The Beaver Tale December 2007

President’s Note
What a busy but joyous and festive time of year. As I write this, Thanksgiving is the day after tomorrow,
Hanukkah arrives the day before our own holiday party, Christmas soon follows, and then the New
Year’s celebrations lead us into 2008.

And what great weather we’ve been having here in southern Nevada to kick off this Holiday Season.
The weather has been so warm this November that some of the Creosote Bushes out on the trails at the
Springs Preserve, where I hang out twice a week, are starting to bloom again. They must think it is
spring already. The Texas Rangers in our front yard continue to bloom, but those guys flower almost
year ‘round anyway.

I do hope you can join us at the Garden Center on December 6th for our monthly gathering. This has
always been a special event for the club, a time to eat, drink, be merry, and share. We are again asking
each member to bring a food item or pot-luck dish for consumption and a wrapped gift in the $10 range
for exchange. We aren’t doing the Chinese Auction that we used to do—which seemed to take forever
and didn’t always end satisfactorily for some—but there will be an element of chance in who gets what,
so we hope everyone will take part in the fun. Please make your gift cactus-related; beyond that let your
imagination run wild. If it’s kind of “gender specific” you might mark it as such on the outside of the
wrapping or on a tag.

Also as part of the entertainment at the party, I am hoping to put together a slide show of photos like we
did last year. If you have any 2007 pictures and you can put them into a digital format such as a Photo
CD, get them to me as soon as possible. Call me or E-mail me if that is the case and we can arrange to
meet. It’s probably kind of late to trust snail mail, depending on when you read this. I will need any input
for the presentation not later than Monday, December 3rd, or thereabouts.

One final thought. The December meeting on the 6th will be the final chance to earn cactus points for the
year. Our 2007 cactus points “winners” will comprise approximately 15 to 20 percent of the membership;
they will be recognized at our January meeting. I have compiled the point standings as of the end of
November and they should show up in this month’s newsletter. If you’re “on the bubble” you want to
make sure you show up. And anyone who shows up early to help us set up or stays late to help with the
clean up can earn those extra points. Regardless, I hope to see you all at the party.

Phil Lawton
++++++++++

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 Next Meeting Date/Time December Program
December 6 Once again it is time for our annual Christmas party.
Dinner Starts at 6:00 p.m. If you wish to participate in the gift exchange please
Please come early to help set up! bring a wrapped gift in the value of $10.00.

Meetings are the first Thursday every
month at the Garden Club near
Lorenzi Park, at the corner of
Washington & Twin Lakes Drive.
++++++++++
http://www.csssn.org Lists the club
Officers; If you wish to assist an
officer, please use the “CONTACT”
feature on the website.
++++++++++
If you have an e-mail address, we’ll e-
mail the newsletter. BUT,if you can’t
be “GREEN,” please notify Liz at
dicnliz7067@netzero.net and she’ll
snail mail it.
++++++++++
Planned Events
December 6 - Holiday Dinner
Winter and early spring are great
outing months. Plan one with friends,
family, and/or club members!
Celebrate Cactus Spring Show & Sale
April 12 and 13
Main dish items will be catered this year! If you
signed up to bring something, Don’t Forget It!
++++++++++
Annual dues are payable in January!
Individual - $15.00; Household - $25
Name(s): ____________________________________
_____________________________________________
Street: ______________________________________
City, State, Zip ________________________________
Phone: ______________________________________
e-mail address: ________________________________
email & website are default methods of communication.
With that, you may elect to receive the Silver State
Gardener free. It arrives by snail mail. Check below:
□ YES, send it! or □ NO, thank you.
We will collect dues at the meeting or you may mail them.
Thanks for your continued interest!
CSSSN – Membership
P O Box 57110
Las Vegas, NV 89157

Turner-Greenhouse- http://www.turner-greenhouse.com
Dave & Kris Turner
645-2032 4455 Quadrel Street, Las Vegas, NV 89129
We specialize in Cactus & Succulents for the Landscaper & Collector
Native Nevada Cactus, Hedgehogs, Beavertails Red & Golden Barrels, Rainbow Cactus
Yuccas, Joshuas, Ocotillos, Aloes, Agaves
We also have a large selection of additional Succulents from all over the world for the house & patio.

Calplants.com -
http://www.cabrillonets.com/calplants
If you love Saffron Crocus sprinkled in your
xeriscape or want other interesting xeriscape plant We are always looking for rare, special, and large
ideas, contact the “Tomato Lady” (Leslie Doyle) specimen Cactus & Succulents to buy.
http://www.sweettomatotestgarden.com Call 800-384-4559
2 E-mail calplants@yahoo.com
Cactus Care Tips: ECHINOCACTUS POLYCEPHALUS
(COTTONTOP CACTUS)
Article By Susan Kent with contributions from Stephanie Thomas
Photos courtesy of Pat Leary

Some of you may remember this plant from a

year or two ago at our first Cactus Fest over at
Kris and Dave Turner’s. At that time Mark
Pedigo was actively involved in doing plant
rescues. Stephanie Thomas, our CSSSN newly
elected Secretary, was helping him. They
managed to legally place several plants in good
homes as well as make them available through
at least one local nursery, yep, Turner’s!.

Echinocactus polycephalus is native to Nevada,

Arizona, California and Mexico at lower
elevations. Were it not for them, and Dave &
Kris Turner, I may not have written this little
tip. This clumping cactus has spherical to short
spherical stems, growing up to 24 inches tall.
To say, “this is a colonizing, somewhat barrel-
shaped cactus,” would be an understatement.
Some specimens have over 100 heads. A hike
on Blue Diamond Mesa revealed the colony on
the right. The overall color of the plant is
darker green with a hint of blue-grey. The
spines are sturdy, curved but not hooked, and
usually light grey. E. polycephalus prefers full
sun with a minimum average temperature of 55
degrees F. It requires well draining soil and
minimal water. (Do not put this plant on
standard irrigation!) After blooming and
pollination, the small round blackish brown
shiny seeds are contained in the cotton-like
material on the top of the cactus; hence, the
common name, “Cottontop.” The seeds
germinate well and plants begin to colonize
without provocation. The plant is sometimes
available at local cactus and succulent nurseries
as either nursery grown or tagged, harvested
material. When available, single headed 1-
gallon plants to large magnificent colonies in
24-inch boxed specimens are smart additions to
cactus landscape.

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 CACTUS POINTS
Standings as of December 1, 2007

Name Jan – Dec 1 Name Jan – Dec 1

Askew, Dick 140 Miller, Jan 10
Askew, Liz 150 Minnich, Kathy 10
Bailey, Holly 90 Minnich, Woody 10
Bernikow, Iris 175 Nietling, Jay 90
Betzler, Joey 115 Norton, John 25
Brenner, Marilyn 110 Oliver, Cal 10
Brenner, Michael 105 Pedigo, Mark 50
Browning, Marvin 10 Peters, Jim 105
Cadette, Don 95 Pierce, Jim 50
Cadette, Jeannie 170 Presares, Doug 10
Campbell, Ken 70 Radcliff, Gunde 20
Deadrich, Paul 100 Russo, Paul 10
Doyle, Leslie 65 Shaw, Barbara 20
Duncombe, Pete 140 Sheets, Mary 140
Dutch, Irma 110 Shoaff, Steve 25
Furtek, Bob 105 Soldan, Tim 20
Fusaro, Mindy 10 Steinline, Travis 10
Fusaro, Pat 10 Teppen, Bev 50
Gamble, Linda 15 Thomas, Stephanie 150
Garcia, Tom 190 Turner, Dave 65
Garrett, Paula 85 Turner, Kris 50
Grothuesmann, Jim 160 Valenti, Sam 150
Henry, Ola 5 White, Christopher 45
Holmes, Rick 90 White, Rita 40
Hupy, Rusty 15 Wujcik, Joe 10
Jones, Susan 20 Wright, Pauline 30
Kent, Susan 180 Zeitlan, Steve 15
Kleinman, Sol 30
Korabell, Stan 20
Lawton, Mary 65
Lawton, Phil 205
Lesley, Ramona 65
Lindsey, Victor 130
Lynch, Bob 110