An Adventure to Namibia

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With Kelly Griffin
Tuesday, September 19, 2023 – 7:00 pm Pacific Time (California)

Members and visitors can attend in person in San Francisco,
or register/join the meeting in progress on Zoom.

Program Description

Kelly’s talk will center on his most recent long trip to South Africa and Namibia. He
traveled with Tom Knapik and Joey Betzler to Cape Town and then made a giant loop from there up to the Brandberg in Namibia and then back. That is a distance of nearly 1,000 miles if you drove direct, but they did not, covering some 2800 miles. Although this presentation is a travelog, Kelly hopes to impart some helpful info regarding the cultivation of the plants from these areas. Some truly magnificent plants were encountered, including Welwitschias, Aloes, Lithops, Pachypodiums and everything in
between.

Kelly is a succulent plant hybridizer, propagator and avid plant explorer. Like many of us, his interest in plants (and particularly succulent plants) started at a fairly young age. He has traveled to 20+ countries searching for plants, visiting Madagascar 5 times, South Africa 5 times and Mexico 25+ times, to name a few.

Kelly worked as the Curator of Succulents at Rancho Soledad Nursery for 11 years, and for the past 11 years he has been working for Altman’s Plants as Succulent Plant Development Manager. He has become well known for his hybridizing and is responsible for many succulent hybrids now in the trade, including Aloes, Agaves and Echeverias. His best known introductionare his Aloe hybrids that are 30 years in the making (Pink Blush, Delta lights, Christmas Sleigh, Krakatoa, and Coral Fire, among many), but he has also introduced many Agave hybrids and selections (‘Blue Glow’, ‘Snow Glow’, ‘Cubic’, ‘Black and Blue’, ‘Dragon Toes’, ‘Spawn’, and ‘Crème Brûlée’, to name just a few). He is also responsible for obtaining seed from many interesting species and propagating the seed for all to enjoy in cultivation.

Kelly has been a member of the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society since 1992. He has been on the board of Directors for the SDCSS for decades and has served as both President and Vice-President. He was very honored to have been named a Fellow of the San DiegoSociety, and he currently serves on the board of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America.

Show & tell table: Bulbs, Coryphantha, Escobaria & Neolloydia, and anything else that is looking good.

Featured grower: Kelly Griffin and Brian Kemble

Snack table:, There will be a shared spread, but we suggest bringing something every couple of months if you partake regularly. As a thought, we are often short on drinks. 

Covid precautions: Vaccination recommended. We will keep doors open to ensure adequate ventilation. This can make the room a bit chilly so dress appropriately.

Meeting Agenda

7:00 Mingling and announcements
7:30 Formal presentation starts promptly with Society business
7:35 Show and Tell Table
7:50 Leg stretch
7:55 Featured presentation

Watch Online

On Zoom: Register or join the meeting in progress.

Or watch the simulcast on our Facebook page: http://fb.me/sfsucculent

Upcoming Events

  • Meetings usually on the third Tuesday each month:
    • October 15 MesembsVirtually – Derek Tribble – Insights into the Evolution of Mesembs. (Zoom Only. 11:30am California time, on a Sunday)
    • October 17 – TBD
    • November 21- Jeremy Spath on Dudleya
    • .December 19 – Solstice Party (potluck with gift exchange)
    • January 16 – 2024, Pam Koide-Hyat on Peru
    • April 2024 – Jeff Moore