British Cactus and Succulent Society

The principal objectives of the BCSS are to promote the study, conservation, propagation and cultivation of cacti and other succulent plants. Membership of the Society is international and open to all. We currently have about 3,000 members and this includes a whole range of interests from novice windowsill growers to experts. The Society has more than 70 branches in the UK, each of which organises an active programme of local events every year. At the national level, we hold an International Convention every 4 years, and a National Show in the intervening periods. Participation can be at any level, whether you grow just a few plants for fun, are a serious student of botany, or at any other stage in between. All members are valued as part of a friendly and cohesive social group. Apart from the immense pleasure and sense of satisfaction that raising and growing interesting plants brings, the BCSS also has another dimension in the struggle to protect the world’s heritage of wild and cultivated cacti and other succulent plants from the various threats that the modern era poses. Many members chose to subscribe just for the publications rather than the activities. Our lavishly illustrated house journal, CactusWorld, is well worth the annual subscription alone. A yearbook, Bradleya, that has been published since 1983, contains the more technical articles and has set new standards of excellence for a botanical journal devoted to succulent plants. The BCSS is also a publisher of books, usually on particular popular genera, and co-published the new definitive work on Aloes jointly with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Although the majority of our members are in the UK and Ireland we have a large overseas membership with members in more than 60 countries. Everyone is eligible to join. You can receive our high-quality quarterly magazine by subscribing online.