San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society
Next Club Meeting: July 13
Ayres Hall of the LA Arboretum: 7:30 PM.
Doors open at 6:00 PM
Plants of the Month are: Favorites
Workshop: June 19
Topic: Ariocarpus
Palm Classroom of the LA Arborertum
7:30 PM.
Doors open at 6:00 PM
August Speaker: Woody Minnich
Japan, Amazing Cactus & Succulent Nurseries
What’s happening in Japan will blow your mind! For decades, the cactus and succulent trade was largely represented by the United States, England, Germany, and the rest of Europe. In recent years, however, we have seen extraordinary plants coming from Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan, including beautifully grown species and fantastically developed cultivars.
Years ago, serious Japanese and Chinese collectors began visiting American nurseries. They purchased our rarest and most desirable plants, often telling us that someday they would produce them by the thousands and sell them back to us. That prediction has now come true. I wanted to know how they were accomplishing such remarkable production, so I had to go to Japan and see for myself.
In the fall of 2025, I traveled there with my good cactus and succulent friends Jack Tian and Moses Nuño. We were welcomed by noted Japanese collector Tadayoshi Kono, who helped us visit some of the country’s finest growers. Before we even got started, I was invited to do a television interview about the American side of the hobby, including our clubs, shows, and sales.
Over five exciting days, we visited nurseries ranging from rural agricultural operations to rooftop greenhouses. We saw Astrophytum, Ariocarpus, Aztekium, Copiapoa, Echinocactus, Mammillaria, Turbinicarpus, Agave, Aloe, Conophytum, Lithops, Pachypodium, and much more, often propagated by the thousands.
Many growers specialize in a single species, perfecting its form, color, and texture much as bonsai artists have done for centuries. We encountered extraordinary cultivars such as Ariocarpus “Godzilla,” Ariocarpus retusus “Cauliflower,” and Astrophytum asterias “Super Kabuto,” displayed in beautiful handmade pots and staged to suggest habitat.
Every stop offered new surprises and reflected a remarkable dedication to cultivation. What an unforgettable experience! In this presentation, I’ll share the marvelous plants, people, nurseries, and discoveries we encountered. Let’s go to Japan!
The 40th Annual Inter-City Cactus and Succulent Show and Sale
Presented by the Long Beach Cactus Club, the Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society, and the San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society
The Inter-City Cactus and Succulent Show and Sale returns to the Los Angeles County Arboretum in 2026 for its 40th anniversary. Long regarded as one of the premier cactus and succulent events in the country, Inter-City brings together collectors, growers, vendors, exhibitors, and visitors for a weekend devoted to extraordinary plants.
Following our largest and most successful show in many years in 2025, the 2026 event will feature more than 2,000 exceptional plants from six continents, along with thousands of rare, unusual, and specialty plants offered by more than two dozen vendors from across the country.
Sale: August 7 to 9
Show: August 8 and 9
Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: Los Angeles County Arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA