SJ Cactus and Succulents Society

Congratulations to June Mini Show Winners:

Variegated, Monstrose or Crested Cactus:
Advanced: Cecilia, Deycarya madageascariensis
Novice: Lisa B, Pachycereus Marginatus crested

Variegated, Monstrose or Crested Succulent:
Advanced: Tanya, Echeveria elegans 'Ripple' crest
Novice: Lisa B, Euphorbia Abdelkuri Balf. F crest

Something Special - Flowering:
Advanced: Bobbi, Oxalis triangularis
Novice: Stephen D, Pinguicula 'Sethos'

Beginner's Luck:
Novice: Lisa B, Monadenium Schubei Purple Varigated

Thanks to everyone for participating this month. Remember, no mini-show next month with the County Store.

July 12, 2026 12:30 pm: Monthly Meeting: Country Store

If you have been to our Country Store in the past, you know this is one of the most fun events of the season. It’s a great opportunity for you to share your bounty with your fellow members. Bring items that you think other members would enjoy. If you have a loud voice, we would appreciate your help in calling out the numbers at each of the four tables!
Here is how it works:
Separate tables will be set up for each category of cacti, succulents, misc. items (books, pots, rocks, etc), and desserts. People place their donations on the corresponding table. If you bring desserts, make certain they are individually wrapped.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the price of 5 for $1: you decide how many you would like to buy. These are two-part tickets: you keep one part and put the other in a pot. Because the ticket numbers can be hard to hear, please mark the ticket you place in the pots with one of the following methods:
print your first, last name, or initials; use a unique stamp or sticker or use a return address stamp or label.

You get to choose where you want to deposit your tickets now. Whatever table that you’d like to win some items from, put tickets in the pot at that table. When the event begins, volunteers will be stationed at each table to pull a series of tickets out of the pots. Those with the winning tickets from that table get to select an item from that table. This process continues from table to table until there are no more items or time runs out.

We hope you’ll join us for this annual event. Although we won’t have a pot luck this month, we’ll have water available. Our mini show will resume next month in August.

July 12, 2026 Monthly Meeting: Country Store 12:30 pm

If you have been to our Country Store in the past, you know this is one of the most fun events of the season. It’s a great opportunity for you to share your bounty with your fellow members. Bring items that you think other members would enjoy. If you have a loud voice, we would appreciate your help in calling out the numbers at each of the four tables!
Here is how it works:
Separate tables will be set up for each category of cacti, succulents, misc. items (books, pots, rocks, etc), and desserts. People place their donations on the corresponding table. If you bring desserts, make certain they are individually wrapped.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the price of 5 for $1: you decide how many you would like to buy. These are two-part tickets: you keep one part and put the other in a pot. Because the ticket numbers can be hard to hear, please mark the ticket you place in the pots with one of the following methods:
print your first, last name, or initials; use a unique stamp or sticker or use a return address stamp or label.

You get to choose where you want to deposit your tickets now. Whatever table that you’d like to win some items from, put tickets in the pot at that table. When the event begins, volunteers will be stationed at each table to pull a series of tickets out of the pots. Those with the winning tickets from that table get to select an item from that table. This process continues from table to table until there are no more items or time runs out.

We hope you’ll join us for this annual event. Although we won’t have a pot luck this month, we’ll have water available. Our mini show will resume next month in August.

Thanks to our club President, Andrew, for a great presentation yesterday. It was wonderful to see so many new members at the meeting as well! While we won’t be meeting on the first Sunday in July due to the holiday, we will be meeting on July 12th for our annual “Country Store” event. Complete details will follow soon.

Rare Mutations, Collector Cacti, and the Modern Cactus Market
By Andrew Hazlett, CSSSJ President, nursery owner

This talk explores the cutting edge of cactus collector demand, from rare mutations and elite cultivars to market trends, scarcity, and shifting ideas of value. Social media, propagation technology, and collector culture are continually reshaping the cactus hobby.

The presentation will include photos and discussion of:

monstrose and cristate growth forms
variegation and chimeras
famous mutants, clones, and cultivars
tissue culture versus graft propagation
poaching pressures and ethical sourcing
why some plants command extreme prices
how rarity and pricing change over time.

The mini show is back for our June 7th meeting and I want to see your weird ones!
Variegated, Monstrose or Crested for either Cactus or Succulents.
For Something Special, bring any cactus or succulent that is flowering.
Beginners, bring anything that looks good from your collection for Beginner's Luck.
For Something Special, bring any flowering cactus or succulent. weird ones!

Reminder that we won’t be meeting at Prusch Park this month! We’ll be back in June after our road trip this Sunday. Members, be sure to check your email for the latest newsletter with all the details 🌵🧭🚙

Scenes from our April meeting, a Mega Show and Tell. Thanks to all Renee for leading the meeting and for everyone who brought their fantastic plants to share with the group! Photos courtesy of Nicole.

Look at these gorgeous entries of CSSSJ's Spring 2026 Show that won Special Awards (Best in Show and Best in Class). We had so many wonderful entries; thank you to all who participated.
(Post 1 of 2, too many winners for one post)