November 2004

Thursday, November 4, 2004

TCSS BOARD Matt Johnson
Officers 7:00 PM
President: Richard Wiedhopf
885-6367 Matt Johnson, author of Cacti, Other
Vice President: Kevin Barber Succulents, and Unusual Xerophytes of
Secretary: Lynda Ryan Southern Arizona will present the second
Treasurer: Valarie Miller part of his program on local native Cacti
Board of Directors: and Succulents.
Past-President: Vonn Watkins
Gail Virtes (2004) Matt is a long-time Tucson resident who
Barry McCormick (2004) received both his BS and MS degrees in
Jack Ramsey (2004) Horticulture from the University of
Joe Frannea (2005) Arizona. He is presently Curator for the
Marty Harow (2005) Desert Legume Program, a seed bank
Peter Hubbell (2005)
Dan Birt (2006) project jointly sponsored by the UA
Chris Monrad (2006) College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Boyce Thompson
Mark Sitter (2006) Southwestern Arboretum. He has been growing cacti and succulents all
CSSA Affiliate Rep: Helen Barber his life, and has traveled extensively in the Southwest and throughout
Cactus Rescue: Chris Monrad the world.
Educational: Joe Frannea
Free Plants: Norma Beckman Matt is the author of over 50 publications on botany & horticulture of
Librarian: Jenny Coniglio arid climate plants including his previous book: The Trees of Sonora,
Programs: Kevin Barber Mexico (Felger, Johnson, and Wilson, 2001, Oxford University Press).
Refreshments: Patsy Frannea
Sales: Jack Ramsey This will be the second part of Matt’s presentation and will primarily
Technology: Kevin Barber feature Opuntia species.
Editor: Barry McCormick
jbarrymcc@earthlink.net Sunday, December 12, 2004
Deadline for copy:18th of each month Annual Holiday Party
TCSS Web Page:www.tucsoncactus.org 12:00 Noon
Next Meeting
Thursday, November 4 at 7:00 pm
Junior League of Tucson
2099 E. River Road Parking Junior League of Tucson
Kiva Bldg.
Tucson 2099 E. River Road
Campell

Camino Escuela

Meeting Place 299-5753

November Refreshments
Those with family names beginning with
T to Z, please bring your choice of
refreshment to the meeting.
River Road
Everyone is Welcome! St. Phillip’s
Plaza
Bring your friends, join in the fun,
and meet the cactus and succulent
community.
 about our rescue programs. Everyone who came by
our display was impressed by our conservation
activity.
President’s Message The next day we had a display at Plaza Palomino,
along with many other garden groups, and had the
It is hard to believe that
opportunity to tell our story in Tucson. Many
another year of activities is
thanks to Jack & Helen Ramsey and Peter & Evelyn
nearing completion. Thank
Hubbell for representing TCSS at this event.
you for the time you donate to
conservation, education, It is also time to vote if you are a member of the
outreach, and volunteerism -- Cactus and Succulent Society of America. The
it really makes this society ballot is on the back of the Newsletter “To The
enjoyable and fun. Our Point” which, by the way, is edited by our member
membership has increased to Peter Bockenthien. [Note, especially, that Dick
over 500 individuals, and keeping everyone Wiedhopf is the candidate for Vice President of the
involved is an enjoyable challenge. CSSA – Ed.] Thank you,
Dick Wiedhopf, President
At the November meeting the nomination
committee will present a slate of Carrillo School Receives TCSS Grant
officers and board of directors for
the coming year. Their job is to All third grade students at
insure that there is at least one Carrillo Magnet School in
qualified candidate for each position. You the Tucson Unified School
will have the opportunity to nominate additional District will participate in a
candidates for each office. The nominee must be a project to create a signed
member and be willing to serve. A ballot will be cactus garden so children can
sent to every member and results will be announced research, identify, and
at the December annual meeting and holiday party. describe native plants. A $400 TCSS grant was
recently awarded to facilitate the purchase of cacti,
Speaking of the holiday party, it’s create decorated tiles for plant identification, and
time to break out that favorite prepare and print cactus guides.
recipe and get ready for our annual
meeting and holiday party on The site for the garden is in a neighborhood park “El
December 12, 2004. We provide Parquecito” directly across from the school at
the entrees and you provide salads, La Pilita (420 S. Main). This is a historic property
vegetables, desserts etc. We collect and has received a Bricks and Mortar Grant for
food and money for the Tucson Community Food renovations. The La Pilita Association is in
Bank and have a fun gift exchange. More
information will be coming to you later in
November. Because of our growing membership,
reservations are important.
Chris Monrad, Rescue Committee Chair, made
arrangements to display our rescue program at the
Mountain States Wholesale Nursery open house in
Glendale, AZ on October 22. Members of the
Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society
joined us. We have been working with them to El Parquecito
establish a rescue program in the Phoenix area. The
partnership with the City of Tucson and has the
open house drew about 300 professionals from all
responsibility for stewardship of this historic
over the southwest and we were able to tell the story
property.
 just how important it is that we react quickly to the
The sixty Carrillo third graders will research a
invitation to rescue.
variety of desert plants through field trips and
reviewing written materials and present their A major development in our rescue operations this
findings by a prepared speech to learn how to month was the joint rescue with the Central Arizona
effectively convey information to an audience. The Cactus and Succulent Society at the Verrado site
students will also improve their writing skills by near Buckeye, in the foothills of the White Tank
creating a plant identification guide so future Mountains. Rescued plants included Ferocactus
students and visitors to the site can learn more about cylindraceus, Echinocereus engelmannii, and
native plants.
This project is a unique collaboration between a
school, a nonprofit association, a city park, a
neighborhood, and now the Tucson Cactus &
Succulent Society. Could you possibly think of a
better way to use TCSS profits from our Cactus
Rescue Crew program!
Joe Frannea

Plant Rescue Committee

Cactus rescue activities continue at saguaro. These joint rescues will be done by TCSS,
a fever pitch. We had a rescue at until the Phoenix group gets the experience and
the Rancho Vistoso development confidence to start their own operation. A number
near the Tortolita Mountains in of CACSS members have joined our society so they
Oro Valley on October 16. The are covered under our permits and insurance.
site has very convenient access,
On Wednesday, October 13 we did another
and we rescued many hedgehogs
landscape plant rescue, obtaining cuttings of a
and Mammillaria, and a good supply of barrels. We
monstrose cereus for our members.
Barry McCormick

Cactus and Succulent Gardening

Calendar
Watch for a new feature to start soon: our Cactus
and Succulent Gardening
Calendar. This monthly feature
will briefly address things to do
and watch for in our
will be back to this landscaping, patio container, and
same site after the windowsill gardening, month by
developer has month. We will also include specific advice on two
taken out the different plants we would all love to raise, given by
inventoried plants our experienced members. The plants we feature
he will reuse, and will be covered for an entire year, so we will have
we will rescue the detailed culture information when we need it. In
remainder. The subsequent years we will feature different plants and
ever-present growers. We will be calling upon all of our
grading equipment experienced growers to build a feature that will
is a grim reminder steadily improve over the years.
Barry McCormick
 TCSS Rescue Cacti for Sale
Lots & lots to choose from…..
Barrels - from 2” to 14” diameter (about $1 per inch)
Hedgehogs – from 1 to 20 heads (about $1 per head)
TCSS Club Members receive a 15% discount
Call Joe or Patsy if interested 575-7126

New Member Listings and changes

Photos by Barry McCormick, Kevin Barber, Joe Frannea and Chris Monrad. Logo Artwork by Vonn Watkins

Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society

7510 E. Rio Verde Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85715-3537