Crassula pseudohemisphaerica

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Remarkable Succulents of South Africa

Speaker: Doug Dawson, Botanical Explorer

During the last two decades, I have made yearly plant exploration trips to South Africa, spending approximately three weeks in the wilderness each time documenting and photographing succulents. Of some of the hundreds of species I have seen, this presentation will focus on some of my favorites. Many of these plants are seldom found in American collections or are exotic, curious, or unusual. You may wish to add some of these to your collection.

Speaker Bio: Doug is a retired math professor who travels extensively to botanical areas of the world where succulents grow. His travels include Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Yemen, Socotra, Africa, and his own state of Arizona. He has organized over 23 botanical exploratory trips to South Africa and Namibia, each time, camping on local farms and public areas for three weeks and exploring the surrounding mountains and hills. His last trip to South Africa was Apr/May, 2026. Doug has a passionate interest in growing cacti and succulents from seed. Other interests are photography of succulents.. He has delivered many workshops and talks in Arizona and at CSSA Conferences.

Doug’s private plant collection emphasizes seedlings, Lithops, other Mesembs, Northern Cape Crassulae, and Arizona natives. Doug has been an active member of CACSS since 1989 and is also a member of CSSA and the Tucson club.

Saucocaulon herrei