A Sunday dedicated to fascinating prickly and colourful plants is coming up o0n Sunday as the 13th Annual Exhibition of Cacti and other Succulents arrives. Held at the same location as previous years, the Caves Exhibition Hall of Acropolis Park, the event welcomes cacti lovers, owners and specialists.

Rare cacti and succulents will decorate the hall, brought in by the members of the Cyprus Cactus and Succulent Society to be judged for their beauty and the owner’s plant growing skills. “In the years that passed,” say the organisers, “society members have become more skilful and this is reflected in the plants that compete.” Judging this year’s estimated 500 entries is Dr Andreas Laras of the Greek Cactus and Succulent Society, who is an experienced collector, world-renowned for his research on the cacti of Mexico.

Just outside the Caves Exhibition Hall, cacti and more succulents will be on sale throughout the event (10am-7pm) by nurseries from around the island. Furthermore, rare plants, tweezers, handmade pots, and other succulent related products will also be available for purchase.

While browsing and exploring the plants, visitors can also find a copy of the leaflet The Smart Garden, distributed to the public free of charge. The leaflet was published by the Society with the support of the Cyprus Environment Commissioner and contains information on how succulent plants can be used in the Cyprus garden.

“Other than having minimum water needs,” add the organisers, “they are beautiful, have small requirements for fertilisers, and spraying and are low-maintenance. There are thousands of species to choose from. Some are groundcovers, others are climbers, others are bushes and some eventually become small trees. Your garden does not have to be planted just with succulents. Succulents grow well next to other Mediterranean xerophytes such as lavender, rosemary, echium, gazania, lantana, bay tree, common myrtle, jasmine, honeysuckle and many others. Some succulents are hardy, and many grow well in coastal areas.”

With so much more to learn about the intricate world of cacti and its plant family, the annual exhibition invites Cyprus residents to discover more about this world and how to make it work in the local climate.

13th Annual Exhibition of Cacti and other Succulents

Exhibition and competition. June 5. Cave Exhibition Hall, Acropolis Park, Nicosia. 10am-7pm. €1. Tel: 96-570050, [email protected]