of the representatives of this genus. With this presentation, I hope to taxonomically introduce you to most of the Copiapoa species as well as show their relationships and synonyms. Along with the Copiapoa, we will also encounter many other genera including the Neochilenias, Neoporterias, Eriosyce, Eulychnias, Trichocereus, as well as many of the other Chilean succulents. Chile also offers some of the best lunar landscapes, geologic formations, and spectacular beaches to be found in all of South America. This last August 2018, I had the pleasure of leading a group of 20 crazy cactophiles in seven four-wheel drive trucks. Our objectives were to see most of the fantastic plants and spectacular scenery that are to be found in this the land of the Camanchaca. Most of our group were very young adults (25-35yrs), and they all wanted to see and know how us old timers (Rudolf, Woody, Ritter and Charles) used to do our explorations to the wild and seldom seen places of Chile. Not only did we take them on very bad roads, the kind of dusty, dirty two tracks we used to have to maneuver, we also had them camp out in the middle of nowhere with the scorpions. No restaurants, no showers, no beds, and no bar! These camp-outs were exceptional, as we could often see, without light pollution, the Southern Cross and the Magellanic Lights until the Camanchaca fog slowly blanketed our campfire discussions. What an incredible trip it was! The energy of the young people and my memories of the last 20+ years in Chile made this an epic adventure, one I will never forget! Join me at the meeting, and hopefully you ll share our exhilarating experience and the overall magic of this wonderful arid region, the Atacama. 4

5 Woody s Biography Woody, as he is commonly known, grew up in the Mojave Desert and has had an attraction to desert plants and animals since the early 1950 s. He has been involved with the cactus and succulent world as a grower, field explorer, club and organization leader, writer, photographer, lecturer, and presenter. Having been a speaker all over the world, Woody is most often associated with giving presentations on his field work from the places he has traveled, such as: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Madagascar, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Peru, Socotra, South Africa, the United States and Yemen. He is also recognized for having operated the nursery Cactus Data Plants since Woody s show quality plants are often considered one of the standards for staging and horticultural achievement. His favorite genera include: Adenium, Ariocarpus, Astrophytum, Copiapoa, Cyphostemma, Fouquieria, Gymnocalycium, Lithops, Mammillaria, Melocactus, Pachypodium, Turbinicarpus, Uebelmannia, and Pachycauls in general. by Pilbeam, The Cactus Lexicon by Hunt and Charles, as well as many others. As of November 2017, he is featured as the primary photographer in the new book The Xerophile. This book specializes in what the authors call: The Obsessed Field workers from around the world. He is also featured in electronic articles about conservation from MNN Mother Nature Network and The Guardian Newspaper. Woody and his wife, Kathy, live in Cedar Grove, New Mexico. He is a retired secondary school teacher of 32 years where he taught Graphics, Art and Architecture. In the cactus and succulent hobby, Woody is recognized for his high energy and creative spirit. As an educator, he has become an important part of the hobby and thus is an honorary life member of eleven C&S societies. With 49 years in the hobby and 64 years in the field, he has many experiences to share and numerous photos to show. He has published numerous articles and reviews in various journals (CSSA) and his photography is featured in many books including; The Copiapoa by Schulz, The Mammillaria Handbook 5

6 Above Copiapoa longistaminea Photo by Woody Minnich Left: Wendell S. (Woody) Minnich 6

7 San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society Cactus of the Month March 2019 Ferocactus Ferocactus is a medium sized genus, with about 40 members. Ferocactus are mostly native to Mexico, with a few species native to California and the Southwest, and a few to Guatemala. With age many Ferocactus get to be very large plants when grown in the ground, but fortunately they are fairly slow growers. When grown in pots they will stay at a comfortable size for many years. Although there are only about 40 species, many of them are variable with widely varying spine lengths, shapes, textures and colors, depending on the specific locality. Ferocactus are easily grown, with most perfectly happy outdoors without protection year-round in Southern California. They do well in normal welldraining potting mix. They need lots of sun to bring out the colors and textures of the spines. They should be repotted frequently, moving the pot size up steadily an inch or two at a time, until they get so big you need help. Ferocactus are easily grown from seed. Germination is most successful when done in April or May. The seedlings grow slowly for the first few months, but soon take off. They can be transplanted to pure pumice as soon as they are big enough to handle. At this stage a steady diet of neutral ph water and fertilizer will get them growing quickly. There are several advantages to growing Ferocactus from seed. The first advantage is that the selection of type localities and spine variations is far greater than you will ever see at a plant show or sale. The second and most important is that you get to grow the plant through its awkward juvenile growth. During the second year Ferocactus spines grow completely out of proportion to the Ferocactus body. A Ferocactus that will eventually be a foot in diameter and 4 feet tall with three- or four-inch spines, will have as a seedling a body less than an inch in diameter, with spines an inch or more long. 7

8 FEROCACTUS (continued) Favorite Species Ferocactus chrysacanthus, from Baja California, has dense golden spines, and becomes a spectacular species when about 8 inches in diameter. It will grow to 3 feet eventually. Ferocactus emoryi, from Arizona and Sonora, has long red spines that can vary from straight to hooked. Ferocactus glaucescens from Hidalgo, Mexico, is a stunning blue gray plant that can either stay single or clump. Ferocactus latispinus, from central and Southern Mexico, has flat reddish spines, with distinct grooves running crosswise, particularly on the bottom. A variety, Ferocactus latispinus v spiralis, has the spines forming a spiral pattern up the stem. A spectacular plant when it gets to be about 18 inches tall. Ferocactus stainesii, from San Luis Potosi, has red to carmine spines, clusters quickly, and can grow to 9 feet, given enough time. Ferocactus wislizeni, a wonderful species from Arizona, is easily grown. It is a feature of all Southern Arizona landscapes. Ferocactus wislizeni Photo by Tom Glavich 8

9 Ferocactus cylindraceus Photo by Tom Glavich Ferocactus cylindraceus Photo by Tom Glavich 9

10 San Gabriel Valley Cactus & Succulent Society Succulent of the Month Haworthia March 2019 Article and photos by Tom Glavich Haworthia, along with Aloe and Gasteria, are part of the Asphodelaceae family. Almost all Haworthia come from South Africa and most from a Mediterranean environment not that different from Southern California. Most species are easily grown, preferring some shade and growing mostly in the autumn and spring. For many years the genus Haworthia was divided into sections. Haworthia taxonomy has recently gotten more complicated with the genus being divided into three parts. We will ignore this for now. Haworthia in general are tolerant of varying potting mixes and success has been reported with everything from straight pumice to potting soil, pumice or perlite mixes, to plain potting soil, and even garden soil. They like light fertilization when growing and any balanced fertilizer will do. Haworthia can be naturalized as a ground cover, placed under shrub cover in shadier parts of California gardens. They appreciate natural rainfall; the low ph of the water helps wash any residual salts from the potting mix. Control of the ph (acidity of the water) and regular fertilization during growing periods will pay off in the quality and speed of growth. Many of the species in this genus offset easily and propagation is simple from offsets. Seed is sometimes available and easily germinates in cool weather with best results coming in October through December. Seed is not long lived (although it will easily last a year if stored in a cool dry place) and can be planted any time it becomes available except the hottest months of summer. Haworthia do most of their growing in the spring, and flower mostly in the spring, but sporadically all year round. Some species tend to lose roots easily. If these are grown in pure pumice or pumice-perlite mixes, most root loss will stop. Plants grown in pure pumice or pumice-perlite mixes need steady fertilization during peak growing periods. Most species have a summer dormant period with low-tono growth during hot weather. They are more sensitive to warm night time temperatures than day time highs.. 10

11 Haworthia (continued) Haworthia morphology ranges from grass-like plants, to thin leaved plants, to those that grow in flat rosettes with hard, nearly shiny, leaves. These are the retuse plants. They are the ones most favored by collectors and have been used to make many hybrids and cultivars. Haworthia hybridization has become a big thing, with selected plants selling for hundreds of dollars. The complex patterns on Haworthias have led to an increasingly set of ornate plants with complex parentages that can trace back many generations. A new Haworthia hybrid can set seed for the next generation in three years. At the same time a well grown species plant will often outclass even the newest hybrids. All types of Haworthia are welcome this month. Haworthia Haworthia 11

12 Plant of the Month: Cacti Plant of the Month: Succulent Jan Astrophytum Tylecodon and Cotyledon Feb Straight spine Mammillaria Aloe March Ferocactus Haworthia April Small cactus staged as miniature May Turbinocarpus, Gymnocactus June Gymocalycium July Copiapoa Aug Favorite cactus Sept Ariocarpus Small succulent staged as miniature Echeveria Stem Euphorbia Pachypodium from Madagascar and Pumeria Favorite succulent Caudiciform Oct Grafted cacti Grafted succulent Nov Crested and Monstrose Cacti Crested and Montrose Succulent San Gabriel Valley Cactus & Succulent Society Workshops January Tylecodon and Cotyledon February Aloe March Haworthia April Spring Seed Workshop May May Vegetative Propagation June Copiapoa July Staging workshop August Gymnocalycium September Caudiciforms October Grafting Novembe Winter Seed Workshop 12

13 MINI SHOW RESULTS FROM FEBRUARY 2019 MEETING Open Division Cactus First place Tom Glavich Mammillaria hahniana Second place Tom Glavich Mammillaria schwarzii Third Place Tom Glavich Mammillaria tlalocii Open Division Succulent First place Tom Glavich Aloe Winter Sky Intermediate Division Cactus First place Richard Salcedo Mammillaria plumosa Second place Richard Salcedo Mammillaria nejapensis Third place Richard Salcedo Mammillaria perbella Intermediate Division Succulent First place --Louise Stack Aloe Marsha Layhew Second place Shaun Adams Aloe castilloniae Third place Shaun Adams Aloe castilloniae Novice Division Cactus First place Amanda Erlanson Mammillaria grusonii Second place Amanda Erlanson Mammillaria magnimamma Third place Dennis Fees Mammillaria plumosa Novice Division Succulent First place Luanne Lelewer Aloe Carnival Second place Frank Bossong Aloe Retro Third place Frank Bossong Aloe Dracula s Blood Third place Dan Papilli Aloe sinkatana. 13

14 2019 CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS THIS IS A TENTATIVE LIST AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE SOUTH BAY BROMELIAD SPRING SALE Saturday, March 9 from 10 am to 3 pm 1329 W 130th Street, Gardena ORANGE COUNTY Cactus & Succulent Society SHOW & SALE THURSDAY, MARCH 21 from 6 pm to 9 pm FRIDAY, MARCH 22 from 9 am to 7 pm SATURDAY, MARCH 23 from 9 am to 5 pm Anaheim United Methodist Church, 1000 South State College Blvd. in the city of ANAHEIM Information: SOUTH COAST Cactus & Succulent Society SHOW & SALE SATURDAY, APRIL 6 from 9 am to 4 pm SUNDAY, APRIL 7 from 9 am to 4 pm South Coast Botanical Gardens Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verders Information: heidihusnak@gmail.com or HUNTINGTON PLANT SALE SUNDAY, APRIL 28 from 10 am to 5 pm Huntington Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino CONEJO CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY SALE SATURDAY, APRIL 13 from 9 am to 3 pm Elks Lodge. 158 N. Conejo School Road, Thousand Oaks Information: Conejocss@hotmail.com SUNSET CACTUS & SUCCULENT SHOW & SALE SATURDAY, MAY 4 SUNDAY, MAY 5 Veterans Memorial Center, Garden Room, 4117 Overland Ave, Culver City. Information:

15 2019 CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS (continued) THIS IS A TENTATIVE LIST AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE! SOUTH BAY EPIPHYLLUM SOCIETY SHOW & SALE SUNDAY, MAY 5 from 9 am to 4 pm South Coast Botanical Gardens, Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes. Information: GATES CACTUS & SUCCULENT SHOW & SALE FRIDAY, MAY 10 from 9 am to 4 pm SATURDAY, MAY 11 from 9 am to 4 pm Church of the Nazarene, 1307 East Citrus Ave., Redlands Information: or LONG BEACH CACTUS CLUB SHOW & SALE SATURDAY, MAY 18 from 10 am to 4 pm SUNDAY, MAY 19 from 10 am to 4 pm Rancho Los Alamitos, 6400 Bixby Hill Road, Long Beach Information: CENTRAL COAST CACTUS & SUCCULENT SHOW & SALE Saturday, May 25 from 10 am to 4 pm Sunday May 26 from 10 am to 4 pm Ludwick Center, 864 Santa Rosa, San Luis Obispo info: or SAN DIEGO CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY SUMMER SHOW & SALE SATURDAY, JUNE 1 SUNDAY, JUNE El Prado Balboa Park, room 101, San Diego info:

16 2019 CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS (continued) THIS IS A TENTATIVE LIST AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE!!!! LOS ANGELES CACTUS & SUCCULENT SHOW & SALE SATURDAY, JUNE 8 from 9 am to 4 pm SUNDAY, JUNE 9 from 9 am to 3 pm Sepulveda Garden Center, Magnolia Ave, Encino Information: CSSA ANNUAL SHOW and SALE FRIDAY, JUNE 28 from 10 am to 5 pm (SALE ONLY) SATURDAY, JUNE 29 from 10 am to 5 pm (SHOW & SALE) SUNDAY, JUNE 30 from 10 am to 5 pm (SHOW & SALE) Huntington Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino Information: ORANGE COUNTY Cactus & Succulent SHOW & SALE THURSDAY, JULY 18 from 6 pm to 9 pm FRIDAY, JULY 19 from 9 am to 7 pm SATURDAY, JULY 20 from 9 am to 5 pm Anaheim United Methodist Church 1000 South State College Blvd. in the City of Anaheim Information:

17 2019 CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS (continued) THIS IS A TENTATIVE LIST AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE!!!! ANNUAL INTERCITY SHOW & SALE SATURDAY, AUGUST 10 from 9 am to 5 pm SUNDAY, AUGUST 11 from 9 am to 5 pm Los Angeles County Arboretum, 301 North Baldwin, Arcadia Information: Tom Glavich or John Martinez or john6425@gmail.com HUNTINGTON BOTANICAL GARDEN SUCCULENT SYMPOSIUM SATURDAY, AUGUST 31 all day at the Huntington Information: LONG BEACH CACTUS CLUB ANNUAL PLANT AUCTION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 from noon to 5 pm Rancho Los Alamitos, 6400 Bixby Hill Road, Long Beach Information: BAKERSFIELD CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY SHOW & SALE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 from 10 am to 5 pm SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 from 11 am to 3 pm St. Paul s Church, th Street, Bakersfield Free admission and Parking Information: PALOMAR CACTUS 7 SUCCULENT SOCIETY FALL SHOW & SALE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 from 10 am to 5 pm SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 from 10 an ti 3 on San Diego Botanic Gardens, 230 Quail Gardens Road, Encinitas Information: brita_miller@yahoo.com or

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19 COMMUNIQUE Newsletter of the San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society c/o Richard Roosman P.O. Box 5222 Huntington Park, CA FIRST CLASS MAIL If you have a cactus or succulent related event that you would like to have announced in the COMMUNIQUE, forward the information to the address below. Please verify the event date. Articles, Notices and Corrections can be sent via to: richardinwalnutpark@msn.com or via mail to: San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society Newsletter Editor, c/o Richard Roosman, P.O. Box 5222, Huntington Park, CA Material must be received by the 20th of the month to be considered for publication in the next issue of the COMMUNIQUE.