I collected cacti as a child growing up in England. Pete and Ken’s cactus nursery in Ash, Kent was like a second home to me. I grew succulents from seed and sold them at car boot sales to raise funds to buy more cacti! Education and career took me to Switzerland and then the United States and, while I always had some cacti in my life, I started serious collecting again only over the last couple of years here in San Mateo, California.

I am passionate about these plants and their preservation. It is estimated that 31% of the 1,478 evaluated species of cactus are at risk of extinction through habitat loss or poaching. My purpose is to help make rare cacti more broadly available to help preserve them and reduce the market for poached plants.

Unique and interesting pots are something all collectors are looking for to stage their plants. After taking a pottery class at ClayLife in San Mateo with my wife, and being inspired by many talented potters, Prickly Pots was born. Each pot is hand made and totally unique!

Del Sol means “of the sun”. The sun drives weather, ocean currents, seasons, and climate, and makes plant life possible through photosynthesis. Cacti are sun lovers and each pot has the Prickly Sun somewhere on it.

You can find me on Instagram and Palmstreet (@doctorprickly)