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Electing NewElecting New Officers!Officers!

Volume 14 November 2011 Number 11

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE BAKERSFIELD CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY

Monthly MeetingTuesday, Nov. 8Olive Drive Church,

5500 Olive driveat 6:30 PM

(Building 6, Room 604)

This Month's Program

What IS That Plant? A Brief Taxonomy of Succulents

presented by

Maynard Moe

Volume 14 Number 11

November 2011The is the official publication of the Bakersfield

Cactus & Succulent Society of Bakersfield, California

Membership in the Bakersfield Cactus & Succulent Society costs $10 per year for an individual and only $15 a year for a family.

Visit Us On the Web!www.BakersfieldCactus.org

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What IS That Plant?A Brief Taxonomy of

Succulentspresented by Maynard Moe

At our Show and Sale last month we had over 45 categories for plants. Why did we choose the categories the way we did? Why did we put Gasterias with Haworthias or why are Monadeniums with Euphorbias or Senecio not with Crassulas? There really is such a huge variety of succulent plants that it is often quite difficult to tell one from another. In this presentation I plan to describe some "Botany 101" to gain (or review) an understanding of basic flower structure and then use some of that information to help unravel the mystery of general succulent taxonomy. There will be lots of nice photos and (hopefully) very little Latin. (This is a version of the talk I gave in 2006.) At least this is what I currently plan to talk about. It could change. I just hope I don’t forget to prepare something.

Maynard Moe

Visit us on the Web!www.BakersfieldCactus.org

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CONTACT INFORMATIONPresident: Ed Colley CactusWoodsEd00@aol.comMembership: Maynard Moe lithops44@bak.rr.comNewsletter/Website: Stephen Cooley thecactuspatch@bak.rr.com

NOVEMBER’S PROGRAMNOVEMBER’S PROGRAM

This small pinkish-gray leaf succulent is a member of the Crassulaceae and grows in the

familiar rosette form that most of us know. In pot culture it will reach about a foot tall (30 cm.). The rosettes of leaves may get up to 6 in (15 cm) across and are very brittle shedding leaves easily. Flowers are small about one half in. (12 mm.) in diameter with five white petals forming a star shape. They appear in the spring along stems up to a foot long.

G. paraguayense is native to the Tamaulipas region of Mexico. It prefers full sun to part shade and will stand temperatures down to 20 F., so should do well outside in Bakersfield. It is often used in xeriscapes as a border or color contrast. Its common name of “ghost plant” makes it an appropriate choice for plant of the month for this month. It is easily propagated by stem or leaf cuttings. A soil mix of 1part peat moss to 1part loam to 2 parts sand is recommended for pot culture. Allow it to dry out nearly completely between waterings. Do not water in cold weather until the leaves start to wither.

Jack G. Reynolds -4-

Linda Green brought a flowering branch of Desert “Willow” (Chilopsis linearis), wanting to know if it can grow

here. The answer is yes, and, indeed there is a bush at the Cal State garden. It can be

grown from seed and quickly grows into a three foot shrub. It then slows down, but

may reach a height of 25 feet. It can also be grown from

hard wood cuttings. It is not a true willow but is a member of the Trumpet Vine family (Bignoniaceae). It has; however, leaves shaped liked those of willows.

Polly brought a plant of Peperomia sandersi with tiny flowers. This has a succulent tuber and is related to black pepper (Piper nigrum). It comes from Brazil.

I brought a plant of Aloe descognsii which comes from Madagascar and was blooming. It represents the many brightly-colored tubular flowers which attract hummingbirds. It is one of the smaller aloes.

Our Show & Sale at the

Golden State Mall was one of our best

ever!

Thanks Everyone!

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The new T-shirts are printed (well....almost) Serene green (left) is in regular unisex sizes. Women's azalea is pretty bright. No serene green in ladies so I printed up just one in pistachio (right). We can look at colors and order more at our next meeting.

Murray Farms I saw Steven Murray's brother Sean @ farmer's market & he told me about their plans for a garden. I sent Steven a comment & he responded.

'Yes we are planning on doing big cactus displays at both stores. We have a lot of saguaros and want to do something with them. I also plan on growing pitayas or dragon fruit commercially and selling the fruit in the store. Steven'

ApplesSome of our members made a day trip to Tehachapi for a picnic & apple-picking (see page 11). We picked Delicious & Macintoshes at the orchard of Carol Gates, enjoyed coffee & apple cake on the spacious deck. The orchard is open on weekends. If you would like to go, call Carol for directions to Banducci Rd.

Lynn

Before the Next Meeting.....We need to put together a group to go buy plants for the Silent Action. I know its early but please start to think about our decorations for our Christmas Party in December.

Ed-6-

President Ed started the meeting by asking if anyone wanted to make afield trip to the L.A. Arboretum and the San Gabriel Fall Show & Sale. He also reminded us that we need to elect new officers at the next meeting.

Sydney gave us briefing on our great showing at the Kern County Fair – we won Sweepstakes!

Jack Reynolds mentioned he is giving another bonsai class. If you

are interested contact Jack..Tom Fuentes gave us a brief

introduction to hummingbirds, then showed us a wonderful film, and though there were some problems with the sound level, it was still a treat to watch. He then answered all our questions.

We finished with a raffle of some great plants.

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Fairs, A Show & Isaac in Bakersfield

A Letter From Bruce

Summer is over. Everything is starting a new season. Our Goldenaires choir has

started rehearsing and has even sung for a couple of funerals. FLICS at the Fox got

off to a bad start when the first film scheduled refused to cooperate and they had to show the second. (They did get the first one shown two weeks later.) On the 25th of Sept. the musical series at the 1st Congregational Church got off to a swinging start with “Sanctuary & dr d’s debris.” The next evening the Community Concert series began with Michael Kaeshhammer and lots of back up presenting more jazz. If this keeps up we’ll be exhausted by next summer’s break.

On the 17th we began setting up for the Kern County Fair. We took Alice on the 19th so we could show her the club setup without exhaustion. We went with Anne on the 23rd (Sr Day) and saw all

four ribbons. Another great year. On the 6th of Oct. we zipped up to Fresno and babysat the succulent exhibit at the Fresno County Fair. They put a fence which keeps people back from the plants, but it makes the labels unreadable. The meeting that

evening featured various genetic twists (crests, monstrose forms & variegates) with an illustrated explanation by Tom Glavich.

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Members brought lots of examples.We rushed back to Bakersfield on the 7th to help setup for the

show and sale. We managed to fit into the new locality without too many hiccups. I was surprised when my beautiful Gymnocalicium (yes – a cactus!) was voted the “Plant I Don’t Want to Take Home”.

The meeting on the 11th was certainly different. Tom Fuentes has been observing hummingbirds for a long time. The pictures were great, but it would have been better with more sound. Also, we got a bit sidetracked on whether hummers see color. (They do.)

And now back to May for a final note on Isaac’s visit:We reached Bakersfield on the 9th of May and had dinner at

Milt’s which is close by, inexpensive and offers a taste of local cuisine. On the 10th we ate with the BCSS at Hodel’s (another local cuisine) and then proceeded to the meeting to hear about Patagonia.

Next day we dropped Isaac at Valley Plaza with instructions on how to return by bus. I was a bit worried about this (his request), but he ran into a Ugandan at the food court and got a ride back.

The 12th was a leisure day at home. On the 13th (a Friday, of course) we went to the Elephant Bar for lunch. We explained to Isaac that this was to Africa as the Spur chain in South Africa is to America -- very remote. We then drove around town to see the

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Alice - KC Fair

Polly & Anne - Fresno Fair

Dinner @ Hodels

sights, ending in Oildale and driving out China Grade Loop. Isaac asked how far the wells extended. Instead of expressing our

answer in words, we went up on the bluffs where the extent could be seen. It is impressive.

Next day we went to the BCSS yard sale and then had lunch at Cactus Valley. That evening we took Isaac to the Melodrama to see “Back from the Future”. Another bit of local culture heard from. As a contrast, on Sunday we had our family lunch at Chalet Basque. Isaac was glad to see some good lamb at last, but declined to join me in the pickled tongue.

Finally, on the 16th we drove up 58 with a detour by the “Loop” to the wind farm east of Tehachapi. We then turned south through Mojave and Isaac got a good look at the desert. We detoured to the Poppy Preserve and found some poppies still blooming. Then it was west to Stevenson Ranch and Claim

Jumpers. We ordered the usual shrimp-stuffed Jalapenos, but Isaac declined them. Next, we said goodbye at the LA airport.It was interesting to have new eyes seeing what is altogether too familiar.

[Bruce's opinions are his own and are not necessarily that of the BCSS]

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Apple Trip October 2011 On October 23, several of the

members of the cactus club planned to meet at Carol Gates home in Tehachapi to pick apples. Carol lives on her parent’s apple and Christmas tree farm. This

picture of rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus) and California fuchsia (Zauschnaria) was taken by Carol on the farm.

Sidney decided that she wanted to go early to

hit a few yard sales in Tehachapi before meeting up with the rest. She didn’t have much luck, only finding a stuffed rubber dinosaur and a rubber rattle snake that looks too real!

Members that went were Bill & Lynn McDonald, Sasha & Andy

Honig, Sidney and I, and Kristen Bellurand from the Audubon Society. Kristen took this picture of us.

Most picked apples except me, I just ate apples, which were Red Delicious and were delicious!

Carol even made a wonderful apples cake from a recipe that Margaret, a friend of Carol’s mother, gave to her.

It was amazing the amount of apples she had, several acres,-11-

Polly & Isaac @ Poppy Reserve

and each tree loaded with apples of many kinds. We mainly got Golden and Red Delicious, and Rome (I think). Whatever they are, they’re beautiful!

And last, but not least, are a couple of pictures of her succulents. The ones in the ground get covered with heavy mulch in the winter.

Some fun apple facts: The crabapple is the only apple

native to North America.2 lbs. of apples make one 9-inch pie.2,500 varieties of apples are grown in

the United States.The pilgrims planted the first United

States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.Apple varieties range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as

large as a grapefruit.The apple tree originated in the Caspian and the Black Sea area.Apples were the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans.Apples are a member of the rose family.The largest apple picked weighed three pounds.Most apple blossoms open pink but gradually fade to white.Some apple trees will grow over 40 feet and live over 100 years.It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.Apples are the 2nd most valuable fruit in the U.S. Oranges are first.

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In colonial time, apples were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth.

America's longest-lived apple tree was reportedly planted in 1647 and was still bearing fruit when a derailed train struck it in 1866.

Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C.

The world's largest apple peel was created by Kathy Wafler Madison on October 16, 1976, in Rochester, NY. It was 172 feet, 4 inches long. (She was 16 years old at the time and grew up to be a sales manager for an apple tree nursery.)

It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.The top apple producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan,

Pennsylvania, California and Virginia.Almost one out of every four apples harvested in the United States is

exported.Apple Facts from http://urbanext.illinois.edu/apples/facts.cfmWe all had a good time and enjoyed the trip, and Carol’s hospitality.

~Jack Kelley~

Surfing the Net: Milk Jugs &

Wine Bottles Milk Jugs………….Wall-O-Water Heater Fill jugs with water and arrange them in a

ring around plants. Cover the ring at night to preserve heat absorbed during the day. When the danger of frost and cold has passed, use the warmed water to water your plants. For warmer water, paint the containers black before filling them. This is a good way to regulate heat in cold frames and greenhouses. http://www.plantea.com/milk-jug.htm

Slug Watering Hole Cut the bottoms off 2 or 3 inches from the base. Sink the base into the soil so the top rim is level with the soil. Fill (bait) with beer (this Bud's for you) or your own sugar-

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water-yeast solution (a pinch of yeast is all you need). http://www.plantea.com/milk-jug.htm

Garden Nannies For this craft, you'll need an empty milk jug (with cap), water, a hammer and nail, a sharp knife and a thirsty plant. Start by cutting the bottom off the jug. This is how you'll fill the container with water in the future. Place the milk cartons cap on a workbench and use the hammer and nail to poke at least four holes in the cap. Be careful to just barely push the nail through, as to make a whole in the cap without nailing it to your workspace. Replace the cap to the top of the bottle.Make a hole in the soil near the plant you want to water. Insert the bottle, cap side down, so that roughly half the bottle is in the soil. Fill soil in around the jug so it will stay in place. Then simply fill it with as much water as it will hold -- or as much water as your plant needs. Water will slowly trickle out providing your plant with a slow steady supply of water. Feel free to add fertilizer if you wish.

Be sure to pull the milk jug nanny out from time to time and clean the cap. The small holes can get clogged with time. Fill the jug when empty or when your plant demands, and thenyou're free to walk away. http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/recycled-milk-jug-crafts2.htm

Wine Bottles………….I am definitely going to do this one with wine bottles. And maybe soda bottles – the glass ones of course! The bottles are inverted in the ground to form an edging for your garden (a la “rock garden”) or use them as a border along your path. The bottles in this picture are used in small groups as mini ledges for a garden planted on an incline. They look like they’ve been filled with something – maybe sand. http://hodgepodge-home.blogspot.com/2011/06/summer-heat-and-wine-bottles.html

Busy surfing the NET……-14-

Nov 8 BCSS Meeting at 6:30PM Olive Dr. Church.topic: Succulent Taxonomyspeakers: Maynard Moe

Dec 13 BCSS Meeting at 6:00PM Olive Dr. Church.Silent Auction & Potluck

Nov. 5-6 San Gabriel Valley Cactus & Succulent Society Show and Sale at the LA County Arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia

Nov. 11-12 Orange County Cactus and Succulent Society Winter Show & Sale at Anaheim United Methodist Church, 1000 S. State College Blvd., Anaheim, CA. 9AM to 5PM

If you would like to save the club some needed funds, please consider receiving your newsletter via email/internet. Email

thecactuspatch@bak.rr.com

Please consider becoming a club officer. Some of our officers have held their

positions for many years.

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UPCOMING EVENTS