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| Kniphofia caulescens on Oxbow, Lesotho |
Not nearly as well known to American tourists than it is to Europeans and native South Africans, the Drakensberg feature a host of elegant resort hotels and accessible trails—and unparalleled natural beauty. January is peak month for color in the montane, subalpine and alpine meadows here. This trip features the most spectacular spots: Sani Pass, Sentinel, Naude’s Nek and more! A few details to get your spot.
Itinerary and cost: South African wildflower segment ($4800 double occupancy; single supplement $420)
January 9, 20151 Meet in Johannesburg
10-11 Sentinel, Orange Free State
12-13 Oxbow, Lesotho
14-15 C Lesotho
16-17 e Cape (Naude’s Nek)
18-19 Underberg (Sani Pass)
20-22 Durban to Harrismith
23 Heidelberg
24 Depart Johannesburg or
Cheetah Reserve Extension (Kruger) ($1400; single supplement $280)
January 25-27 Kruger/Private Reserve
28 Johannesburg (stop at Elephant Sanctuary) January 29 Departure
The flora of Southern Africa comprises 10% of the flora of Planet Earth: Although the mild subtropical “Fynbos” flora of the Western Cape and the subtropical succulent flora of the Karoo are well known to many, the high mountain flora is extraordinarily rich and especially showy in the depths of North Temperate Winter.
This trip is designed to visit the key locations from Lesotho, throughout the Southern Drakensberg where Panayoti has found so many plants on his previous six expeditions!
:
Terms:
• First deposit to guarantee place ($800)
• Second payment 6 months before trip of $2500 (August 9, 2014)
• Final payment in cash upon arrival to Johannesburg
www.southamericanaturetours.com
To book your tour send deposit to:
Guillermo Rivera, Owner
South America Nature Tours
927 80th St. NW
Bradenton, FL 34209
Leaders:
Email:
rivera@intecar.com.ar
Guillermo Rivera is owner of South American Nature Tours has taken dozens of tours throughout South America and South Africa featuring flora, birds and other fauna and cultural diversity. He is a Ph.D. Botanist from Cordoba, Argentina, now living in Florida. South American Nature Tours invites you to an extraordinary experience guiding you throughout some of the most diverse sites for wildflowers and succulents in, South Africa and Lesotho.
Panayoti Kelaidis
Senior Curator and Director of Outreach, Denver Botanic Gardens Phone: 720-865-3604
email:
kelaidip@botanicgardens.org
I planted a number of Kniphofia, which look like the species in the above photo, at my in-laws garden. I grew them from seed many years ago. I still have the seed packet, purchased from a local hardware store, which only names the genus. I have not yet moved any of the plants to my own garden. These plants have an unattractive habit of appearing rather gangly with a noticeable kink in the stem. It maybe that my Kniphofia was unable to straightened up when planted on level ground, never able to lose it predispositions developed for its rocky sloping habitat. I have since tried to grow K. uvaria cultivars. These Kniphofia's have better form, but slowly decline in my garden at the northern limit of the hardiness range until the year occurs that they do not return. It is a shame, because I find the daintiness of K. uvaria to be very attractive.
ReplyDeleteJames
There are dozens of species that vary enormously in habit, color and form. The supposed "uvaria" of cult. rarely are--they represent hybrids with a number of species (ensifolia, baurii and more) and are homely compared to many of the more select hybrids made in Britain and Europe (which are often tenderish). We have a host of much hardier species that have come into cultivation the last twenty years: Northiae, triangularis in many forms, hirsuta, porphyrantha, ritualis, stricta and especially caulescens which are from much higher altitudes, much hardier and should one day produce a suite of lovelier hybrids better adapted to continental gardens. If you look around you will find many of these at specialty nurseries, James! (I have had seed of many in my lists and donated to NARGS in the past).
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