California Cactus Center

My yesterday … was completely bedazzled by a spontaneous joyride to Cactus Center! I am somewhat of an echeveria (searching for a kind word) … Maniac? And was searching for a hybrid that my neighbor has been taunting me with. It is AMAZING!
No, I did not find that BUT, with the expertise, patience, and well-​wishes of the staff, I walked out with a box full of pure beauty. I still can’t take my eyes from my haul. I am literally singing as I place them where I hope they will find mutual joy.
Nope! Cactus Center ain’t cheap. BUT … I got more than my money’s worth!
Oh! This is important! I thought I had picked the perfect echeveria Cante. The observant staff person found a knick in one of the leaves … and replaced it. How wonderful was that? Wonderful enough for me to hardly be able to wait for a return trip. THAT wonderful.
Take your deep purse or your fat wallet. Stop by the Coinstar! Do what you gotta do. If you love cacti and succulents … JUST GOOOOOO!

I always have a great experience when I come here. Although many may not notice it, this place has been here for a long time. My mom used to bring me when I was a little kid. Everyone is extremely helpful and nice. They always have a great selection of plants and are willing to help you if you’re not sure what you want.

This is a family business there are 6 sisters and I have been going there since their parents were alive .I absolutely love this place and the girls are so nice and helpful. it is a little bit pricey but you could find things over there that you cannot find anywhere else. super worth checking it out

None of the plants here are labeled with the species name or most importantly the price. The majority of the plants that do have a label are marked as sold or not for sale. Average price for a 15gallon plant/​tree is $ 450…even for species that you could buy as a 5 gallon for $ 40 or less at other nurseries and grow yourself for a year to surpass the 15gallon size. Recommend go elsewhere and buy a smaller plant and take the time and patience to care for it yourself

Great variety of succulents if you are going to plant yourself. Pre planted selections are uninspired and overpriced. They need someone with a design eye that knows what they are doing.

It’s my first time going to a cactus nursery. It was a new experience for my daughter and I. Other than selling cactus, they also sell pots and rocks. This nursery is family owned.
:Experience:
We were looking for specific succulents to plant in a small pot. There were several to choose from and some were already nicely put together. They also sell different kinds of colored rocks to top off your plant. We saw so many, big, small, furry, bright, and sharp cactus. The ladies that work here are very nice and ready to help.
:Customer Service:
Melanie helped us find the cactus we were looking for. She also explained how to care for the cactus and offered to plant it for us in the pot we choose. She added the perfect colored rocks. It was a nice color that will match the pot after we paint it white. Melanie is knowledgeable and helpful. She was very nice to us.
:M’s Notes:
~Small parking lot and street parking

Love this place, every time I visit I end up buying something. They have a wide selection of succulents, cacti, air plants, and pottery.
They use letter tiered pricing for plants which is a little frustrating. So instead of a price, a plant will have a letter that corresponds to a certain level of pricing. Some small arrangements might cause a temporary black out but single plants aren’t too unreasonable. Succulent pricing is higher than normal here, however most savvy buyers know where is the best place to buy by now anyways *cough* Downtown LA *cough*. The have many unusual plants which I love and competitive pricing on pottery. The ladies who work here are very nice and helpful as well.

It is probably the largest selection of cacti I’ve seen. I went looking for a specific type of cactus, which the owner had in her private collection, but was not selling at the moment. However, she was still incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, and helpful.

The amount and variety of succulents, cacti, air plants and so much more here is incredible. I was looking for air plants for a while. The ones I saw at Home Depot and Armstrongs are a joke. Thank god for Unilocal for bringing me here!
The succulents and plants are all just so cute to me. I was greeted by 2 different people right when they saw me. The lady helped me with my air plant questions. Im sure they know their stuff! Again, the amount and variety here still amazes me. I walked out happy!

Great place. Staff is very friendly and know their stuff! Very helpful and are willing to give you deals. They can be expensive but they have pure cactus not hybrids

The ladies here are so incredibly kind. They helped me choose the right sizes for the pots I was purchasing and even arranged a couple of them for me. I love that they can arrange them for you and also tell you everything you need to know — and give you everything you need — to arrange the succulents yourself.
I purchased a few smaller classic pots (79 cents and under) but I wanted to paint them at home, so they gave me all the tools I need to arrange them myself once the paint dries.
Home Depot, Osh, etc. don’t provide this kind of service, as most attendants aren’t as knowledgable in succulents, and they don’t have as extensive of a supply of cacti and succulents as this gem.
I highly recommend going here for anyone who has dreamt of creating a personable arrangement. Lots to choose from and tons of inspiration. There is also a bonsai collection which will lure me back soon.

Amazing family owned and run business!!! Amazing arrangements, selections and service. You will not be disappointed coming here.

I absolutely am in LOVE with California Cactus Center. The sisters that run their family business are so helpful and extremely knowledgable. I had so much fun putting together different cactus arrangements with Molly one of the owners. They even helped me fix a wobbly pot that I brought in… even though I didn’t buy it from them! The prices are a little higher than other places you might go to buy a cactus… but I feel the attention you get from the owners make the price worth it! Also. I brought in my own pots and they only charged me $ 7 to pot cactus I purchased (including soil and sand) Great deal!

We use to come to this place a lot and spend a ton of money
but then they redesigned and it seems they are suffering … sadly from growing pains
Seems that we will have to give them some time to again concentrate on customer service and then e will check back in a few months
4 stars is for their part glory
Hope they don’t continue to follow San Gabriel lead and overlook the little guys
We spend alot of money

I came in on my lunch break to grab a gift for a colleague who’s leaving. I told the lady what I was looking for, who it was for and she helped me arrange something. She re-​potted the cactus and succulents for me in a terrarium and it turned out so nice! Overall, I was very satisfied with my experience. I will be coming back for my own terrarium for my desk!

I am so glad I found this place on Unilocal! On Mother’s Day, my friend and I were trying to find a cute succulent for one of our friend’s mom. We were planning to go to Home Depot, but that drive would’ve been kind of far, so I was like let me Unilocal something, and I stumbled upon this local gem. I called the Cactus Center and asked for their hours and they were open! So we drove down Rosemead Blvd and parked at the local Starbucks next door.
Upon entering, we were greeting by so many different types of plants and succulents. I definitely got closer to nature that day. My friend and I chose 3 different succulents that we thought were super cute. We then chose a glass pot that they had and asked them to help us transfer it over to the glass pot. The cool thing is that they have a lot of different colored rocks, so you can choose which colors you want to add in your new pot with the succulents and they’ll do it for you free of cost. After they are finished, you bring your new creation over to the register, pay for it, and that creation is now yours.
When we brought it to our friend’s mom, she loved it and we were really proud of our masterpiece, thanks to the Cactus Center. I am definitely coming back to make more creations and hopefully you will check it out when you have the chance as well. The prices are unbeatable and the masterpiece you make is something you can look at everyday and back on in the future.

I am absolutely smitten with this place. We had the best experience with a man who works here, we came in with the idea to make my son’s toy dinosaurs into planters for baby succulents. The nice man who helped up us was more than happy and excited to help us figure out how to make it happen and the finished product was perfect, thanks to him! My son’s teacher will be thrilled! I’d recommend this place to anyone and everyone, very affordable and super cute.

California Cactus Center is an excellent nursery serving the greater Los Angeles area. They specialize in succulents, cacti, air plants, caudiciform plants and exotics. Their knowledgeable and friendly staff cant help inform design, plant selection, and care. It doesn’t get much better than this place.

I really like this place. It has a huge variety of succulents and cacti for sale. I got to say a lot of them are really pretty. I like how the prices there are reasonable. I thought it was pretty cheap. They also have already made arrangements that are gorgeous. You can also customize your own arrangements if you like. They are very friendly, offering help if you need it. They told us how to care for them, making sure they get the best attention. I would come back. Decorating my backyard and room is a plus with these plants!

Words from a learnt dumbass: do not come looking for succulents during a LA heat wave. But if you do anyway, the lovely people here will offer you cold water. They saved me from fainting. That warrants a five star in and of itself.
There’s an amazing array of succulents, air plants, cacti, and pots. Succulents start from $ 2.50 per container. They also have arrangements made that start at $ 20, I believe. They mostly average for $ 30 – 40.
Their best thing is their customer service. They are so nice and informative. It’s not only a place to buy succulents but it’s also a place to ask for advice on how to care for them. They also offer to arrange the succulents and cacti for you if you don’t want to do it yourself. I love it. Home Depot also has a good assortment of succulents but they don’t have CCC’S awesome team there.

If you’re looking for succulents stop looking and just come here. Their stuff is top notch. And the arrangements are clearly made by someone with taste. Highly recommended.

I recently moved to a new (to me) house and the yard was already decorated with TONS of succulents, and I’ve really fallen in love with them. Recently I drove by CCC and decided to make a stop. WOW! More than I could have even hoped for!!! I’m stealing Dan C.‘s formatting because I think it is great way to organize everything.
The Plant Life
It seems like they have a great collection of rare stuff, as well as a lot of the more common stuff. I’ve bought mostly the more common types, I’ll save the more exotic stuff for when I feel that I’m experienced enough not to kill it.
The Service
I love the service here! If you’re looking for hand holding or assertive staff that sense your every question before you’ve even spoken a word, this isn’t a place for you. They remain in the background until you approach them — which I really like. The entire place is so beautiful and Zen, I could spend hours just walking through here. Having someone hover would totally kill it for me. However, when I asked them about a 10ft cactus that I currently have, they were very pleasant and knowledgeable, and referred me to a service that could help me repot it.
The Pricing
It does seem a little steep, but I’m new so I haven’t shopped around much. It’s very close to my work, and I love the atmosphere. I like to go here on my lunch and stroll around. I’m willing to pay a few extra dollars to walk around in peace instead of being inside the garden section of Home Depot. I do plan on propagating and trading plants in the future, so hopefully I’ll only be returning in the future for some super exotic specimens. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO MESSAGE ME TO TRADE :):):)
Random Note
I do think the «store» could be cleaned up around the edges/​corners of the property. Lots of plants that are crazy overgrown/​not really maintained/​growing sideways, etc. Not sure if these are cast offs (if so, I’ll take!) or these are used for cuttings, but it does look a little messy/​disorganized and the walk ways get a little narrow, and you’re not really sure if you’re supposed to be over there, etc. For such a small space in Pasadena, I really expected them to be utilizing every square inch a little efficiently.
Overall — I will continue to come back, I love this place and I really like to support local business.

I always go to this place to get my cactus and succulents and specialty pottery. The ladies are knowledgeable and friendly. I get my Christmas and Easter cactus there too. The little pre-​made cactus bowls make wonderful gifts. I generally get the smaller plants as I like to watch them mature and grow. I got my nopal with only two paddles and now it’s 6 ft tall. I’ve been getting my plants there for about 15 years. Wonderful place to wander in.

A cool little place with amazing selection, was very cool to visit and explore but I ended up going home empty handed because of the high prices. This is a very cool little shop with a great selection but be prepared to pay a higher price for the higher quality. If I had the money I would have gotten so much stuff here! It is a cool place to visit and learn about plants, some of the cactus they have here would be hard to find anywhere else. Go check it out! knowledgeable staff that is very helpful!

As a collector of rare and unique plants, I cannot recommend California Cactus Center (CCC) highly enough. If 6 stars were possible, I’d give them 8.
The Plant Life
CCC has an incredible range of succulents, lithops, cacti, rare plants, bonsai, etc. While there’s more than enough of the rank and file succulents here, the huge assortment of rarities makes the drive worth it. All of their stock is expertly taken care of and there was absolutely no sign of sick or dead plants.
Other Goodies
Hand thrown pottery, decorative stones/​gravel/​top dressings and more. You can pick up all the little extras to tip your garden over from okay into amazing.
The Service
Very friendly, approachable staff. They obviously care very much about their business and it shows in the degree of customer service. No hovering, no pushy sales tactics, thorough answers to your questions; they’re on the ball.
The Pricing
This is a place where quality doesn’t comes cheap. It’s certainly on the pricier side, especially with some of the rarer specimens and hand thrown pottery items, but you are DEFINITELY getting your moneys worth.
Travel Tip
Once you get off freeway, it’s a bit of a drive into town before you get there. The two lane roadway is prone to traffic so the earlier you can get there the better. Parking is limited on site but there’s adequate street parking.
NOTE — Parking in the residential area around the corner is restricted on Fridays from like 10am-​4pm for street sweeping.
Overall
Such a great nursery, this is a veritable Disneyland for the succulent and cacti enthusiast. I will definitely be returning in the future.

I wish I could give the California Cactus Center more than 5 stars. If I could, I would!
This place is magical. It’s not too big but it is filled with every variety of succulent and cactus you can imagine! A friend told me about it so I drove up from Orange County to check them out. It was exactly what I was looking for.
I’m getting married this weekend and I wanted to use succulents rather than traditional flowers (which are even more expensive on Valentine’s Day weekend anyway). Sue and her sisters (there are 6 sisters in their family!) put together an incredible selection for us to use for our centerpieces, bouquet, boutonnieres, and corsages.
They went above and beyond to make sure we got the best varieties and combinations. We pre-​paid for the plants and some terrariums and they agreed to hold everything for us so that the plants could stay out in the bright sun and heat as long as possible until we needed to pick them up for the wedding. And they offered to put together our centerpieces for us because they said doing it ourselves would not be easy.
The terrariums ended up not arriving in time from the supplier (which was a bummer), but Sue chose other containers and put together all of our centerpieces for us! In fact, we only needed three large centerpieces in the terrarium and the rest we were going to do ourselves. Sue ended up making all 13 for us. Unbelievable!
Our florist is doing our bouquet, boutonnieres, and corsages so she made sure to pick out a good selection for us to have options.
It ended up being about the same price as what we would have spent on wholesale flowers, but they turned out even more amazing and they’re so unique and special. I am so excited about how they’ll look and I love that they will last beyond the one day (since they’re living plants — not murdered flowers!).
Thank you, Sue, and everyone at California Cactus Center!

The first time I came here, I was looking to start my collection of succulent babies. Large collection of different types of succulents, cactus, and tillandsias (air plants). I saw that they also had lithops (split living rock type of succulent). They do sell christmas/​easter cactuses too, though the ones I bought last year didn’t bloom this year (still figuring out what happened).
They have some really tiny Echeveria ones in 2−3″ pots ($ 4.95 and up) and up to some large statement plants like agave and braided sansevierias. They do carry some rare types, I chose a ghostly looking succulent that was a rare type from Africa. The lady was willing to tell me that the pale, ghostly looking one I chose was almost $ 25-​$ 30 for a single succulent and asked if I still wanted it. I didn’t buy it since she told me it’s really fragile and sensitive to the touch. They’re seem well informed on how to care for the different kinds that they carry and were helpful since I had asked some questions on how to care for a specific type I bought. They also explained to me how to re-​pot and how often to water succulents.
The plants were a bit more expensive but they were well taken care of than other locations I’ve looked at. You can buy pots that are arrangements just to be brought home, some that I liked were around $ 30 that were on the small side.
They’re willing to pot your purchases if you bring your own pots. I brought some of the pottery that I had made that was gathering dust in my closet and wanted to put a plant in them. I also got a glass bottle for a floating terrrarium ($ 6.95). Their colored rocks are $ 2 and they also fill it with pumice for great draining. The guy who did it was nice and was willing to carry my two large arrangement potteries to my car that was parked out on the street.
Now that I have them for over a year, they’re still in great condition though I had to re-​pot some of them due to them growing too big.
They take card, the staff was nice. Tiny parking lot and they don’t seem to update their events page on their website.

This place has an outstanding selection of just about every type of cactus or succulent you could imagine: cacti, euphorbia, lithops, aloes, tillandsias, Echeveria… You name it, they got it.
Dare i say it, this place has more pricks jammed into a small space than just about anywhere else I’ve ever been in Pasadena! (Cue: rimshot/​cymbal) But seriously, folks…
The only places nearby that even come close to rivaling their collections are the Huntington Library, and the Arboretum in Arcadia. Since both of those don’t generally sell plants (annual/​seasonal events notwithstanding) if you want a Euforbia lactea f. cristata variegata cultivar, for example… They probably have it…
… But you’re gonna pay. Because this place ain’t cheap. You thought your Venti Cinnamon Dolce Latte add shot next door at Starbucks was expensive? Then you’re in for a surprise at CCC.
The staff is largely hands off in terms of bothering you while you look around. This is not a great place to bring kids or pets– it seems like a «you break it, you buy it» operation, and there are plenty of specimens perched precariously on rickety wooden shelves and cinder block stacks.
With the variety of cactus cuttings available on eBay, I’m surprised this place is still around. Overhead can’t be really high here, however, and with our 100 year drought or whatever, xeriscaping is definitely here to stay in soCal. I’d give a looksie at a few other spots before committing to buy. Better yet, you can usually ask a little old lady (or a big strapping guy like me) with a cactus garden to trade you a few cuttings for a little weeding service amidst the thorns… Or just start a conversation! Most folks with cactus gardens love talking about cactus! … And most will respect you for not stealing a piece under the cover of night by giving you a little cutting that can be rooted easily. Happy Growing.

I’m visiting from Northern CA and love succulents, so I just had to come by. And I’m so glad I did! The plants AND the customer service at this family-​owned nursery are incredible. They answered all my questions patiently and even offered me water on a very hot day, which was very sweet. They will drill holes in pots if you buy one that doesn’t already have a hole, how awesome is that?!
The icing on the cake is that they carefully boxed up the pots & plants I bought so I can carry them on the plane back home, including some plants I bought from another nursery. From now on this place is a must visit every time I’m near LA/​Pasadena.