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. ...

Some home gardeners, myself included, occasionally romanticize the life of professional growers: being around plants all day, fussing over them, propagating them. All of that’s true, but it’s not necessarily a glorious occupation. It’s hard work, underappreciated, and underpaid. It involves fixing things that break, usually irrigation but sometimes the very structures that house the plants. Long-term success requires patience, discipline, and dedication. Ask a dozen growers, and the majority of them will tell you that they’re nuts for being in the plant business, but at least a handful will profess to loving their job in spite all the trials and tribulations. The hardest working grower I know is Jeff Moore in Tucson. No, he’s not the author of books like Under the Spell of Succulents and Agaves: Species, Cultivars, and Hybrids . That would be Jeff Moore of Solana Succulents in San Diego County. That Jeff Moore sells awesome plants, but he doesn’t grow them. Jeff Moore of Arid Adapta...