Fred Dortort has grown succulent plants and cacti for over thirty years. He has studied and observed succulents in locations as diverse as Baja California, mainland Mexico, South Africa, Namibia, and the American Southwest. He lectures widely on succulent plants, has taught classes at the University of California Botanical Garden in Berkeley, and has written numberous articles for the Cactus and Succulent Journal, as well as for publications such as Pacific Horticulture and Garden. Fred lives in Berkeley, California.