The
Next Event of the National Capital Cactus and
Succulent Society of Washington,
D.C.
will
be our regular November meeting on November 19,
2023
Ariocarpus fissuratus
It isn't easy to grow Ariocarpus fissuratus,
the living rock cactus, and even more difficult to
entice one to flower, but one of our NCCSS members has
mastered the trick. Ariocarpus fissuratus is
a very slow growing cactus native to a wide area of
northeast Mexico and a small area of Texas in the United
States. One of the best places to see ariocarpus
in he U.S. is Big Bend National Park.
One of the unusual things about ariocarpus, besides
their looking like a rock, is that they flower in the
fall, unlike most other cacti that flower in the spring
or summer. Nevertheless, their flowers are large
and colorful, and a real bonus to anyone growing this
great plant.
Autumn is the time of year when most
lithops flower. They are in essence, short-day
plants, much like chrysanthemums. Some species
flower as early as late August and one species, Lithops
optica and its much sought after form, L. optica f.
rubra, don't flower until mid December. Each
flower last about 4 to 5 days and there is no detectible
fragrance. The most common reasons for a lithops
plant not to flower is that they are not mature (too
young) or they have not received enough sun during the
preceding spring and summer.
For more information on growing Lithops, see Nick
Rowlette's web site A
guide to the cultivation of Lithops
It has a great guide to growing these great little
plants.
The
November regular meeting of the National
Capital Cactus and Succulent Society
will be on November 19, 2023
All
NCCSS regular monthly meetings are held
at Saint Anselm's
Abbey School at 14th &
South Dakota Ave. N.E.
Washington, D.C.,
Meetings begin at 10:00 a.m and end at
Noon.
Our society
meetings are usually held on the third
Sunday of each month between September
and June. We do not meet in July,
August, or
December.
The National Capital Cactus and Succulent
Society (NCCSS) is a
group of individuals sharing an interest in
the collecting and growing of cacti and other
types of succulent plants. We meet
once a month from September through
June. In August we hold an annual plant
show and sale at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton,
Maryland. Our Regular Monthly Meetings are
held at St.
Anselm�s
Abbey School at 14th & South Dakota
Ave. N.E. Washington, DC. Our meeting
begin at 10:30 a.m. and end at
Noon. If you live in the
Washington, D.C. area and are interested in
succulent plants, why not visit one of our
meetings and share your interest with others
who also love these weird and fascinating
plants.
Plant of the
Month
Agave
Kissho-Kan
Agave Kissho-Kan is
believed to be a hybrid or sport (a genetic
variation) from the agave species Agave
potatorum, a small growing agave native to
Mexico. The hybrid form is believed to
have originated in Japan. It is a
relatively slow growing, small agave with
attractive variegated leaves tightly bunched
together. The leaf varigation often
varies from plant to plant and may depend on
cultural conditions, especially light
levels.
To join the National Capital Cactus and Succulent Society
contact Ric Tursandtursan@alkem.org
or Bob Stewartstewart723@gmail.com.
If you would like a sample of our most recent
newsletter, The Eastern Spine, contact newsletter editor
Bob Stewart. Annual membership dues are
$10.00
Would You
Like To Know More About Aeoniums?
Society member
Donna Kuroda presented a program on Aeoniums at
our October 2011 meeting and she has agreed to
allow you access to that program through a PDF
presentation. Just click here on the word
AEONIUM
to
call
up
the
program.
This
is
a
large
file
and
make take a minute or two to load, depending on
the speed of your computer.
Monthly
Newsletter:
The Eastern Spine
is the official newsletter of the National Capital
Cactus and Succulent Society. It is
published monthly, September through June and is
included with your society membership. Join our club and
get your own copy emailed directly to you.
Click Newsletter to view the
May 2019 newsletter in PDF format. When you are finished
reading the newsletter, hit the BACK button on your
browser to return to this page. For more
information about our society or our newsletter
contact Bob Stewart at: stewart723@gmail.com
Purpose
of
the
National Capital Cactus and Succulent Society:
the study, culture, and propagation of cactus and
other succulent plants;
to exchange information among interested persons and
organizations, and to further the education about and
understanding of succulent plants and their habitats;
to encourage conservation of plants and preservation
of natural habitats;
to affiliate or associate with other organizations of
similar purpose;
Benefits of the National Capital Cactus and Succulent
Society:
Share ideas and techniques with other cactus and
succulent growers.
Interesting and informative programs.
Good fellowship and refreshments.
Use of an extensive club library.
A monthly newsletter, The Eastern Spine.
Sales table with members plants and related items.
Monthly raffle of donated plants and related items.
Annual Show & Sale at Brookside Gardens in
Wheaton, Maryland
Programs:
Our program committee arranges for us to have a unique event each
and every month. These consist of lectures, slide shows, informal
discussions and presentations; they are always interesting and
informative.
Plant of the Month:
Our plant of the month for April 2019 was Euphorbia horrida
'Snowflake'. This is one of the more popular euphorbias and
one that is often mistaken for a cactus. Euphorbia
horrida is native to southeastern Cape Province in South
Africa. It is easily grown providing it receives 4+ hours of
daily sun, and is planted in a well draining potting medium.
It is primarily propagated from stem cuttings. 'Snowflake' is
a cultivar with white or grey-white stems, whereas the stem color of
the species is generally green. Euphorbia horrida does
get large, over time forming a large clump of stems, each of which
can grow to more than 20 inches in height.
Information on Growing Succulent
Plants:
One of the important aspects of growing healthy succulent plants is
using the proper potting soil mix. You can read the NCCSS
Potting Soils for Succulent Plants handout by clicking right HERE.
Plant Sales:
If you have any surplus plants, seeds, pots, books or any other
plant related items you want to sell, you can bring them to the
meeting. Set your own price. 25% goes to the club to buy new books
and cover other club related expenses.
History:
First meeting was held July 21, 1974 at the Samson
House at Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD. The club
newsletter, The Eastern Spine, became
official for the November 1974 meeting. The club began
its affiliation with the Cactus & Succulent Society
of America with the adoption of the By-Laws at the
September 15, 1974 meeting.
Extra-Curricular
Activities:
Annual Cactus & Succulent Show & Sale.
Summer field trips.
Summer picnic.
Holiday Buffet at St. Anselm's Abbey School in
December.
NCCSS Officers for 2018/2019
President:
Ric Tursan
Vice-President:
Bob Petza
Recording Secretary:
Ric Tursan
Membership Secretary:
Lisa Faustlin
Treasurer:
Donna Kuroda
Director at large:
Bob Stewart
Newsletter/Website
Editor
Bob Stewart
Librarian
Donna Kuroda
Links to Gardens and Other Societies in
the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area:
The National Capital Cactus & Succulent Society is an
affiliate society of the Cactus and Succulent Society
of America. For more information about the CSSA see
their web site at: http://cssainc.org/
