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Beaver Tale Flowering in Death Valley

Cactus and Succulent Society of Southern Nevada

Newsletter March
April, 2011
Beaver Tale Fever April 2011
In This Issue Dear VICTOR,
Month by Month: Spring
Many Spring Events in April
SPRING BEAVER Happy Spring,
April must be the busiest month in Southern Nevada for
More About CSSSN gardeners. You've got 30 days to work, garden, and enjoy before
the heat rolls in. There are many events taking place this month
that are attractions for your enjoyment, as well opportunities to

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participate in public activities. Like the bees and hummingbirds,

this is the time to make the most of it.

Featured Article
View Our Web Site
Month by Month: Spring
Quick Links... By Donnie Barnett
Our Website

Spring always means flowers and pleasant temperatures. I'm

hoping everyone is enjoying the warmer weather, but not too
Join the Discussion warm of weather. Wildflowers are beginning to bloom and so are
the native cactus. The first will be the Beavertail prickly pear
(Opuntia basilaris), Grizzly Bear Prickly-pear (Opuntia
polyacantha ssp. erinaceae), Silver/Gold/Great basin cholla
Announcements (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa), Johnson's Keg Cactus (Echinomastus
Pete Duncombe, a long time johnsonii) and Golden Keg Cactus (Echinomastus lutescens) all of
club member and garden these will bloom first due to low elevation, and will bloom as
curator at the Springs warmer temperatures reach higher elevations. Many of these
Preserve, invited CSSSN to species of cactus are accesible by road in the Rainbow Gardens
meet on the grounds in and Lake Mead area for viewing. Or a walk at the Springs Preserve
exchange for sharing trails will also have all 5 species on display.
knowledge with the public.
The Springs Preserve is
focused on, among other
things, visitor experience,
classes and building
community. They would like
CSSSN members to donate
40 to 50 hours per month at
the Springs Preserve,
primarily on week-ends and
primarily in the Gardens
area. Pete will tentatively
coordinate this activity. It
should be easy to meet the
threshold of 40 hour per
month with 10 member
pledging 4 hours or 20
members kicking in 2 hour
per month.
Opuntia polyacantha

On my patio the sclerocactus have begun flowering. I have six

species of sclerocactus budding, s. parviflorus, s. spinosior, s.
writiae, s. glaucus, s. polyancistrus and sclerocactus spinosior. All
are very pretty when blooming and have awesome hooks. The
first of the clarét cup cactus will also be blooming in your
gardens. Dudleyas should also be close to flowering and in full

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growth mode. Many of the lower yuccas will also be blooming

including Joshua Trees, Mojave yuccas and Utah Yuccas. April is
the busiest season for flowers. I hope everyone gets out and
views this wonderful season.

Springs Preserve

Habitat Restoration
Opportunity
Hi folks. I have a school that
was originally planted by the
cactus society- Robert Taylor Echinocereus coccineus
in Henderson, who wants to
do a project in their habitat.
This habitat is also home to
a tortoise burrow and many
other desert species. The
school is involved with a
couple of grants and would
like to have the assistance
of the Cactus Society and
Master Gardeners to replant Upcoming Events
and revamp their cactus and
desert species within the
Spring Cactus Show and Sale at Moon Sun Cactus
habitat. As part of their
redevelopment, they hope and Koi Set for April 16-17, 2011. Information
to plant tortoise foods, build about the nursery can be found at http://moon-
a bird blind and otherwise sunlandscapes.com/.
rejuvenate the entire Garden Clubs at Lorenzi Park will have a
garden. The CCSD facilities rummage sale on June 11, 2011.
folks have offered to assist
Jarrett and Adria DeCorte, from Cactus Rescue,
in the cleanup of any
materials that need to be
will be speaking at our next meeting, April 10,
removed (bagged materials 2011 at the Springs Preserve.
that need to be moved Cactus and Succulent Society of America National
somewhere for disposal, Convention in San Diego from April 24 to 29,
etc.), and may be on site 2011. For details see the San Diego Affiliate Club
that day for help. The school

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also has a number of parents web site

and teachers who want to be CSSSN meetings will continue to be the second
involved, so there should be
Sunday of the month at the Springs Preserve,
plenty of helpers. What they
need is the expertise of except for May, when it will be changed to the
people who can teach, third Sunday. There will be a plant raffle at the
advise and assist in proper CSSSN general meeting.
care and handling of cactus Garden Club Show at Lorenzi Park on April 9 and
and other desert materials. 10.
Of course, I will also be
there to help in any way
that I can.

Tortoise Habitat Restoration
Opportunity
The target date is the last
Friday of April, which is
April 29. If there is conflict flowers and rarely may have white flowers. One of the first things
on this date we can always
reschedule, but school will
be out for spring break April flower, the anthers move towards the bee and the pollen is
18-24. If you have any
thoughts on this, or would
like to talk to me, I'm
usually in the office til 3:30,
and am available by cell
phone most days after 4 pm
at 682-5632...
SPRING BEAVER
by Donnie Barnett
Late March and early April is when our
clubs icon begins to bloom. Opuntia
basilaris is generally the first cactus to
bloom in the Las Vegas Valley. More
commonly called Beavertail prickly pear, it
gets its common name from its pads shape.
It gets its botanical name 'basilaris' from its flowers regal color. In
Clark county we have two varieties. Subspecies basilaris is found
within the las vegas valley and is the most common form.
Subspecies longareolata or Grand Canyon beaver tail is found out
near lake mead and is uncommon. Both plants have magenta
I will point out during flowering season is the Beavertail's
seismonastic flowers. Seismonasty is when the bee lands in the
released. So next time you see a flower put your finger in the
flower and watch the anthers move towards you.

Thanks in advance for any

help that you can offer for
this project.
Yours truly,

Karyn Johnson
UNR Cooperative Extension
School Gardens Coordinator
- Food for Thoughts Program

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702.257.5523
johnsonk@unce.unr.edu

Opuntia Basilaris

Opuntia basilaris is one of the marvels of plant evolution. It

has a wide elevation range and is found at -50ft in Death Valley
National Park and then found at +7200 feet elevation in the
Spring mountains. It has an interesting way of dealing with the
heat, it has the ability to do Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, CAM
for short. CAM, in simple terms is where the plant shuts itself
down during hot days and only collects carbon dioxide to conduct
photosynthesis at night. It conducts this at night when
temperatures are cooler and humidity is higher, it can go as long
as 2 weeks without conducting photosynthesis living off its
reserved starches. It has adapted to lose the littlest of moisture
or energy in the extreme environment it endures. Plants endure
negative -10°F degrees to an excess of 132°F throughout its
range. It also grows in areas where it may receive less than a half
inch of rainfall a year. The Beavertail is one of natures toughest
and prettiest plants.

Spread the word about CSSSN

Sincerely,

Cactus and Succulent Society of Southern Nevada

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