Clivia queen rakes in the prizes
Breeder on way to East London show, then Japan and China
LOCAL personality and avid gardener Annie de Wet Steyn surprised all when she came home with eight first, three second and three third prizes for the beautiful clivias she entered in the Eastern Cape Clivia Association’s show held at Sherwood Gardens in Port Elizabeth on September 16.
“It meant the world to me. I was walking on air for a week. I had everyone there – children and grandchildren, so it was very special, “she said.
A clivia is a type of monocot flowering plants native to southern Africa. They are from the family Amaryllidaceae, sub-family Amaryllidoideae and is also known by its common names, Natal lily or bush lily.
They are herbaceous evergreen plants, with green, strap-like leaves. Individual flowers are more or less bell-shaped, occurring in umbels on a stalk above the foliage; colours typically range from yellow through orange to red. Many cultivars exist, some with variegated leaf patterns.
Clivias have been involved in extensive breeding programmes throughout the years.
Some of the traits that breeders look for include larger blooms, variegation, different flower colours and even different leaf arrangements. Some of the hybrids sell for exorbitant prices due to their rarity.
With spring finally here, De wet Steyn is putting all her energy in cultivating the beautiful plants and have absorbed the culture of clivia cultivation with full force. Six months ago, De wet Steynbought 85 000 clivias from a reputable breeder and being quite new to clivias, it’s taken her only this short amount of time to produce top-quality, world-class clivias.
“They are the most beautiful flowers, and it was quite significant that I could bring them back to their ancestry.”
De wet Steynsaid that clivias were discovered in Port Alfred in 1830 by William Burchell and is still today a very popular plant.
According to De wet Steyn, it’s a seven-day-a-week commitment, and at least 12 hours per day of passion and care that goes into clivia breeding. Clivias are one of our more famous plants in South Africa and it has managed to find its way into gardens around the globe.
De wet Steynis growing them in pots and will be exporting to 46 different countries. Steyn said the Eastern Cape is home to several good breeders and that the general quality of clivias is very good.
She looks forward to a trip to Japan and China to learn about their culture surrounding clivias and techniques used by these countries in breeding.
De wet Steynwill be travelling to East London tomorrow for the East London Clivia Show where she will showcase her beauties once more.