Here it is, Sarracenia-phile, the answer to the question on everyone’s lips…“Exactly what did I get in my ‘Mystery Bag?’” Just match up the code you received on your label with one of those you see here and the mystery will be solved!

Mystery Bag Plant Codes

• JG-1 Sarracenia xexcellens - Anthocyanin Free
• JG-2 Sarracenia leucophylla ‘THL6’ x leucophylla ‘Franklin County A’
• JG-3 Sarracenia alata ‘night’ x alata pubescent black
• JG-4 Sarracenia (‘Cronus’ × [alata black × flava red]) × (‘Leah Wilkerson’ ×xumlauftiana)
• JG-5 Sarracenia xfarnhamii ‘Madison Anne’
• JG–6 Sarracenia leucophylla Holmes Co., FL
• JG-7 Sarracenia xexcellens “Phil’s Giant Progeny”
• JG-8 Sarracenia xreadii ‘Kate Elizabeth’

Ya say that you’re tired of all the snow and cold of winter and need to dive into some carny plant goodness? Well, then, I’d ask, where the heck are ya? We’re in SoCal and it’s already hit over eighty degrees in January! But that doesn’t mean you can’t be longing for some Carny Plerdy Camaraderie…and LACPS is here to deliver!

First up! February meeting! Normally to be held on the third Saturday of the month, that weekend already has more Plerdy action than one weekend can possibly contain: Plantcon! And we don’t want you to have to decide between two equally awesome events, so we have chosen the better part of valour and moved our LACPS meeting up a week to February 14th so you can do both! And what could be a more romantic way to spend Valentine’s day than by bringing your sweetie to an LACPS meeting and exposing them to the wild and wooly world of Insectivorous Plants!

Presentation

And this is one meeting you don’t want to miss! We have a special presentation by none other than Paul Votava! Renowned for his elegant construction of aquarium/terrarium hybrids, as well as artistic canes and impressive self-defense techniques, he has developed a really cool and easy to setup vivarium system to grow orchids/cephalotus/sphagnum/drosera/utricularia in combination with aquatic critters! Just check out the pictures which give a taste of what he’s made. At this meeting Paul will explain what you need to make one of these, and how to do it! This is must-attend meeting if you’ve always wanted a nice planty display and have only limited space to work with!

Where will it be?

This meeting will be held at our Woodland Hills location…which is at the LDS Church at 4501 Deseret Dr., Woodland Hills 91364 in the lovely western San Fernando Valley. Enter the parking lot off of Deseret, don’t park on Mulholland, or it will be a long walk for you!

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Check out the nifty graphic below to see how to enter the parking lot.

When is it?

The meeting is on Saturday, February 14 2026 at 11:11 AM.

Entry fee, as always, is $4

What to expect

For a measly $4 entrance fee, what else can you expect besides Paul’s special presentation?

• Access to the LACPS Seed Bank! Mostly Sarracenia, but there’s other goodies as well. Talk to John Green to see what’s available. The seedbank is available to everyone to purchase from, and the prices are very reasonable. In addition, DJ will have some special packets of Drosophyllum seeds as well as Venus Flytrap Mixed Forms, special Artisanal Sarracenia crosses, and others priced at $10 a packet.
• Knosh and drinks (including special, super rare, highly sought after Ale-8-One Pawpaw Artisanal soda! What other CP society would bring you that!?)
• Interesting and quirky conversations on all sorts of subjects, not just Insectivorous Plants!
• An open invitation to the traditional after meeting gathering at an as-yet-to-be-determined eatery for a late lunch (at participant’s own expense, natch!).
• The opportunity to purchase some exclusive LACPS Swag for your very own! This includes the latest T-Shirt and VERY limited edition Baseball Cap.

Don’t miss this appetizer for the next weekend’s PlantCon! Which brings us to the next ITEM!

PlantCon!

The LACPS is springing for a booth at Los Angeles PlantCon event, to help spread the Gospel of the Venus Flytrap and draw even more suckers into our obscure little Carnivorous Plant cult…er, um, I mean hobby…yeah, that’s the ticket…hobby. Please contact DJ to see how you can participate!”

Sales and trades

As usual, we encourage people to bring their Insectivorous Plant beauties to display, and if you got extras, bring them to sell or trade to other members. Maybe you can help some fill a hole in their collection!

There’s no exciting sporting events happening this time of year, so what else do ya got to do than attend the August LACPS meeting!

The day you’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived! Open Registration for San Diego ComicCon is here!

Oh, wait! That’s the wrong announcement…that’s the day DJ has been waiting for!

The day YOU’VE been waiting for is December 13th, 2025! Which is when we will hold the much anticipated Southern California CP Society’s Holiday Potluck Bonanza brought to you by LACPS, SCCPE and SDCPS!

Mark your calendars today so you don’t forget because of a Thanksgiving tryptophan coma!

When is it?

Saturday, December 13, 2025 from 11:00 to 16:00.

Where will it be?

Sherman Library & Gardens, 2647 East Coast Hwy., Corona Del Mar, CA 92625

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We expect the meeting to be in the big room near the kitchen/dining area. If not, it should be obvious where it is; the gardens aren’t that big.

Meeting cost

There is normally an entry fee required to visit the gardens. However, it will be waived if you inform garden staff that you are there for the carnivorous plant meeting.

What to expect

• Lot’s of good food (hopefully), lots of plants (presumably) and plenty of good fellowship (almost certainly). This is a Pot Luck so the advice is, bring something you like because if you like it, surely someone else will, too! This can be a main dish, a side dish, a desert, or even drinks. Bring whatever quantity you’re comfortable bringing. Please arrive on time with your food if possible.

• Toy Drive! Unwrapped, new…toys, sports equipment, movie tickets, games.

• Dirty Santa Gift Exchange! If you want to participate, bring a wrapped gift of about $20 in value! (more in value is appreciated, less is frowned upon)

Sales and trades

You are encouraged to bring plants to show off and/or sell. There will also be a raffle to help raise funds to defray event costs and support other Society/Enthusiast activities.

Fine accoutrement

As usual, this is also an opportunity to pick up LACPS (and other clubs’) swag, the NEW(ish) LACPS T-Shirts available for $25 (Cheap!), which make great holiday gifts! And we still have a few of our really high quality baseball hats! Made of solid fabric and a solid Velcro fastener (not those cheap plastic ones that break down in the light after a couple years), it boasts an embroidered LACPS logo above the bill of the cap and is extremely useful protecting your eyes from harsh sunlight while hunting CP in the Field. There is an EXTREMELY limited number of these available (only TWELVE were ever made) so get one while you can! They are $38 each due to the production costs of this super limited run.

Get involved

We need help with setup, so arrive early if you can, and breakdown, so stay late if you can.

Wow, what a great meeting!

Many, many thanks to Anjan for his informative presentation on paracarnivorous plants of the Southern California region. I especially liked him making the case for the term paracarnivorous versus protocarnivorous. Also exciting was seeing the case he made for so many different species that, when you boil it down, are arguably as close to being true carnivores as Roridula, Byblis or Drosophyllum are. I came away from that presentation believing that the people running the next ICPS conference in Leiden should cover his costs to give an ICPS Talk at the next conference. I think with a little bit of polishing, that was a Conference Worthy presentation. And to think, you saw it here, first! If you made the meeting!

We also had some snacky snacks…including some home-made goodies from the Frank household, and also the talented Mr. Votava. At the LACPS meetings we feed your mind, and your tummy! Even if some of those calories are empty…but oh, so yummy!

Upcoming Events

Next meeting is the Holiday Party, details to follow as the plans firm up. February could be an exciting meeting as yet another LACPS member has offered up a new meeting location! Who is it? Where will it be? If you had attended THIS meeting, you might have gotten a clue! Instead you’ll have to wait until we announce it. After that, April meeting will be either Pasadena or Woodland Hills. Check the meeting calendar for dates, and subscribe to the mailing list for updates.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to those who brought in plants for sale, there were some beauties on display, including Cephalotus! That’s one that RARELY is found at meetings like this. And at least two people went home proud owners of a Ceph. We also had free flytraps being given away!

And that’s not all! As always, everyone loved seeing Leslie’s meticulously maintained plants. She has quite a good setup.

Meeting Attendance

Remember, we welcome anyone who wants to come to our meetings to show up, they are open to all with just a small entry fee. Hope to see you at our next one!

In addition to the usual hijinks*, we will be having a presentation by our very own Anjan Kolla, who will be telling us about his hair raising adventures hiking in the local San Gabriel Mountains in our very own backyards! These are adventures you can do yourself WITHOUT having to fork over a lot of lucre to Stewart MacPherson to participate! And maybe…just maybe…you, too, can stumble across some of the proto-carnivorous plants Anjan will be telling us about. Yes, you heard right, we may have early stage carnivory evolution happening right around us! This might even be a meeting that will bring Frankie Obregon or Ivan Snyder out of hiding to attend!

To find out where this Super Secret Meeting location is, send a message to DJ directly.

*The Usual HiJinks:

• Plants for sale by fellow hobbyists!
• Plants for trade by fellow hobbyists!
• Refreshments (some supplied by LACPS, some by those attendees who generously decide to bring some to share) available for the glomming!
• Carnivorous Plant Plerdiness on full display!
• Convos on obscure and arcane subjects!
• A $4 entry fee!
• An after meeting Dutch-treat meal for those who wish to participate!
• Way cool Plants on display brought in by local growers and also our gracious host!
• Fun, Fun, Fun!

Where will it be?

For this meeting we will, once again, be at the lovely Leslie’s house in Pasadena, California. It is an outdoor location, with ability to go indoors if weather is inclement.

If you have been to a previous meeting at Leslie’s house, then you know where it is! If you haven’t, or if you are like our fearless leader and can’t recall where you left your reading glasses last night, write DJ to RSVP and he will give you the location deets (assuming he still remembers them)!

Sales and trades

At this meeting there will be plants for sale and trade! Maybe some on display!

Cover charge

Entry fee, as always, is $4

When is it?

Saturday October 18, 2025.

The gathering will begin at 11 AM and extend to around 2 PM.

Where will it be?

This time around we will be meeting at our Woodland Hills location…which is in the lovely western San Fernando Valley at 4501 Deseret Dr., Woodland Hills 91364 in the LDS Temple. Enter the parking lot off of Deseret, don’t park on Mulholland, or it will be a long walk for you!

View Larger Map

Check out the nifty graphic below to see how to enter the parking lot.

When is it?

The meeting is on Saturday, August 16 at 11:11 AM.

Afterwards whoever wishes can join us as we run off to some local eatery for some nosh.

Entry fee, as always, is $4

What to expect

For a measly $4 entrance fee, what can you expect?

• Access to the LACPS Seedbank! Mostly Sarracenia, but there’s other goodies as well. Talk to John Green to see what’s available. The seedbank is available to everyone to purchase from, and the prices are very reasonable. In addition, DJ will have some special packets of Drosophyllum seeds as well as Venus Flytrap Mixed Forms, special Artisanal Sarracenia crosses, and others priced at $10 a packet. I also have one packet left of Nepenthes (xrokko x veitchii)x(xrokko x veitchii) which may or may not still be good as it is getting long in the tooth. It’s free to the first person who asks for it.
• Knosh and drinks (including special, rare, limited edition Ale-8-One Artisanal sodas for those early enough to snag one! A Kentucky favourite! Sorry, the PawPaw flavour not yet authorized for release in California)
• A presentation on ? Quick, someone volunteer!
• Interesting and quirky conversations on all sorts of subjects, not just Insectivorous Plants!
• An open invitation to the traditional after meeting gathering at an as-yet-to-be-determined eatery for a late lunch (at participant’s own expense, natch!).
• The opportunity to purchase some exclusive LACPS Swag for your very own! This includes the latest T-Shirt and VERY limited edition Baseball Cap.
• Probably some other exciting things, too, that I can’t think of at the moment.
• Hey, what else are you going to be doing that Saturday?

Remember, part of the mission of clubs like ours is to spread info and education. You may not think you have anything valuable to share, but it almost certainly will have value to someone, even if it’s just advice to beginners!

2026 plant sales

Finally, depending on how things shake out, we may need someone to man the LACPS sales booth at the annual SCCPE/SDCPS plant sales next year. Or even just participate along with me to sell some plants of their own. It can be a good way to thin out an overcrowded collection (Another good way is to just donate plants to the LACPS, as John Green has kindly done, and then it’s up to me to flog them at the Sales events). These events are not only sales events, but also educational events, so if you like to talk about Insectivorous Plants, we’d be happy to have your participation. You can ask me about it at the meeting.

Sales and trades

As usual, we encourage people to bring their Insectivorous Plant beauties to display, and if you got extras, bring them to sell or trade to other members. Maybe you can help some fill a hole in their collection!

When is it?

Saturday June 14th, 2025, from 8AM to 3PM

Sunday June 15th, 2025 from 9AM to 2PM

Where is it?

The Los Angeles County Arboretum

301 North Baldwin Avenue Arcadia, CA, 91007

geo:34.143597,-118.051566?z=19

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Event Details

So, here’s the deal, we’d love to have any club member who wants to participate to join in! We will have a 10x10 space, the club has purchased two 6 foot by 3 foot tables and a 10x10 canopy. We welcome anyone who wishes to sell to participate. I just need to be informed beforehand who will be participating and what day(s) they will participate and what hours (just be aware that space will be made available on a first come, first served basis). If you don’t have plants to sell but still wish to help out, we welcome that, too, and it would be a great help!

Plant Sales

The Fern Society gets 15% of all sales to cover cost of reserving space and raising funds for the society. We are also paying $100 (I’m assuming, but I have not been supplied payment directions yet and the payment cutoff for the $100 discount rate was by May 31, but I did get our reservation in well before that time) for the space. So the charge to sell at this show will be 20% (unlike our usual “no charge to sell” policy). The extra 5% will hopefully raise enough to cover the space charge. If it does not, then each seller will have an extra charge to cover the shortage, calculated proportionately based on their amount of sales versus the total amount of sales. Hopefully we don’t have a shortage, but an overage, which will help replenish the club coffers after the purchase of the tables and canopy.

For any plants for sale please make sure they are free of pests, and weeded of any undesirable extras. Each plant will REQUIRE two tags. One tag to identify the name of the plant. The other tag needs to have this data, preferably in this order; Price asking, and your initials. It’s possible, but not likely, that we may have participants with the same initials, so come prepared to add a number to your initials on your tag just in case that happens. We have to have a centralized checkout because the Fern Society will be distributing receipt books where we will be required to register every sale and the amount and that have to be turned in at the end of each day.

Show and Donations

The Fern Society would also appreciate it if we donated some plants, and also enter some plants into their show. I have asked what the categories are for their show, and am awaiting further details on that. If anyone would like to donate some plants (not required they be CP) just bring them with you to the event. If you have any plants you want to show, start getting them ready!

So here’s the call to action!

Who’s going to help out with the Fern show?

Start time will be, as usual, 11:11 AM. Location will be the traditional Pasadena location (write DJ if you need the address). Entrance fee is a measly 4 bucks!

Meeting Details

And what will you get for that 4 bucks? Free Nepenthes seed! Yes! I harvested so many Nepenthes (rokkoxveitchii)x(rokkoxveitchii) seeds that I have plenty left over after sending out what was owed from the last meeting and sowing some myself! There’s at least 20 packs of seeds to hand out, so offer is good only while supplies last!

But that’s not all! You’ll also get to experience Leslie’s wonderland of plants as well as other oddities put on display by fellow plerds. All while enjoying snacky comestibles and drinks. And just see what else you’ll get! Opportunities to buy plants you just must have for your collection! Sarracenia x mooreii ‘Leah Wilkerson!’ Sarracenia x mooreii “Burgundy’ (the cover model for Savage Garden 1st edition)! Aldrovanda vesiculosa! Utricularia gibba! Utricularia inflata! Utricularia warburgii! Utricularia nephrophylla! Or maybe it’s geminiloba! You won’t know for sure until it flowers! Cephalotus follicularis (if you’re lucky!). A vast selection of Pinguicula and Drosera! Okay, maybe not so vast, but at least vast-ish. Well, at least 5 or 6 different ones. And LACPS swag! Don’t forget that! Hats and T-Shirts!

Presentation

You say you’re already passing out in excitement just thinking about it? Well, don’t croak yet, or you’ll miss the best part! A presentation by our very own Forbes Conrad who will be amazing us with photoes of in-situ Mexican Pinguicula. Gasp in wonder at the beauty of these beasts, quake in fear upon hearing the death defying travails that had to be endured to photograph these rarities. People will be talking about this meeting for years to come! Don’t miss out, a Forbes sighting happens only once every 3 leap years! Be there or be octagonal!

Where will it be?

For this meeting we will, once again, be at the lovely Leslie’s house in Pasadena, California. It is an outdoor location, with ability to go indoors if weather is inclement.

If you have been to a previous meeting at Leslie’s house, then you know where it is! If you haven’t, or if you are like our fearless leader and can’t recall where you left your reading glasses last night, write DJ and he will give you the location deets (assuming he still remembers them)!

Sales and trades

At this meeting there will be plants for sale and trade! Maybe some on display!

There’s be some light nosh and beverages served to keep the natives from getting restless. And for those who can’t get enough plerdiness from the official meeting, the traditional after meeting nosh for those who want to participate.

Cover charge

Entry fee, as always, is $4

When is it?

Saturday April 5th, 2025.

The gathering will begin at 11 AM and extend to around 2 PM.