In Memoriam: Naomi Jacqueline Bloss

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Naomi Jacqueline Bloss, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Naomi’s love for plants and nature was a gift that touched the hearts of everyone she met. Her passion for gardening, especially cacti and succulents, was more than a hobby, it was her life’s work.

Naomi’s love of plants began at a young age. At just eight years old, living at NAS Corpus Christi, she was gifted Kalanchoe cuttings by a neighbor. Her grandmother’s green thumb with plants like gardenia and succulents, as well as her father’s obsession with papayas, nurtured her love for the natural world. This passion followed her throughout her life, shaping her career and leaving a lasting legacy in the world of horticulture. A proud member of the Cactus and Succulent Societies of America, including the Monterey Bay Area, San Francisco, and San Jose chapters, Naomi’s contributions to their community are infinite.

She was a longtime volunteer at the UCSC Arboretum, sharing her knowledge and love of plants with others. Naomi also founded her first business in Washington, D.C., where she began cultivating cacti and succulents in a small porch that soon transformed into a dedicated grow room. As her collections grew, Naomi, with her husband Frank, designed a rooftop greenhouse at their Mount Pleasant townhouse, expanding their passion even further. Naomi was instrumental in establishing the Cactus & Succulent Society of Washington D.C., a testament to her commitment to the growth of this vibrant community.