Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society

Category: Events

  • Field trip to UC Davis Botanical Conservatory – April 22, 2026

    Field trip to UC Davis Botanical Conservatory – April 22, 2026

    SAVE THE DATE! Wednesday, April 22, 2025

    WHAT’S HAPPENING? A Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society educational field trip to the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory.

    The UC Davis Botanical Conservatory is home to a diverse collection of over 4,000 plant species from around the world, providing a unique space for education, research, and conservation. Our greenhouse showcases rare and unusual plants from tropical rainforests, arid deserts, and carnivorous habitats, offering visitors a hands-on experience with plant adaptations and biodiversity. Whether exploring on a self-guided
    visit, joining a guided tour, or participating in internships and volunteer opportunities, the Conservatory is a hub for discovery and learning.

    Join fellow plant lovers from the Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society for a 45 to 60 minute docent led tour of this botanical gem.

    DATE: Wednesday, April 22, 2026

    TIME: 9:45am at the Conservatory. The tour will begin at 10:00am.They will break us up into groups no larger than 15 people at a time.

    COST: Admission to SCSS members will be free. Non members $14.00. WOW! For $15.00 a non-member can become a member!

    PARKING: Weekday parking on the UCD campus is $18.00/day, no hourly rate. Besides being eco-friendly, carpooling can be good for your pocket book. We highly recommend forming carpools.

    HOW TO SIGN UP: Simply fill out this form and you’re ready to go.

    HAVE QUESTIONS? If you have concerns or questions about the trip, please contact Dave Roberts. Email: roblands94@gmail.com. Cell phone: 916/416-9368.

    Register Here!
  • Volunteer Sign Ups are Open for Annual Show and Sale

    Volunteer Sign Ups are Open for Annual Show and Sale

    VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!

    OUR GIANT MAY SALE IS COMING SOON!

    SAVE THE DATES—MAY 1,2,3

    Our annual giant cactus and succulent sale and show is now less than two months away. We are planning on building on the success of former shows. However, our success depends on you, our members, coming out in droves to help with many tasks. But first, THE PERKS!

     #1 FIRST CHOICE… You can start buying cacti and succulents BEFORE the public can! On Friday May 1, the members only sale for volunteers is at 12 PM-1 PM. The public sale is 1PM-5PM. Volunteers can also shop from 8AM-9AM on Saturday and Sunday.

     #2 We feed you. Volunteers will be fed lunch on all days that they volunteer!

    These things alone should bring you running. But wait…#3 Get the satisfaction of knowing that you participated in helping continue all the great things our club does. Such as speakers, field trips, plant exchanges, drawings, the demonstration garden and much more.

    And if that wasn’t enough….#4 Meet new folks from our club and the vendors.

     Joining in is as simple as 1-2-3!

    Pick a day(s) and times you can work. We will have time slots and tasks to consider. You can volunteer for a short (4 hours) or longer (all day) time period. You can volunteer on one, two or all 3 days.

    SHOW UP! Just show up and have a good time. And don’t forget to buy a few plants.

    For those of you who are into the details of opportunities to volunteer. Tasks are generally easy. The hospitality/food area, the Plant Hotel, Cashier, Cashier assistant (think grocery bagger, but with boxes and cacti and succulents), monitoring the entrance and exit to the Shepard Center and at the Show entrance, helping to set up or take down tables and popup tents., clerking for show judges and more.

    Can’t make the meeting? Email Dave Roberts at roblands94@gmail.com. Can’t email? Call or text Dave at 916-416-9368. Please leave your phone and email. Put “SCSS volunteer” in the subject line.

    Thank you all!

  • Field trip to Poot’s Cactus Nursery – April 11, 2026

    Field trip to Poot’s Cactus Nursery – April 11, 2026

    SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, April 11, 2026

    WHAT’S HAPPENING? A Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society educational field trip to Poot’s Cactus Nursery in Ripon, about 1 hour south of Sacramento.

    There are some of you out there who have never been to Poot’s Cactus Nursery?! The perfect opportunity to right that wrong is coming up on Saturday, April 11. It’s also the perfect time of
    year to shop at Poot’s. The crew at Poot’s will have filled all of their tables with the new stock of plants for 2026. In addition to that, Poot’s is planning on having other Cactus Succulent Vendors at their place on April 11 th. Despite it being a busy day for the nursery, we should be able to take a behind the scenes tour of the propagation greenhouse.

    Any Club members that wish to come should meet at Poot’s about 10 minutes before 9AM on Sat, April 11 (we want to avoid the rush). There is a small paved parking area directly in front of the nursery, as well as a larger dirt parking area. We can gather there and enter as a group.

    DATE: Saturday, April 11, 2026

    TIME: 8:45am at Poot’s

    WHERE: Poot’s Cactus Nursery, 17229 E. Hwy 120, Ripon, CA 95366

    COST: Free

    HOW TO SIGN UP: No need to sign up. Simply show up at Poot’s before 9 am.

    HAVE QUESTIONS? If you have concerns or questions about the trip, please contact Dave Roberts. Email: roblands94@gmail.com. Cell phone: 916/416-9368.

  • Next meeting, January 26: Big-Box Store Succulents

    Next meeting, January 26: Big-Box Store Succulents

    presented by Kyle Johnson and Gerhard Bock

    Want a climate-resilient, modern, water-wise succulent garden but don’t know where to start? Think you need to visit specialty nurseries to find plant material for your design? Think again!

    Join us for an inspiring presentation and learn how to create a stunning landscape using affordable and accessible succulents from your local big-box store. We’ll demystify the process from start to finish, showing you how to:

    • Choose the winners: Learn the secrets to spotting the best plants and which common varieties to look for.
    • Design like a pro: Discover simple design principles for combining colors, textures, and shapes to create eye-catching arrangements in pots or garden beds. Think rocks!
    • Be inspired: See inspiring examples of using big-box store succulents in the landscape.

    Whether you’re a beginner or a budget-savvy gardener, you’ll leave with the confidence and knowledge to turn a simple shopping cart of plants into a showstopping, low-maintenance garden display.

    SCSS members Kyle Johnson and Gerhard Bock have created spectacular succulent landscapes in their own gardens. Many plants are from low-cost sources like Lowe’s and The Home Depot. To see photos of both their gardens, visit Gerhard’s
    blog, Succulents and More    .

    Disclaimer: Although this talk is on big-box plant acquisition, we highly recommend starting at your local nurseries, where your dollars will stay local, supporting your community and neighbors. Additionally, local nursery folks can help guide you in your plant selection.

  • SCSS at Northern California Home & Landscape Expo, January 30-February 1, 2026

    SCSS at Northern California Home & Landscape Expo, January 30-February 1, 2026

    EVENT REMINDER:

    The club will have a booth at the Northern California Home & Landscape Expo at Cal Expo on Jan 30, 31, and Feb 1: https://www.homeandlandscapeexpo.com/.


    Members are welcome to come visit our booth, and we can always use a few volunteers to talk with interested people about cacti & succulents. If you volunteer for at least 3 hours, we can provide parking passes for you. There is a special place for volunteer parking that also allows you to get into the Expo for free. If interested, please contact Bill.

    WHAT: Northern California Home & Landscape Expo

    WHERE: Cal Expo (Google Maps)

    WHEN:
    Friday, Jan 30, 11AM-5PM
    Saturday, Jan 31, 10AM-5PM
    Sunday, Feb 1, 11AM-5PM

  • Next meeting, November 24: South African Bulbs: Propagation and Cultivation

    Next meeting, November 24: South African Bulbs: Propagation and Cultivation

    presented by Ernesto Sandoval

    Ernesto Sandoval has grown South African bulbs and geophytes for many years, both professionally and privately. He wants to share some of his experiences with this beautiful and diverse set of plants, particularly concerning propagation and cultivation. Mostly, through the use of gorgeous photos, he wants to convince us to grow more of these fascinating plants in our gardens with little effort (free winter rainfall) to bring a little more color into our gardens during the winter months!

    Ernesto Sandoval has been pondering and seeking answers to the question of why plants grow and look the way they do for nearly 40 years. He regularly lectures to various Western Garden Clubs throughout the year. Desert plants are his particular passion. He describes himself as a “Jose of All Plants, Master of None” and loves learning from the experiences and passions of others and his own.

    When he was about 13, he asked his dad why one tree was pruned a particular way and another tree another way. His dad answered bluntly, “Because that’s how you do it.” Since then he’s been learning and teaching himself the answers to those and many other questions by getting a degree at UC Davis in Botany and working from student weeder/waterer to Director over the last 30 years at the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory. He is now a Graduate Student getting his Masters in Horticulture and Agronomy at UC Davis with a focus on the propagation and cultivation of drought-adapted plants.

    Ernesto will have bulbs from Barry Rice for sale, including Oxalis palmifrons, Nerine sarniensis, Ixia, Trachandra tortilis, Albuca spiralis, Lachenalia aloides var. quadricolor, Haemanthus coccineus and others, to name a few.

  • Next meeting, October 27: Big-Box Store Succulents

    Next meeting, October 27: Big-Box Store Succulents

    presented by Kyle Johnson and Gerhard Bock

    Want a climate-resilient, modern, water-wise succulent garden but don’t know where to start? Think you need to visit specialty nurseries to find plant material for your design? Think again!

    Join us for an inspiring presentation and learn how to create a stunning landscape using affordable and accessible succulents from your local big-box store. We’ll demystify the process from start to finish, showing you how to:

    • Choose the winners: Learn the secrets to spotting the best plants and which common varieties to look for.
    • Design like a pro: Discover simple design principles for combining colors, textures, and shapes to create eye-catching arrangements in pots or garden beds. Think rocks!
    • Be inspired: See inspiring examples of using big-box store succulents in the landscape.

    Whether you’re a beginner or a budget-savvy gardener, you’ll leave with the confidence and knowledge to turn a simple shopping cart of plants into a showstopping, low-maintenance garden display.

    SCSS members Kyle Johnson and Gerhard Bock have created spectacular succulent landscapes in their own gardens. Many plants are from low-cost sources like Lowe’s and The Home Depot. To see photos of both their gardens, visit Gerhard’s
    blog, Succulents and More    .

    Disclaimer: Although this talk is on big-box plant acquisition, we highly recommend starting at your local nurseries, where your dollars will stay local, supporting your community and neighbors. Additionally, local nursery folks can help guide you in your plant selection.

  • Next meeting, September 22: Country Store!

    Next meeting, September 22: Country Store!

    It’s September and the Country Store, our annual fundraiser, is just days away. Hopefully everyone has managed to set aside a few cacti, succulents, succulent-themed items and/or pots to donate.

    Doors will open at 6:00 PM for you to bring your donations. Please arrive by 6:45 PM to set out your donations, buy your tickets, and settle in for an exciting evening. The Country Store drawing will start at 7 PM.

    There will be four drawing categories for the donated items:

    1. Cacti
    2. Succulents
    3. Misc. succulent-themed items such as books, clothing, jewelry, etc.
    4. Pots

    Tickets will be 50 cents each. Each ticket has two parts. You keep one of the two and the other goes into one of the containers located at each category. You can enter as many tickets as you like in whichever categories you choose. If your ticket number is called, you get to pick whatever you want from the category that it was pulled from.

    BAKED GOODS will be a separate category. Instead of entering tickets and then waiting until your number is called, you’ll be able to buy treats with tickets throughout the night. Those of you who wish to donate food items can bake your own treats or purchase them. Either way, please wrap them in individual serving sizes (you decide the size) to be purchased with 50 cent tickets. A shout out to Hal and Troy who often bring home-baked treats to our monthly meetings!

    The SILENT AUCTION will have higher-value plants or special items-think planters, books, special pottery, jewelry, etc. Each item will have a bid sheet where you can add your name and your bid. All bids are visible, so there’s opportunity for spirited competition! Please bring cash (smaller bills, too, not just twenties) for the silent auction; in the past, winning bids ranged anywhere from $5 to $50.

    PRO TIPS (NEW MEMBERS PLEASE READ)

    1. Depending on how many tickets you buy, keeping track of your numbers can become a challenge. However, all you need to do is write down the number of the first and the last ticket. If a ticket between these two is called, it’s yours.
    2. If you’re more of a visual person, you can tape your ticket stubs to the back of a box or a piece of cardboard for easy reference. If you like this idea, bring cardboard and Scotch tape!
    3. Bring a box or bag for the items you win!

    NOTE: You do not have to donate to participate. If you do have donations, use your judgement on what to donate. Think healthy and pest free plants that some other members would be happy to own. If you have any questions, please call or text Bill McCabe at (916) 225-5974.

  • Save the date: Country Store on September 22, 2025

    Save the date: Country Store on September 22, 2025

    Why in the **** do we keep propagating more cacti & succulents? Why, so we can donate them to our annual Country Store!

    Do you need want more plants? Do you have way too many plants and want to get rid of some? We collect cacti and succulents—it’s what we do! But we are often conflicted between the need to reduce and the desire to add to our collections. Welcome to the Country Store where we try to solve this dilemma for you or at least make it easier to rationalize coming home with more plants.

    It’s time for Club members to start gathering donations of cacti, succulents, pots, and cacti and succulent themed items (books, clothing, pictures, jewelry, etc.) to bring to our annual Country Store on Monday, September 22, 2025. If you don’t have any extra plants, how about baking some sweet treats like cookies, brownies or cupcakes? A drawing will be held for donated
    items with tickets being sold before 7PM that night.

    Bring your donations in early (6:15) so we can get set up and you can see what’s available. There will be a silent auction where you can get great deals on higher valued cacti and succulents and other cacti and succulent related items. The Silent Auction has exploded over the last .couple of years with some amazing items being donated by our amazing Club members!

    Attending the Country Store is one of the great perks of being a Club member. You can add several new plants, inexpensively, that have been generously donated by other Club members. And on that note: To be successful, we need your donations! Please start setting aside the items you would like to donate. You do not want to miss this event. You do not have to donate items to participate! We will have more details at the August meeting.

    New members: If you are unable to attend the August meeting, but have questions about how the whole thing works, feel free to call or text Bill McCabe at 916-225-5974.

  • Gerhard Bock Open Garden, March 1

    Gerhard Bock Open Garden, March 1

    Gerhard Bock will open his garden in Davis on Saturday, March 1, from 10 am to 2 pm. Gerhard has a large collection of aloes, and many will be in bloom. There are plenty of other things to see, too: agaves, cacti, and companion plants from around the world. Check out Gerhard’s blog for a sneak peek: https://www.succulentsandmore.com/

    Email Gerhard at gerhard@succulentsandmore.com to RSVP and get the address. Or, if you know where he lives, just show up.