NEXT ZOOM MEETING: THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2021, 6:30 p.m.
Meeting ID: 822 9005 9692 Passcode: 116590
South Africa – Namaqualand
Presented by Steven Frieze
When Phyllis (my wife) and I decided we wanted to visit South Africa for a third
time we reached out to Rob Skillin, a horticulturist located in the San Luis
Obispo area, and he suggested contacting Karel du Toit as a possible guide.
Karel as it turns out, is a member of the South African Police force and a
former professional rugby player who now is a devoted naturalist who regularly
studies the flora of an area in South Africa known as Namaqualand.
After conversing with us for a period of time he built a flexible schedule that
enabled Phyllis and I to explore and experience the thriving flora of this
geographical area. We wereintroduced to a variety of different succulents – some
very small (mesembs) and others very large (Aloe pilansii) - that were
captivating in spite of the fact that South Africa has been in drought
conditions for several years. We had the extraordinary opportunity to spend
almost three weeks traveling north from Cape Town to Springbok seeking out some
of the most exotic plants found anywhere on earth sometimes in highly unusual
ecosystems. In addition to the plants. we were treated to many different aspects
of the South African culture that enabled us to even more appreciate this unique
and strange ecosystem. Karel’s familiarity and access to locations made the trip
extraordinarily fulfilling.
Biography:
Steven Frieze has been involved with collection, sales and propagation of cacti and succulents for over thirty years. He is a lifetime member of the Los Angeles Cacti and Succulent Society where he served as the President of this club for a number of years and as its newsletter editor for several more. Steven was one of the founding owners of Desert Creations, an exotic cactus and succulent nursery. Steven has made several plant related expeditions to exotic locals such as Chile, East Africa, South Africa, Oaxaca Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil. He and his wife have started Distinctive Flora, a plant business that specializes in exotic plants such as tillandsias, bromeliads, cacti and succulents.
