Succulents and More™

The following is a profile of Jeff Moore (Arid Adaptations, Tucson, AZ) that I wrote for the CSSA Journal , the quarterly publication of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America  (Volume 95-2, June 12, 2023). I've been meaning to repost it here on Succulents and More, but for some reasons I didn't get around to it until now.  Jeff is probably the best nurseryman I know. His propagation and growing skills are legendary. I've written about him and his nursery, Arid Adaptations, before (see “Related posts” at the bottom), but I thought you might enjoy this more detailed profile. —————————————— For succulent lovers, Tucson, Arizona is one of the hottest destinations in the country. The city is surrounded by spectacular scenery, ranging from the desert to mountains. Places like Saguaro National Park, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and Tohono Chul Park allow you to get up close to the native vegetation of the Sonoran Desert without being afraid of getting lost in the wild. ...

The Central Valley has been shrouded by a 400-mile blanket of radiation fog for going on two weeks now, resulting in dreary gray days with temperatures stuck in the 40s. As the website IFL Science explains, radiation fog is a “type of fog that’s most common when things get chilly in the fall and winter. It develops on clear, calm nights when the ground cools rapidly, chilling the air just above it. Once that air reaches saturation, moisture condenses into millions of tiny droplets, creating a thick mist that hangs in the air.” The current forecast suggests that conditions won’t change much this week either. I’m not happy about it, and neither are the winter-growing plants in my garden, above all the aloes. Without sun, they just sit around sulking instead of pushing out flowers. But there’s nothing I or anybody else can do. Grumbling about it helps me feel better, at least a little, but ultimately, I need to be patient until the sun returns. Even though it seems like it never will. T...