Los Angeles
Cactus and Succulent Society
Come and Visit!
Welcome to the website of the Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society. Our nearly 200 members come from throughout the southland and share a passion for cacti and succulents. Throughout the history of LACSS, many of the most prominent researchers, authors, and collectors of the succulent world have been leaders and members of our society.
LACSS meets monthly in the San Fernando Valley to enjoy stimulating presentations, hands-on workshops, plant sales, mini-shows, raffles, trading, and other activities. In addition, LACSS offers field trips to member gardens, nurseries, and private collections. We serve the greater community by offering free educational activities, and presenting an exciting annual festival in April or June, and a Fall Sale.
In order to share the joys and benefits of collecting and cultivating cacti and succulents, we invite you to check out our general meetings on the 1st Thursday of each month at ONEgeneration Senior Enrichment Center at 18255 Victory Blvd.
Doors open at 6:15 for the Social Hour, Ask an Expert, and much more. The business meeting starts promptly at 7pm. Attendance is FREE and open to the public. Each new visitor receives a free plant! We hope to see you at a meeting soon.
This page requires a password
REFRESHMENT REMINDER
Our next meeting is Aug 7, 2025. First Name beginning B, K, D, and P please bring treats! If you missed your month this is a great time to bring a treat to share.
It is a collective effort that we provide refreshments for our members at the meeting! As you know, bringing refreshments to the meeting is a way to make our meetings more enjoyable and welcoming for everyone.
Now for the remainder of the year if your first letter of your First name begins with the letter please bring in something to share.
August B, K, D, and P
We kindly ask that each member brings a small contribution of snacks or drinks to share with the group. A lot of us are coming straight from work and appreciate that we are mindful of empty stomachs.
Examples of refreshments that you could bring include:
Appetizers / Sides Cookies or pastries Fruit or vegetables Chips and dip Finger food Pizza
Please bring your contribution in a “disposable” dish!
If bringing refreshments is a difficulty, we ask that you leave a donation in the “Donation Jar” at the Refreshment Table. The club relies on your contribution to continue supplying our membership with sustenance.
We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
Thank you,
LACSS
Renew your membership NOW!
 | ||||||
Meeting
Aug 7, 2025
Doors open 6:15PM
One Generation
18255 Victory Blvd
Reseda CA
August Plants of the Month:
Favorites
Ethnobotony of Cactus and Succulents
Summary: My name is Alex Reyes. I was born in Cuautla, Morelos. From a young age I was surrounded by plants.
My parents grew flowers for decoration, herbs for medicine, Tomatoes, peppers, and corn for food.
My mom used herbs as medicines. Knowledge passed down to her from her mother, a curandera from the Mountains of Guerrero. They would feed us nopales, to keep our bellies full. My favorite part was the delicious fruit from the cactus, Tuna.
My father is a man of few words yet he has always loved to travel. I learned by watching him grow and care for plants. I knew he had a deep curiosity of nature. Looking into his old pictures I realized, I definitely am my father’s son. I feel the same call in my heart, and the jittery legs which can only be settled by a quick excursion into the desert, mountain, or forest.
I am grateful to have inherited their propensity for mother nature.
I was a student at OCC where I now teach, as a part-time instructor for the Horticulture department. I am a certified arborist, and did land stewarding at the California Botanic Garden in Claremont where I cared for Baja and Sonoran Desert plants.
México Mágico: The ethnobotany of cacti and succulents of my beloved homeland
I am thrilled to share my knowledge, and a couple of treats, of the sacred cactus plants! I will speak about the ethnobotany of the sacred cacti, agave, and more!
From foods, cultural use, and medicine as entheogens.
August Program
Alex Reyes
Los Angeles
Cactus and Succulent Society
