Velvet charm
The unique Agapanthus ‘Blackjack’ was named the “Best new plant in the world” for 2023 at the annual Chelsea Flower Show in the UK. And who are the masterminds behind this impressive awardwinning plant? South African botanist Andy de Wet, who has more than 50 years’ experience in plant selection and development, and horticulturist Quinton Bean, with 20 years of experience. Both are from De Wet Plant Breeders.
The deep-purple Blackjack, with its large flower heads and striped flowers, is a hardy plant that can tolerate heat and drought. It also attracts butterflies and bees to your garden. This African lily produces 10 times more florets per flower head and has a long flowering period, starting in the middle of summer. Andy says that Blackjack was crowned the champion because it takes a new direction when compared with traditional agapanthus. “The colour of the flower is unique. It has almost jetblack buds that open into a large, round flower head with dark, open, velvet-like flowers. The Blackjack blooms for approximately three months and is an extremely vigorous grower.”
The main goal of plant adaptations at De Wet Plant Breeders – which focuses on 20 South African genera such as agapanthuses and aloes – is to develop varieties that are heat- and drought-resistant. There are 35 agapanthus varieties available in their online store.
“It’s incredibly exciting when a plant that didn’t exist before blooms for the first time because you never know exactly what it’s going to look like,” says Andy. “But it’s time-consuming and expensive to conduct so many experiments, because only a handful of your many attempts are successful.”
But Andy wouldn’t exchange his job for another, because it’s “wonderful to work with plants and learn the deepest secrets that hide in their genetics”.
Price R245 for a plant approximately 21 cm tall in a 5 ℓ bag.
Contact Order at cndnursery.co.za >