The TACSS Fall Seminar Finally Happened
When the pandemic hit in 2020 and the Austin Cactus and Succulent Society was to be the host club for the Texas Association of Cactus and Succulent Societies, or TACSS as we all refer to it, the event had to be put on hold till the world got well. So after several...
The Praying Mantis Claims this Bush as Its Home
As I was watering the rock rose the other day, Pavonia lasiopetala, something moved in the bush. Imagine my surprise, and delight, to see I was being frowned upon by an indignant praying mantis who didn’t appreciate me disturbing his home! Praying mantis are in the...
Don’t Bring that Prickly Pear in the House!
I received an email from a magazine with an article about using certain succulents for house plants. From the beginning I questioned most of the choices, and eventually the article suggested prickly pear as a house plant. Whaaaat? Are they serious? That’s a terrible...
One Last Succulent Science Lesson from Professor Wallace
The last presentation by Rob Wallace at the Mid-States Conference was a science lesson aimed at the succulent/cactus grower. It reminded me of Dr. Neir’s Soil Science class at Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University, Kingsville) way back last century...
Learn Those Plants’ Names!
The second of those three college-worthy lessons presented by Rob Wallace, professor at Iowa State University, at the Mid-States Cactus and Succulent Conference was about plant taxonomy, and since I have found that many people don’t pay much attention to their...
How Does Your Cactus Garden Grow? Plant Habitats and What We Have Control Over
We had three college-worthy lessons relating to cacti and succulents from Rob Wallace, professor at Iowa State University, at the Mid-States Cactus and Succulent Conference in June. And that’s how it should be, right? He is a college professor! I found the information...
Here’s the Rest of my Trip to the 2022 Mid-States Cactus and Succulent Conference
I promised the rest of the story about my trip to Independence, Missouri, for the Mid-States Cactus and Succulent Conference. And here it is.The conference ran from Thursday to Sunday; Part one covered the first of the conference. Now it is Saturday, starting with...
The 2022 Mid-States Cactus and Succulent Conference in Two Parts
I took a road trip to Independence, Missouri, for another look at cactus in the Mid-West, this year sponsored by the Kansas City Cactus and Succulent Society, June 9-12, 2022. About the time I finished writing this story of all the things I wanted to share from the...
Cactus or Succulent?
When I shared my Dudleya pulverulenta on March 6th this year, a few readers asked if it was an agave. No, it is a succulent native to Southern California. Both are succulent plants, and agaves are sometimes mislabeled as cactus, so the fact that there was some...
Dudleya Pulverulenta
The Cactus and Succulent Society of America (CSSA) held its biennial conference in July of 2019 in San Luis Obispo, California. Dudleyas are native to southern California, Guadalupe Island, and in the Baja area of Mexico and California. They love the Mediterranean...
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