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September 2026
Monthly Meeting
NEXT GENERAL MEETING: Hidden Agave: Tales From a Plant Explorer and Breeder, With Jeremy Spath, September 19, In-Person, Oasis, Rancho Bernardo, 1:30p -3:30p
Driven by a passion for discovering exceptional, rare, and new agave species, Jeremy Spath has spent the past 20 years exploring the natural habitats of agaves across the Americas. His journey began with a deep fascination for seeing these remarkable plants in their native environments, inspiring countless expeditions to uncover the beauty of agave habitats. His expertise extends to cultivating these plants, with a particular focus on selecting and growing exceptional clones.
Aug 26
Articles
TREES, PLEASE! An Update, a Suggestion and a Request
By Tim Clancy, for Let’s Talk Plants! September 2026. Washingtonia filifera proving their resilience, even to wildfires, within their natural habitat in Anza Borrego. Photo: Tony Gurnoe. An Update, a Suggestion and a Request Several years ago, in “Diamonds Are Not a Palm’s Best Friend,” (SDHS Newsletter of November 2021) I wrote about California fan palms (Washingtonia filifera) suffering from diamond scale in coastal San Diego County. The palms pictured with that article p
7 days ago
TREES, PLEASE! Bananas – Are they Going, Going - Gone?
By Robin Y Rivet, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 2026. Banana Flower Close-up - Musa paradisiaca (Musa acuminata x balbisiana). Ruestz, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons. Are bananas as we know them doomed? Probably yes. Considering it’s the most popular and widely distributed fruit in the world, that ought to be a scary thought. Wild vs. Commercial Bananas. Composite image by ryrivet for SDHS 2026. What’s up? Bananas use
Aug 1
TREES, PLEASE! America's First Urban Forest Xylarium - A Legacy Project for Encinitas and a National First in Urban Forestry
By Tim Clancy, for Let’s Talk Plants! July 2026. Oakcrest Park entrance, February 2009. Image snipped from Google Maps by the Chartreuse Appreciation Society. America's First Urban Forest Xylarium Proposal Summary Encinitas has the opportunity to create what is likely be the first Urban Forest Xylarium in the United States—a permanent collection of wood specimens, tree cross-sections, photographs, and historical records documenting the trees that have shaped our community
Jul 1
TREES, PLEASE! The Case Of The Collapsing Canopy
By Tim Clancy, for Let’s Talk Plants! May 2026. Oakcrest Park entrance, February 2009. Image snipped from Google Maps by the Chartreuse Appreciation Society. Adios amiga. West of the entrance to Oakcrest Park. April 2026. Photo credit: Chartreuse Appreciation Society. The Case of the Collapsing Canopy California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California is home to the Urban Forest Ecosystem Institute (UFEI). UFEI exists to research and share knowledge abou
May 1
TREES, PLEASE! Graft Smart - Don’t Grift
By Robin Y. Rivet, for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2026. Cherry Tree Grafting Calyponte , CC BY-SA 4.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons. Graft Smart - Don’t Grift Grafting is not mysterious. Like other forms of plant propagation, success requires knowledge of biology
Apr 1
TREES, PLEASE! Don’t Park Your Baby Buggy Under City Of Encinitas 6281ETREE
By Tim Clancy, for Let’s Talk Plants! March 2026. City of Encinitas 6281ETREE p re-construction, notice sidewalk and bench. Photo courtesy of the “Chartreuse Appreciation Society”. Don’t Park Your Baby Buggy Under City of Encinitas 6281ETREE Like many human relationships, with trees the relationship between a tree’s above ground parts (A) and below ground parts (B) is complicat
Mar 1
TREES, PLEASE! Are Your Trees Climate Ready?
By Robin Y. Rivet, for Let’s Talk Plants! February 2026. Photo credit: LadyCamera, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Are Your Trees Climate Ready? Valentine’s Day is looming, but February 2nd is Groundhog Day . Although we have ample sunshine for groundhogs to see their shadow, where are all the woodchucks? Duh. There aren’t any marmots in San Diego ( unless you count the one that hitch-hiked from NorCal in 2009 ). So how do
Feb 1
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