Archives

The CSSA Archives document the history of the Society, provide meta-information on our publications, highlight classic content, and introduce some of the personalities who have been involved over the decades.

PARDON THE DUST – THE ARCHIVES ARE UNDER RENOVATION AS WE MOVE THEM TO THIS NEW SITE.

Recent Updates

Check out the latest posts that have been added to the web archives, and updates on our progress.

CSSA updates Code of Conduct regarding habitat collected plants

2024-02-02

In order to address the increased pressure for field-collected plants, the CSSA Board of Directors, in cooperation with our Conservation Committee, has adopted a Code of Conduct for CSSA members. Please feel free to use this Code of Conduct as a template,…

Brian Kemble receives Liberty Hyde Bailey Award

2025-03-05

Since 1953, the American Horticultural Society’s Great American Gardeners Awards program has recognized individuals and organizations that have achieved horticultural excellence to fields such as plant research, garden stewardship, horticultural outreach, and teaching.

Biography: Helia Bravo-Hollis

2025-02-25

Bravo-Hollis, Dr. Helia (1901–2001)—discoverer, describer and scholar of taxa of Cactaceae in Mexico—one of the founders of Sociedad Mexicana de Cactología (Mexican Cactus Society) in 1951.

Biography: Benson Lyman

2025-02-07

Benson, Dr Lyman David (1909–1993)—botanist, teacher and taxonomist, specializing on cacti of the United States of America and Canada.

Biography: Louisa Bolus

2025-02-06

Bolus, [née Kensit] Dr Harriet Margaret Louisa (1877-1970)—taxonomic botanist and describer of many new succulent taxa, with special interest in Mesembryanthemum.

Biography: Albert Blanc

2025-02-05

Benson, Dr Lyman David (1909–1993)—botanist, teacher and taxonomist, specializing on cacti of the United States of America and Canada.

Browse the Archives Collections

Publications Archive

Free article series and documents related to our publications will be added here as we can make them available.

Browse the Publcations Archives

Issues & Editors Spreadsheets – NEW

Authors and Titles Index – NEW

COMING SOON – We eventually plan to create feeds of several categories of articles from the nearly 100 years of journals, including :

• Basic plant care
• Biographies and Obituaries
• Features on CSSA history
• Book Reviews

Important Succulentists

Celebrate the botanists, naturalists, scientists, horticulturists, historians, and botanical illustrators, who have contributed to our collective knowledge.

Currently this links to the old Archives page, but eventually we will collect these biographies onto the main site.

Explore Now

Currently available articles in the new format:

• Staples Biographies – printable downloads
• Staples Biographies – on this website
• All Biographies – on this website

Other relevant resources:

• A Historical Record of Authors of Cactus & Succulent Volume 1: Introduction & A-K and Volume 2: Book Reviews & L-Z. Written by Chuck Staples and edited by Audrey Staples. Can be used to trace citations or understand who a plant is named for.
• Chuck Staples’ Movers and Shakers of the Cactus and Succulent World is useful for similar reasons.
• We plan to collect more of Larry Mitich’s Succulent Biographies from the Journals and eventually create an online version of them that will become part of a larger collection of historical biographies.

CSSA Histories

A number of documents and lists curated by Chuck Staples…

Explore Now

COMING SOON – We hope to upload a number of documents on the history of the Society and Affiliates, including :

• Topic 1
• Topic 2
• Other Features on CSSA History

CSSA Awards & Governance Archive

Currently links to the old Archives microsite, but eventually we will transfer this onto this main site.

PLACEHOLDER ONLY ***

Old Archives

Original Archives

The original Chuck Staples archives microsite has been saved to a new location so they can still be used while we transfer the resources here.

Original Archives Microsite