Gunnar Eisel | January Meeting Speaker

January 9th at 7pm PST
Redlands Church of the Nazarene
1307 East Citrus Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374

Program Description: The Succulent Underground –
The Hidden Intelligence and Function of Roots

Join us for an enlightening journey into the “hidden half” of your plants. This presentation bridges the gap between botanical science and practical horticulture, helping gardeners overcome the fear of root disturbance by explaining the physiological benefits of pruning for sanitation and growth stimulation. We will demystify how roots “think” by exploring how organelles called statoliths guide growth through gravity sensing and hormonal signaling.

Speaker Biography

Gunnar Eisel is a German born music educator and former Executive Director of the Guitar Foundation of America whose teaching has shaped many leading performers and college curricula. He has been an avid collector of rare succulent plants since the 1970’s and has served as General Manager and later Executive Director of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America from 2009 to 2023. He has twice served as President of the San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society and is currently its Speakerchair as well as a frequent club speaker and show judge. His lifelong interest in cacti and succulents began with childhood encounters photographing night blooming Cereus and navigating Opuntia glochids in the California deserts.