Thursday March 4, 2010 at 7 pm

"Wild Cacti and Succulents in the Eastern USA"

Presented by Michael Chamberland from the Tucson Botanical Gardens

Succulents in the Eastern States are isolated in small areas of special habitat. Many are rare and local, little known, and seldom illustrated in mainstream wildflower guides. Succulent plants are few and rare in the Northeastern States. The number of succulent species increases exponentially as one travels into the Southern States, with Florida possessing more succulents than the other Eastern States combined. The number of succulents increases as one travels south through Florida, culminating in the Florida Keys, where columnar cacti and arborescent prickly pears grow. This is the northern margin of the Caribbean flora. Non-native succulent species in Florida include Aloes, Crown-of-thorns, Kalanchoe, Epiphyllum, and some other cacti. The non-native succulent species are almost as numerous as the native succulents in Florida. But they have not become truly invasive like the worst of Florida's exotics. In other States, the introduced succulents are principally Sedums and other Crassulaceae, usually of minor and short-lived occurrence. Michael Chamberland is the Curator of Horticulture at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. He has studied plants at the University of Connecticut and Arizona State University. With a degree in Botany, he has worked both in herbaria and botanical gardens around the USA. Michael has mounted numerous treks into the most remote and forbidding parts of the Eastern States. Having lived to tell about it, he will shed light on the myths and dark secrets of this little known part of the succulent world. This will be a very special program that may open your eyes to plants you never thought would be growing in the Eastern States. Please bring your friends, join us and welcome Michael as he takes the floor and presents a much needed subject to our club.

Free Plant Giveaway

Golden Barrel, Echinocactus grusonii

Native to Mexico (Queretaro) where it is endangered in the wild. This plant is fairly slow growing to 3 feet tall (90 cm), 3 feet in diameter ultimately. The Golden Barrel is one of the most commonly used and widely available landscape cactus in the American Southwest . It is popular for its golden spines that keep looking attractive after several years. The Golden Barrel has 1.5 to 2 inches (4-5 cm) yellow flowers from the end of March to the end of April. The flowers are produced only on mature specimens receiving enough full sun. The flowers are not very visible, being small in relation to the size of the barrel, and lost in the creamy colored wool at the top of the globe. Water generously in summer. www.deserttropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Echinocactus_grusonii.html

March Refreshments

Those with family names beginning with E, F, G, H, I, J, and K please bring your choice of refreshments to the meeting. Your generous sharing will be greatly appreciated and enjoyed!