The Beaver Tale April 2008

President’s Note
April is a busy month for us in CSSSN. It’s so important, I need to emphasize what’s usually
covered in our program and events sections of the Beaver Tale. Hold onto your hats, grab your
water bottles, and break out the sun block so you can participate this spring!

• Kicking things off here at the end of March is the final weekend of the Plant Affair, the
lecture/tours/workshop series hosted by our own Paula Garrett at the UNLV Arboretum.
Specifically, some of the events that weekend include the following on Saturday: 11:00-Noon,
Dave Turner—“Caring for Cacti”; 12:30-1:30, Joey Betzler—“Xeriscape Garden Tour”; Amy
Zeldenrust—“Designing with Succulents.” On Sunday catch Victor Lindsey from 12:30-1:30,
“The Cactus Venture: places to see cacti” and Pete Duncombe, from 2:00-3:00, “Best Cacti &
Succulents for Southern Nevada.

• Also happening the last weekend of March, Saturday the 29th to be specific, is the CSN Annual
“Spring in the Desert.” We’ll be running a table there next to Turner-Greenhouse and close to
some local potters. Planting demonstrations and Q&A’s will be going on from 8:00 AM to 3:00
PM by our own club members.

• April’s guest speaker is Dr. Mark Dimmitt, the curator of plants at the Arizona Sonoran Desert
Museum in Tucson and one of the foremost authorities in the world on Ademiums and
Pachypodiums. Also at this monthly meeting we will be finalizing deTales on our upcoming
2008 Celebrate Cactus event at Turner’s, so we’re counting on a good turnout.

• Our own Celebrate Cactus Show and Sale is April 12 and 13 over at Turner’s again. We need
all kinds of support to make this a huge success. We’ll talk about it at the next meeting.

It’s important for us all to remember that these events promote our mission statement, they
attract new members, and are fun ways to hang out with each other as well as members of the
general public that share our love of nature.

On a sad note, I must pass on the news that Mary Sheets’ husband recently passed away after an
extended illness. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mary.

Finally, just a reminder that our Board meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. next month (April 3)
followed by our regular meeting at 7:00 p.m. I hope to see you all there.

Phil Lawton
++++++++++
WILDFLOWERS ARE IN BLOOM! NELSON, MT. CHARLESTON, TAKE A ROAD
TRIP IN ANY DIRECTION WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS! Look at Digital Desert!

++++++++++

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 Next Meeting Monthly Meeting Programs:
April 3, 2008
General Meeting Starts at 7:00 PM. Please Mark Dimmitt, Director of Natural History at the Arizona-
come early to help set up! Board Meeting Sonora Desert Museum will use Adeniums as the
starts at 6:00 PM Members with last examples in a talk that reveals, “What Wild Plants Tell
names ending in N-Z please bring about Needs in Cultivation.” As a naturalist, Mark has
refreshments. many interests and serves as a valuable resource to
Planned Events many individuals and communities. He is the recipient of
grants from various government agencies, and is a well-
March 29 & 30 “A Plant Affair” published individual. Don’t miss this one!
UNLV Lecture Series: Many of our
members are speakers. Free admission;
Organized by Paula Garrett
March 29, 2008 Spring in the Desert
At CSN Garden Center
April 12 and 13 – DOUBLE HEADER!
Celebrate Cactus Show & Sale - at
Turner’s PLUS Nevada Garden Clubs
Spring Flower Show - at Lorenzi Park
Garden Center
May 10 & 11 Mother’s Day Sale
Watch Springs Preserve website for
deTales coming soon: Visit his web site, and be prepared for a real flower show!
Preservehttp://www.springspreserve.org/c http://adenium.tucsoncactus.org/
fml/calendar/ddg_cal_main.cfml?m=5&yr=
2008 MEMBERSHIP DUES: Individual - $15.00; Household - $25
Name(s): ____________________________________
_____________________________________________

Victor Lindsey’s http://calplants.biz/ Street: ______________________________________

We are always looking for rare, special, and large
specimen Cactus & Succulents to buy.
Call 1-800-384-4559
E-mail calplants@yahoo.com
If you have veggie or tropical plant gardening
questions, contact club member, Leslie Doyle, aka the
“Tomato Lady”
http://www.sweettomatotestgarden.com
Watch for her several Workshops around the Valley!
City, State, Zip ________________________________
Phone: ______________________________________
E-mail address: ________________________________
Email & website are default methods of communication. If you
have an e-mail address, we e-mail the newsletter. If you wish a
paper copy, please notify Liz at dicnliz7067@netzero.net.
Dues can be paid at any monthly meeting, or you may mail
them. Thanks for your continued interest!
CSSSN – Membership
P O Box 571101
Las Vegas, NV 89157

http://www.csssn.org Lists the club Officers

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, BeaverTales 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.
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 CELEBRATE CACTUS! SPRING SHOW & SALE
APRIL 12 & 13, 2008 - TURNER-GREENHOUSE
VENDORS, EXPERTS, VOLUNTEERS AND PATRONS CREATE OUR SUCCESS!
VENDORS INCLUDE:
• Marvin Browning - Capturing Southwest
Splendor in Lasting Oil on Canvas
• Cal Oliver - Gourd Art, Bowls, Planters, &
Interior Décor
• Cliff & Linda Meng - Adeniums, Pacy's, &
Caudiciforms
• Jan Emming – “Destination Forever Ranch
and Gardens,” Landscape Plants & Desert
Natives
• James K. Lee - Landscape Photography
Sometimes with a Twist
• Sara Smith - Jewelry, Kaleidoscopes,
Home Décor
• Pat & Mindy Fusaro - Succulents & Cacti
EXPERT “KNOWLEDGE FORCE” INCLUDES:
Amy “Z”eldenrust Leslie Doyle
Dave & Kris Turner Paula & Bill Garrett
Linn Mills ML Robinson
Joseph Betzler Pat & Mindy Fusaro
Norm Schilling Jan Emming
VOLUNTEERS INCLUDE:
To volunteer for a variety of assignments, please sign up at the April 3 meeting, call, or e-mail
susan@csssn.org
PATRONS INCLUDE:
Help hand out flyers, tell friends, family, and neighbors!
SHOW PLANTS! PARAPHRASED FROM FULL MARCH ARTICLE BY JOSEPH BETZLER
• Try to bring 5 to 10 cactus or succulents.
• Green entry tags=experienced growers;
yellow entry tags=”newish” competitors
• Bring in the old, seed grown, and odd
plants.
• Size does not matter.
• Try to name the plant; we’ll help.
• Clean and groom plants and pots. A thin
coat of vegetable oil goes a long way on
plastic, terra cotta or ceramic. Top
dressing helps focus the eye, but is not
required.
• Water at least a day BEFORE the event.
3
• Larry & Mary Kay Birum - Gifts of the Earth
(Copper, Stone, Fountains)
• Teresa Testa - Porcelain Art Forms
• Wayne & Michele Logan - Petroglyphs
• Pier Leigh Marsh - Practical Plant Pottery
• Seth Bailey - Wood turning - Burled & Hard
Wood
• Lynda Whitehair - Cactus Stoneware
• Norm Caruthers - Stone Floating Candles
with Planter
• George Vanlanen - Pottery in Earth Tones
• Steve Zeitlin – Ceramics
• Boy Scouts – Everyone bring your $.
Support the hand that feeds you!
Thomas Garcia Other CSSSN
Stephanie Thomas Members
Peter Duncombe
Frank Rauscher
Master Gardeners
• Plants with insects: scale, mealy bugs, and
aphids or even ants will be removed for the
safety of other exhibitors. If you are unsure,
do not hesitate to ask.
• Lastly keep in mind what brought you to this
hobby – a passion for cacti and other
succulents. This is fascinating group of plants
please help spread the fascination with your
entries!
++++++++
March 29 SPRING IN THE DESERT (flyer
right) is produced by CSN at the Torrey Spring in the Desert
Pines and Charleston Garden Center. The
club needs to pass out flyers for our show
Annual Gardening Event
and sale as well as, likely do a few cactus Saturday March 29 8 AM - 3 PM
and succulent potting demonstrations. We Plant Sale, Native, Xeric, Rare Plants
could even answer a few questions from and Cactus;
attendees. Who knows, we might even gain Floral Design Sale, Lecture Series,
a few members. Contact Susan Kent to Educational Exhibits,
volunteer. The event does not last all day. Community Partners
If you volunteer even a few hours, it would
be most helpful. CSN DESERT GARDEN CENTER
6221 WEST CHARLESTON BLVD
(702) 651 5050

March 29 and 30 at UNLV: Check out the

program (right) that Paula Garrett has
assembled. Many of our CSSSN members
will be speaking including Dave Turner, Bill
Garrett, Joseph Betzler, and Victor Lindsey.
ML Robinson from the UNCE staff and
Master Gardener Amy Zeldenrust, also join
the line up. This event certainly speaks well
of our working to educate the public about
the wonderful plant material we all love,
cactus and succulents.

++++++++++

++++++++++
Look at your dish
gardens and
landscape. Don’t
let this happen!
Don’t be guilty of
conserving too
much water. Don’t
let your vegetation
Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) in bloom China Ranch Desert perish. Check and
March 2008 (photo: Stephanie Thomas) Floor (Terra firma reset your
dryei) 2007 (photo: irrigation system!
Susan Kent)
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Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae (dogbane) now includes Asclepiadaceae (milkweed)
Genus: Hoodia
Species: gordonii (about 17 total)
BUT WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN & HOW DO I PICK IT APART?
Keep reading future issues of the Beaver Tale!

Hoodia gordonii Photos by Susan Kent – March

2008 at Turner-Greenhouse
featured as Plant of the Week
March 14-20, 2008 by Cal Lemke

Hoodia gordonii
Apocynaceae

Hoodia gordonii is a spiny succulent perennial plant native to South Africa and Namibia. In
nature, the plants can attain a height of 3.2 feet (1 m), with clumps reaching 2-3 feet (0.6-0.9 m)
across. Individual plants can reach 6 inches (15 cm) thick. The plants freely branch after a
couple of years of growth and can have up to 40-50 individual stems from a single plant. The
plant has been hailed as the 'Miracle Plant' of the 20th century. It is used in dietary supplement
to suppress the appetite. The plant can withstand very high temperatures and a few degrees of
frost. The plants are attractive and should be in any economic botany collection. Here in the
U.S., the plants are hardy in USDA zone 9-10.

Blooming: In the greenhouse, the plants bloom in the spring. The flowers have a strong smell of
carrion and attract a great number of flies. Flowers vary in color, from straw colored to dark
maroons. Individual flowers can reach up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) across.

Culture: Hoodia gordonii need full sun to light shade, and prefer a very well drained soil mix. In
the greenhouse, we use a soil mix consisting of 1 part peat moss to 1 part loam to 2 parts sand.
We add small gravel to this mix to ensure good drainage. The plants are well watered and
allowed to dry thoroughly before watering again. We fertilize the plant monthly during the
growing season with a balanced fertilizer diluted to 1/4 the strength recommended on the label.
Watering of these plants is very critical. If they are watered too much, they tend to develop stem
rot and die. During winter months in the greenhouse, we move the plants to our cool room where
the nighttime temperatures fall to 48°F (9°C) and water is restricted to only enough to keep the
stems from shriveling.

Propagation: Hoodia gordonii is propagated from seed. Fresh seed will germinate in 21-30 days
from sowing. We start our seed in a peat sand mixture.

----------------------------------------------------------CREDITS---------------------------------------------------------
Text is reprinted with specific permission granted to susan@csssn.org use for educational
purposes and inclusion in the Beaver Tale by Cal Lemke, University of Oklahoma Department
of Botany & Microbiology. Cal is OU's botany greenhouse grower and an avid gardener at
home as well. Check out this site! http://www.plantoftheweek.org/

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 APRIL 12 and 13
CELEBRATE CACTUS!
The Cactus and Succulent Society of Southern
Nevada SHOW AND SALE
Saturday and Sunday 8 AM to 5 PM BOTH DAYS
(Free admission)
LOCATION: The year-round TURNER-
GREENHOUSE, 4455 Quadrel Street, Las Vegas,
NV 89129

In addition to “knock your socks off” award winning show plants, multiple vendors will present
landscape, patio, collector plants, southwest garden and related art. Beyond the plant vendors, natural
material artisans using wood, gourd, clay, rock, copper and glass present their work along side distinctive
oil paintings and creative photography. DEMONSTRATIONS and WALKS & TALKS help you learn
how to design with, select, handle, and maintain CACTUS and SUCCULENTS. Experts like Norm
Schilling, Peter Duncombe, Amy Z., Linn Mills, Joseph Betzler, UNCE, & more will be present.
Proceeds support public awareness and conservation of cactus and succulents. (Contact susan@csssn.org,
or Turner-Greenhouse.com or 702 645 2032)