The Cactus & Succulent Society of San Jose, an affiliate of the Cactus & Succulent Society of America, was founded in 1960 for the purposes of fostering education, propagation, and conservation of succulent plants. Our membership has grown over the years, but we remain a dynamic group of hobbyists with an interest in sharing knowledge and tips with fellow hobbyists, whether novice or advanced!
Monthly Meetings
Check out the Events section for the latest meeting information. In general, our meetings feature the following:
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Program: We feature a different guest speaker or hands-on workshop every month, highlighting different aspects of the hobby. Speaker-oriented presentations include travel-logs and slide shows highlighting specific plant types. Workshops might center around potting, maintenance, and other general care issues.
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Door Prizes: Guests as well as members participate in at least one door prize drawing per meeting. Door prizes are typically nice potted cacti or other interesting succulent plants.
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Socializing: Visit with folks who share your interest in the great hobby of cacti & succulents. Make new friends. Our membership contains people of all levels, from rank beginners to nursery professionals.
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Refreshments: Goodies are provided by a different group of members each month. The club provides soft drinks, cups, plates, and utensils. A few times a year, we start the meeting early and host a pot-luck dinner.
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Vendor of the Month: With prior consent of the vendor-of-the-month chairperson, presenters and club members can sell plants at the meeting. The selection is often fantastic and certainly not what you can find at your typical nursery.
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Show & Tell: Have a cactus that is just bursting out in bloom? Have a plant that was given to you by your great Aunt, and you'd love to know what the heck it is? Have a plant that just isn't doing so great, no matter how hard you try? Show & Tell provides a forum for showing off your prized posession, or for getting answers to those tough questions.
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Mini-Show: Each month, one cactus and one other succulent is featured in this mini-competition, which is judged by those present at the meeting. Members may enter a total of five plants altogether, but are welcome to bring in additional plants to discuss or share. Votes are worth points, and they can add up for year-end prizes. This is a great educational activity and a lot of fun.
Meeting Location / Directions
Monthly meetings of the CSSSJ usually take place on the first Sunday of each month, but are occasionally postponed by a week to avoid conflicting with holidays. See the Events page to verify meeting times and dates. Meetings officially begin at 12:30, but folks usually start filtering in around noon to catch up with one another and vote in the mini-show.
They take place in the Multicultural Arts Center of the Emma Prusch Farm Park. If you enter the Park from S. King Road and almost immediately turn left onto the secondary parking lot, you'll see the Center directly to the west.