Friday, April 12, 2019

Cactus & Succulent Show & Sale

Last Saturday I attended the annual Cactus & Succulent Show & Sale hosted by the South Coast Cactus & Succulent Society at my local botanic garden.  The event is held inside an auditorium so the light isn't great for photographs but I've assembled the best of the photos I collected to share with you.

Two classrooms off the main auditorium were used for the show specimens.  The first classroom contained a diverse mix of plants presented by the Society's members.

Clockwise from the upper left are: Aloe suprafoliata, Euphorbia grandidens crest, E. kibwezensis cristata, Mammillaria magnifica, Wiggensia sellerii, Mangave 'Machomochia', Euphorbia stellata and, in the middle, Ledebouria


The second classroom contained groups of special plants assembled by individual collectors.

This was one of three artistic collections

This was my favorite of the three pieces.  Labeled "Surfing USA," it was constructed using Kalanchoe thyrsiflora and what I think is Haworthia mounted on driftwood.

I didn't photograph all the specimen collection tables but this was one of my favorites

Part of the "B" table, clockwise from the upper left, are: Aloe dorotheae, Gasteria batesia, Dyckia hybrid, Echeveria agavoides 'Ebony', and Kalanchoe tomentosum

This collector's special specimens were unlabeled (and I won't even venture guesses)

All Agaves in this collection

This was my favorite collection

Clockwise from the upper left, it included: Euphorbia polygona 'Snowflake', E. lactea crest, Haworthia viscosa, Mangave 'Purple People Eater', and Mammillaria morganianum

The plant in the back of this collection with the very interesting caudex is Hydnophytum formicarum, aka ant plant because that caudex provides a nest for ants


The items for sale in the main auditorium included not only cactus and succulents of various types and sizes but also pots, rocks, and books.

Wide view of the sale area

I admired the Cereus forbesii shown here but they were pricey even at this size


I didn't buy a lot on this trip but I didn't come home empty handed either.

Clockwise from the top are: Aloe ellenbeckii, Dyckia 'Brittle Star' hybrid, and Huernia procumbens 'Dragon Star'


That's it for me this week.  Our weekend weather is expected to be very pleasant, assuming that the wind finally dies down.  I hope to make the best of it by spending time in the garden.  I hope you have the opportunity to putter in peace as well.


All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party


20 comments:

  1. Looks like a great show, with interesting specimens! The nurseries here are finally starting to get some Mangaves other than 'Macho Mocha' for sale -- although nothing that I want to buy just yet. I admire whoever produced that 'Macho Mocha' with all the leaves, I can't get mine to produce more than three at a time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The only Mangave I've seen in garden centers here is 'Bloodspot'. It's nice enough but, with so many hybrids now available, I'm surprised that none of these have reached us. My principal objective for the sale was to hunt down Mangaves but even there, with wall-to-wall succulents, the only Mangave I saw for sale was 'Bloodspot'. Maybe some were snapped up during the first 2 hours before I arrived but sheesh....

      Delete
  2. The unlabelled mystery on a pedestal could be http://pza.sanbi.org/dioscorea-elephantipes

    ReplyDelete
  3. A lot of interesting specimens. I liked your favorites as well. So many cool plants!
    Enjoy your weekend gardening. I've been out cleaning up beds here and at my clients, it's so nice to be out in the fresh air. Tomorrow is forecast to be in the 70s!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, that's a temperature change. Enjoy it, Eliza!

      Delete
  4. Looks like it was an exciting show - love your haul! ;-) And wouldn't I love to have something like that Hydnophytum formicarum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that same Hydnophytum has been featured in at least 3 shows I've attended. The ants' work is quite decorative!

      Delete
  5. What a great event - I love succulents and am always on the lookout for those that are hardy in our area. Those collector specimens are so unusual - they look like something that you may find on Pandora! Have a great weekend puttering :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I owned 'Snowflake'! I can't imagine how many years it took to grow a specimen like that.

      Delete
  6. Euphorbia polygona 'Snowflake' was my fav from your pics as well! I know the feeling you get when there are so many cool plants to photograph but all the light fluorescent!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've got what I think is a Euphorbia polygona but, regrettably, it's not 'Snowflake'. It could be horrida. After years in a pot, I finally planted it in the ground last year and it's already producing offsets but I expect I'll be very old before it reaches the size of the show specimen.

      Delete
  7. What fun, and I love your purchases.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are shows with a far broader selection of cactus and succulents than this one, Loree, but a 5-mile drive is far easier than a 40 to 50 mile drive on LA's freeways.

      Delete
  8. Weird and wonderful. Some of them don't look real. I can see that once you get hooked on succulents it is a slippery slope. And of course you can grow them outside so you are not restricted by the size of your greenhouse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That I find myself veering in the direction of cactus (as opposed to my usual succulents) indicates a serious deepening of my obsession, Chloris.

      Delete
  9. I enjoy seeing pictures of this event each year. So many cool and unusual plants. Our own cactus and succulent society sale is in September and your spring post always whets my appetite for it. Hydnophytum formicarum is really interesting. So cool how plants and animals have evolved together. Your restraint is admirable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm running out of spots to put plants, Peter, other than pots. And then the issue becomes: where do I put the pots?

      Delete
  10. Nice show. Some beautifully grown plants there. The Gasteria batesiana is particularly good.

    The other plant on 'Surfin USA' arrangement might be Aloe juvenna which will make those long stems. That is indeed an excellent arrangement!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That particular member of the SCC&SS always does a great job with her arrangements. As I recall, she also submits arrangements to the bromeliad show at Rainforest Flora.

      Delete

I enjoy receiving your comments and suggestions! Google has turned on reCAPTCHA affecting some commentator IDs so, if you wish to identify yourself, please add your name to your comment.