If weird plants are your thing, we hope you found your tribe at our 14th Annual Cactus + Succulent Show last Saturday in the Greenhouse. There’s just something about strange plants and the people who love them that make this summertime tradition one of our favorite events of the year. And in many ways, it was the best year yet. Thanks so much to everyone who joined us – we had a great time, and we hope you did too.
Congrats to the Winners
We were blown away by the strange, beautiful, and numerous plants that showed up for our friendly plant contest. Thirty-seven of you brought in proof that you know how to grow some spectacular cacti and succulents, and finding a winner wasn’t easy.
In the end, congratulations go to Claude Smith for his incredible elephant tree, Operculicarya decaryi, standing with tons of character nearly four feet tall. Coincidentally, the winner among the twelve entries in our separate employee contest was also an elephant tree owned by Greenhouse team leader Bob Ewing. Our second and third place winners were Staci Erickson with an impressive castle cactus and Rachel Gia with a beautiful pair of climbing onion trained on a small trellis. And from our employee contest, Jasmine Osten took second place with a pachypodium while Molly Pool won third place with her heart leaf hoya.
Incredible Plants + People
Cacti and succulents have their enthusiasts wrapped tightly around their odd stems and foliage, and at our annual show, collectors get to indulge that obsession all they want. Growers from Chaos on Coyote Trail and Crump Greenhouse brought hundreds of unusual cacti and succulents – some familiar, some even we’ve never seen before – to admire, learn from, and take home to ever-expanding collections. Crump brought some outstanding orchids too, and they went fast.
The energy around both growers’ tables was constant, with people asking the experts questions and discussing favorites with one another. Each grower had something different to offer, so everyone – from experienced collectors looking for rare specimens to curious beginners considering their first echeveria – could find something to get excited about and take home.
Learning from an Expert
We’d like to thank Terri Mann of Chaos on Coyote Trail for leading our seminar and sharing her expertise with the enthusiastic audience who attended. Terri shared tips for providing the right light, water, and fertilizer for cacti and succulents. Plus she delved into trickier topics like propagation too. If you missed the seminar and have questions about your own collection, feel free to ask our team – we’re always happy to help too.
Thanks to Our Partners
A special thanks goes to our community partners Taqueria La Fogata and Coneflower Creamery for being a part of the day too. La Fogata’s fresh barbacoa tacos were a big hit, and Coneflower Creamery brought the perfect summertime treat – their popular handmade, locally sourced ice cream served from their charming mini delivery truck.
Thanks for Joining Us
All around the Greenhouse, things were buzzing throughout the day as we got to talk cacti and succulents with so many of you. We chatted together as we potted up your new plants at our Potting Station, and at our Plant ID Quiz, we had fun quizzing you on your plant knowledge and watching you find that you know more about plants than you might have realized. It’s these conversations that make this one of our favorite yearly events. And we’re always up for hanging out with people who think marveling at cacti and succulents is the perfect way to spend a summer afternoon.
