California
Love succulents? Join one of Southern California’s many clubs
Palm trees might line the boulevards of Los Angeles. But when it comes to style and functionality — perhaps no other plant represents our city better than succulents.
They are great for our arid climate, almost impossible to kill and as trendy as they are commonsensical. Where once they were a rarity among the manicured lawns of Southern California, now they are a staple in yards and office cubicles.
And for the super fans, whose itch can not be scratched by cruising the succulent aisle at Home Depot, there are clubs built specifically around their botanical obsession.
Love succulents? Join one of Southern California’s many clubs
“This is what we’re talking about, people who go cross-eyed with lust when they see something that they would love to have as part of their collection,” said Debra Lee Baldwin, a succulent expert in San Diego who runs a popular YouTube channel dedicated to the plants.
“We’re talking about a whole different mindset here with these people appreciating the plants for different reasons from the stampede of the general public,” she said.
Those are the folks who show up at the many local affiliates of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America. Perhaps unsurprisingly, according to Baldwin, Southern California is home to many of these meetups.
Succulent club in L.A.
Artie Chavez is a former president of the Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society, which meets the first Thursday of every month (except December) in Reseda. The L.A. affiliate has around 250 members, but anyone can attend their monthly meetups, which bring in more than 50 people each time.
These gatherings are where people talk shop, get plant care tips and earn bragging rights. “ Each month we pick a certain genus or a certain type of plant, and people bring in their plants and show them off and it’s judged,” Chavez said.
One highlight of the evening is the invited speaker. This month, the talk focused on the botanical diversity of Baja California Norte. In March, it was about the cacti and succulents in the Bolivian Highlands.
The club also holds workshops, plant swaps and plant sales — the next one is happening in mid-May.
Los Angeles’s love affair with succulents
Baldwin, who’s been writing about succulents for more than two decades, says a variety of factors contributed to the spike in the plants’ popularity.
“From the practical standpoint, you’ve got the drought,” Baldwin said. “So people are, ‘Let’s get rid of the lawn,’ but then nothing like that would’ve lasted if there wasn’t a strong aesthetic appeal.”
Then there is the cool factor. Baldwin said she knew succulents were going mainstream when she started spotting the plants at weddings.
“ Brides like to have anything fresh, new and different. They want their wedding to stand out,” Baldwin said. “ So they’re incorporating them in bouquets, and they’re sitting on tabletops, and they’re the things that people take home.”
Third is the pipeline. “The rise in more varieties becoming more available out of South Africa, out of parts of Europe, and of course the local growers,” said Baldwin, who lives in northern San Diego county, where the concentration of growers have made the area into an epicenter of the boom.
And as with so many things, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the plants’ profile into another league.
“Before it was mostly people growing for landscaping or a collection that they kept outside,” said Chavez with Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society. During the pandemic, “many more people in apartments started collecting plants, and cactus and succulents blew up during that time.”
Cacti are displayed on a stand.
Oli Scarff
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AFP via Getty Images
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Way back in the days
Caption on photo taken in May 29, 1930 reads: “Exotic varieties of cacti an succulent plants will be exhibited in a show opening tomorrow under sponsorship of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America. Mary Jo Baird is pictured beside the Peruvian Monstrosa, a weird species of succulent from South America, examples of which will be exhibited at the four-day show in the Ambassador auditorium.”
Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection
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L.A. Public Library
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Our love affair with succulents may feel like a recent phenomenon, but the L.A. club dates to 1935.
The group was first called the Southwest Cactus Growers, before changing its name to Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society in 1947. The nucleus of the gathering started shifting north over the next few decades, said Chavez.
“When more people started to live in the Valley that were collecting plants and having nurseries, they started to meet in the San Fernando Valley,” Chavez said.
Succulents can be be vividly colorful.
Jack Taylor
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Getty Images
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The society was hobbyist in nature, but members were primarily in the nursery business. “ There were people that were collectors and decided, ‘Hey, we have all these plants. Let’s start selling them,’” he said.
Chavez joined the club more than four decades ago, at age 14, after he landed a part-time gig after school at a nursery called Singers Growing Things near Cal State Northridge.
That business was hallowed ground for early succulent and cactus fans like Roxie Esterle. She and her husband were developing an interest in the plants when they walked into Singers one day.
“ We fell in love with these crazy caudiciform plants, which we still really love. The other one was a Ficus palmeri,” Esterle said.
Some 40 years later, she still has the receipt for the $7.50 they paid for one of the plants.
“ That was like a lot,” Esterle said of the purchase. “That was all we were willing to put out, you know.”
But there was no turning back. Today, Esterle is the secretary of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America and a member of the L.A. affiliate.
This week, she’s been in San Diego, hanging out with her compatriots for the national convention that is held every two years for its estimated 2,000 members.
“People have a collector gene and they genetically go to details and appreciate the minute differences between things. They like to classify, they like to organize,” she said of the folks drawn to collecting succulents. “Another characteristic is I know a number of us like to take something that looks really scraggly and make it beautiful by cleaning it up and bringing it back to good health.”
Like so many veteran collectors, Esterle has her “want list” to add to an already impressive collection of some 2,000 species at her home.
Plants aside, the one thing she really wants is for the succulent community to keep growing.
”One of my concerns is that it’s hard to get younger people to join a group. They’re used to everything being online,” she said, even though younger succulent fans abound.
“ Sharing information is really critical, and some of the senior members – I’m talking about 45-, 50-year members — have a tremendous amount of wisdom. So I would like to find a way to engage those people more.”
Upcoming Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society events
Monthly club meeting
Date: Thursday, May 1
Time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Location: ONEgeneration Senior Enrichment Center at 18255 Victory Blvd., Reseda
Spring cactus sale
Date: Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and May 18
Time: 9 a.m. to 3p.m.
Location: Tarzana Community & Cultural Center at 19130 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana
Other SoCal clubs
California
De La Salle vs. Santa Margarita: live score, updates, highlights from California’s Open Division state championship bowl | Sporting News
MISSION VIEJO, California, Dec. 13 — The No. 7/SN No. 15 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles ended a 14-year state championship drought Saturday night in a 47-13 romp past the No. 15/SN No. 25 De La Salle [Concord, CA] Spartans in California’s CIF Open Division state championship bowl.
While the win ended Santa Margarita’s drought, it prolonged De La Salle’s own dry spell in championship bowl games, extending the Spartan’s losing streak to eight games in these contests.
Santa Margarita is ranked as high as No. 4 in the country by three selectors (High School Football America, MaxPreps, and USA Today’s Super 25). In the High School Football America rankings, they’re ranked ahead of both the No. 1/SN No. 1 Buford [GA] Wolves and the No. 3/SN No. 5 Carrollton [GA] Trojans – two teams that will play for Georgia’s GHSA Class 6A championship on Tuesday night.
Whether the win over De La Salle can get the Eagles – who will finish the season with three losses at 11-3 – a share of the national title remains to be seen.
De La Salle, meanwhile, ends its season at 12-1.
WATCH ON THE NFHS NETWORK: No. 7/SN No. 15 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles vs. No. 15/SN No. 25 De La Salle [Concord, CA] Spartans
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Refresh for updates
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End of the fourth quarter: Santa Margarita 47, De La Salle 13
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SANTA MARGARITA 47, DE LA SALLE 13
Santa Margarita gets a pick six to put capper on this one.
Siua Holani with finished touches on this one. 43-yard pick 6. Santa Margarita 47, De La Salle 13. 1:36 4Q. pic.twitter.com/VVVEN5bvr6
— Mitch Stephens (@MitchBookLive) December 14, 2025
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SANTA MARGARITA 41, DE LA SALLE 13
Johnson finds Gazzaniga for his second touchdown of the game. The tight end entered the game with two touchdown receptions all year, and he’s got two in the state title game.
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End of the third quarter: Santa Margarita 35, De La Salle 13
The first quarter is in the books, and it’s all Santa Margarita so far.
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SANTA MARGARITA 35, DE LA SALLE 13
De La Salle forces another turnover and converts it to points to give them a glimmer of hope that they can climb out of this deep hole.
Two forced De La Salle turnovers and two Jaden Jefferson touchdowns.
Jefferson is the state record holder in the 100-meter dash 💨
De La Salle cuts the Santa Margarita lead to 35-13 with 4:09 left in the 3rd pic.twitter.com/05dJ7Q9Mmy
— West Coast Preps (@westcoastpreps_) December 14, 2025
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The third quarter is under way, and to make matters worse for De La Salle, Santa Margarita is on offense first.
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End of the second quarter: Santa Margarita 35, De La Salle 7
The first quarter is in the books, and it’s all Santa Margarita so far.
Santa Margarita has been a different team offense since Mosley’s return around midseason. And they’re one half away from a state championship in Carson Palmer’s first year at the helm.
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SANTA MARGARITA 35, DE LA SALLE 7
Just over a minute to play in the first half, Mosley scores again on another short play, and then he adds the 2-point conversion. This feels like it’s over.
Trent Mosley finishes off the half with another touchdown. Also adds run for two-point conversion. 1:07 left. Santa Margarita 35, De La Salle 7. Complete domination. pic.twitter.com/hMsSsI0svB
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) December 14, 2025
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SANTA MARGARITA 27, DE LA SALLE 7
It’s Duce plus a deuce. Santa Margarita marches right back down the field after the Spartans’ touchdown, and Duce Smith carries it in for another touchdown. And even with the score by De La Salle, Santa Margarita still has its biggest lead of the night after converting the 2-point conversion. It’s Johnson to Ryan Clark on the extra two.
Jaion Smith TD. Two-point conversion good. Santa Margarita 27, De La Salle 7 pic.twitter.com/1zpn1ETZyW
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) December 14, 2025
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Santa Margarita into the red zone again.
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SANTA MARGARITA 19, DE LA SALLE 7
Helped along by the turnover and a couple of penalties, De La Salle’s offensive line shows some muscle in the trenches and they power their way down near the goal line where Jaden Jefferson carries it across. That felt like a must-score situation, and they get the touchdown. Now, can they stop Santa Margarita’s offense again?
Jaden Jefferson TD. Santa Margarita 19, De La Salle 7. 6:43 left in second. pic.twitter.com/QzsKMWP58i
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) December 14, 2025
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De La Salle gets its first real break. Mosley fumbles, and the Spartans pounce on it inside the Eagles’ 40. If they want to have any chance of staying in this game, they need to make the most of this short field.
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End of the first quarter: Santa Margarita 19, De La Salle 0
The first quarter is in the books, and it’s all Santa Margarita so far.
42 seconds left in first quarter. Santa Margarita 19, De La Salle. Luke Gazzaniga TD. About the only thing the Eagles need to work on are PATs. 1 for 3. pic.twitter.com/WA6IY0blgI
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) December 14, 2025
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SANTA MARGARITA 19, DE LA SALLE 0
Johnson finds Luke Gazzaniga on a wide-open post against a blown coverage. It’s too easy for the Eagles right now, and with their elite defense, it’s possible they’ve already scored enough to win this game.
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De La Salle with a quick three-and-out on offense, and they punt on a 4th-and-19. Mosley returns it inside De La Salle’s 35. This is already starting to look ugly.
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SANTA MARGARITA 13, DE LA SALLE 0
Trace Johnson finds Mosley with a short swing pass to the right side of the field, and the senior standout does his thing winding and weaving his way 34 yards through traffic before running over the final defender at the goal line. Again, the early feeling watching this is not good for De La Salle.
What a luxury.
Just get it to Trent Mosley and watch.
Santa Margarita 13, De La Salle 0 (missed PAT)pic.twitter.com/3cp3hBbUJ5
— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) December 14, 2025
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Santa Margaria quickly approaching the red zone again.
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De La Salle puts together a good drive to get into position for a short field goal attempt. But it’s blocked by Santa Margarita, ending the scoring threat. If you’re a De La Salle fan, you’re encouraged by the offense being able to move against the Eagles. But combined with the defensive personal fouls on Santa Margarita’s first drive, you also get the feeling early that this could be a really tough night for the Spartans. It’s early, we’ll see how they rebound from the lost scoring opportunity.
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SANTA MARGARITA 7, DE LA SALLE 0
Helped along by a couple of personal foul penalties, Santa Margarita drives quickly on its first possession, scoring on a short run by Trent Mosley out of the Wildcat formation.
Tulane bound Trace Johnson and Griffin Brahm connect get in the red zone.
4⭐️ USC bound Trent Mosley then scores. He’s a freakish talent.
Santa Margarita up 7-0 on De La Salle with 8:00 left in the 1st pic.twitter.com/vpo2yvYp9R
— West Coast Preps (@westcoastpreps_) December 14, 2025
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Santa Margarita won the toss and deferred to the second half. De La Salle picks up one first down against this stout Eagles’ defense before being forced to punt.
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They’re under way in California! This is the final game of California’s high school football season.
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Coming soon!
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De La Salle vs. Santa Margarita start time
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
- Start time: 11 p.m. EST (8 p.m. PST local)
The game between De La Salle and Santa Margarita is being played at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California.
How can I watch De La Salle vs. Santa Margarita today?
MORE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF HEADLINES
A lawsuit over the death of an 11-year-old California girl who was allegedly tortured and starved by her adoptive family reached a settlement on Friday totaling $31.5m from the city and county of San Diego as well as other groups.
The suit was brought on behalf of the two younger sisters of Arabella McCormack, who died in August 2022. The girls were ages six and seven at the time. Their adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, and McCormack’s parents, Adella and Stanley Tom, are facing charges of murder, conspiracy, child abuse and torture. They pleaded not guilty to all charges, and their criminal case is ongoing.
The lawsuit alleged a systemic failure across the city and several agencies and organizations to not report Arabella McCormack’s abuse.
The settlement includes $10m from the city of San Diego, $10m from San Diego county, $8.5m from the Pacific Coast Academy and $3m from the Rock church, the sisters’ attorney, Craig McClellan, said. The school oversaw Arabella McCormack’s home schooling, and her adoptive mother was an ordained elder at the church.
“The amount is going to be enough to take care of the girls for the rest of the lives,” McClellan said. But it “isn’t going to be enough and never could be enough … to replace their sister, nor is it going to erase the memories of what they went through”.
The lawsuit said county social workers did not properly investigate abuse claims and two teachers at the Pacific Coast Academy failed to report the girl’s condition. It also said a San Diego police officer, a friend of the girl’s adoptive mother, gave the family a wooden paddle that they could use to hit their children.
San Diego sheriff’s deputies responded to a call of a child in distress at the McCormack home 30 August 2022. They found Arabella McCormack severely malnourished with bruises, authorities said. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.
Her sisters are now nine and 11 and living with a foster mother. They are in good health and “doing pretty well considering all things”, McClellan said.
California consistently produces an incredible amount of high school wrestling talent. The current crop of high schoolers from The Golden State has piled up a massive collection of accolades and has major next-level potential. Here’s a look at some of the top wrestlers to watch this year in California.
Michael Bernabe (Fresno) — Freshman, 106 pounds
Bernabe is one of the top freshmen in the country and is currently ranked second nationally at 106 pounds. Bernabe had a productive offseason, placing sixth in Fargo and third at the Super 32. He will be looking to run the table and win a California state title as a freshman, but it will not come easily. He will likely have #3 Luke Loren and #5 Thales Silva, both of whom are also incredible freshmen who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, at Super 32, as well as #4 Eli Mendoza.
Rocklin Zinkin (Buchanan) — Senior, 120 pounds
Zinkin is one of the nation’s fastest-rising prospects. The two-time California state finalist won his first state championship last season at 113 pounds and followed that up with an eye-popping summer, finishing third at U17 World Team Trials, winning Fargo in the Junior division and looking incredible at Super 32 on his way to the 120-pound belt. Those showings propelled Zinkin from #100 on the 2026 Big Board up to #11. The Oklahoma State commit is currently ranked #2 in the country at 120 pounds and could have a showdown with two-time U17 World Champion Sammy Sanchez this season in his quest to close his career with a second state title.
Watch Zinkin dominate in the Super 32 finals
Samuel Sanchez (Esperanza) — Sophomore, 120 pounds
The #1 prospect in the Class of 2028 Big Board is the truth. After winning the U17 World Championships in 2024, Sanchez won a state title as a freshman last season at 106 pounds and then one-upped himself by going back-to-back with his second U17 World title at 51 kg this summer in Athens, helping lead Team USA to the team championship. Sanchez is so much fun to watch, and if we were to get a matchup between him and Zinkin, it could be one of the nation’s most anticipated high school matches of the season.
Watch Sanchez win his second U17 World Championship
Moses Mendoza (Gilroy) — Senior, 132 pounds
Mendoza is another Californian who has made big jumps heading into his senior campaign. The returning state champion for Daniel Cormier’s Gilroy High School team placed third at the state tournament in 2024. He has a lengthy list of freestyle accolades. The Michigan recruit defeated his former high school teammate, Isaiah Cortez, for the Fargo Junior freestyle title at 132 pounds this summer and won Super 32 in October. The nation’s second-ranked 132-pounder could have a big test in front of him for his second state title in #3 Ashton Besmer.
Watch Mendoza win his Super 32 belt
Ashton Besmer (Buchanan) — Senior, 132 pounds
Besmer put together an incredible run to make the U17 World Team at 60 kilograms, punctuated by a sweep of U17 World champion Paul Kenny in the best-of-three championship series. Besmer also notched wins against Moses Mendoza and Manuel Saldate on his way to a Doc B title last season before finishing third at the state tournament. The Army West Point commit has worked his way up to #3 in the national rankings at 132 pounds and could be looking at a rubber match with Mendoza this season. Last year in the Doc B semifinals, Besmer defeated Mendoza 22-15 in a crazy match, but just two weeks later Mendoza got his revenge in the Five Counties finals with a 16-1 tech fall in two periods.
Watch Besmer defeat Saldate for the 2025 Doc B title
Joseph Toscano (Buchanan) — Senior, 144 pounds
The third and final Buchanan wrestler on this list, Toscano is a three-time California state runner-up, He won a Doc B title as a freshman back in 2023, followed by two runner-up finishes, and has also been fourth at Super 32 the last two years. The Cornell commit is looking to get over the final hurdle on his way to a state championship, but it won’t be easy. Along the way, Toscano could match up with the likes of #7 Ivan Arias and #17 Arseni Kikiniou.
Arseni Kikiniou (Poway) — Junior, 144 pounds
Arseni Kikiniou is an interesting prospect and a guy to watch this season. Kikiniou’s father was a Greco-Roman World bronze medalist and Olympian for Belarus before their family moved to the United States, and his influence is evident in Arseni’s wrestling. Arseni claimed a bronze medal in Greco and a silver in freestyle at the U17 World Championships this summer. Arseni has placed second and fifth, respectively, in his first two state tournament appearances. He recently made his commitment to Cornell and will be making a big jump up in weight this season to 144 pounds. It’ll be intriguing to see if his international success translates to even more folkstyle success this season, especially with a possible showdown with future Cornell teammate Toscano on the horizon.
Watch Kikiniou win his U17 Greco-Roman World bronze medal
Mason Ontiveros (Pitman) — Senior, 175 pounds
Ontiveros has had an impressive 2025, finishing second at the state tournament, taking third at NHSCAs, and placing second in Fargo in the Junior division at 175 pounds. This has vaulted Ontiveros up to #6 in the country at the weight. Ontiveros is an Oklahoma recruit who will be looking to close out his career with a state title in what could be an interesting weight class in California. As it currently stands, we could see #7 Mario Carini, #9 Travis Grace, #12 Isai Fernandez and #14 Slava Shahbazyana, along with Ontiveros, all battling it out for the 175-pound California state championship this season.
Watch Ontivero’s win in the 2025 Fargo Junior semifinals
Coby Merrill (JW North) — Senior, 285 pounds
Coby Merrill is one of the most physical wrestlers in the country at any weight class. After state runner-up finishes as a freshman and sophomore, Merrill dominated the 285-pound field last season, finishing 48-0 with 44 falls. Merrill finished sixth at the U20 World Team Trials this summer and finished second in Fargo. The second-ranked heavyweight in the country is a heavy favorite to win his second state title this season.
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