Natal) National Parks. It is one of the second career in real estate, buying A Cycad Travelogue largest surviving specimens in the world. land and developing properties. He also March-April 2002 Youll see Davids photo with Adam here. began to collect exotic birds and Maurice Levin Adam is the younger one here cycads. His bird collection was re- We also saw the famous specimen of nowned throughout the world, and In the early spring of 2002, my son Encephalartos altensteinii in the palm created such a cacophony that his Adam and I traveled to England and house (Fig. 2). Kew believes this to be neighbors complained. So, he bought South Africa as part of my wife Randis among the oldest potted specimens in out all of the adjoining properties to family and business trip to Europe. My the world. Originally collected in the his, and rented them out to people who wife and daughter traveled on to the 1770s in the Eastern Cape of South did not have a problem with the birds continent, while Adam and I went to Africa, it was originally misnamed E. noise. In terms of cycads, Charlie trav- South Africa. This article will touch on longifolius. Subsequent research and eled throughout South Africa, collecting a few of the places we visited. taxonomic analysis revealed it to be E. plants under permit and bringing them altensteinii. This is a HUGE plant, its to his garden. When you look at some Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew trunk over 14 feet long, growing only of the photos here you will see literally Situated in London, the Royal Botan- about one inch per year. Apparently it hedges of cycads, islands of rarity in the ic Gardens, Kew are home to an amazing has only coned once in the time it has lawns at the Hewson residence (Fig. 3). collection of plants, including lovely been at Kew. Among the more amazing cycads in Encephalartos that have been collected the Hewson garden was the large En- over several centuries. I had previously South Africa - The home of Encephalartos cephalartos latifrons which seems to corresponded with David Cooke, whom Adam and I headed on to South float above the E. lehmannii in this Id met at the 1999 International Confer- Africa, a rather long flight that impress- photo (Fig. 4). Its trunk is over 10 feet ence on Cycad Biology in Miami, Florida. es because in our North-America-cen- long, and has numerous offsets. The E. David is a curator at the gardens and tric maps, the continent of Africa seems lehmannii was also noteworthy, having has managed the Palm and Temperate smaller than its true size. After an en- been collected from a rare stand with a Houses there for years. He has the joyable stay with friends in the Johan- unique recurving leaf form, found only distinction of having the palm species nesburg area, we traveled to the East- in the Paardport Mountains of the East- Dypsis cookei named for him. David was ern Cape and KwaZulu Natal provinces, ern Cape (Fig. 5). Other impressive an incredibly gracious host, with an where we visited some of the most plants included a ten foot tall E. longifo- incredibly quick mind, and a delightfully impressive cycad gardens Ive ever seen. lius (Fig. 6), a hedge of the rare E. hor- humble sense of humor that is very rare Three major highlights of that trip were ridus Dwarf Form (Fig. 7) and a most among people as accomplished as he is. visits to Charlie Hewsons Garden, the impressive E. friderici- guilielmi which We shared a few Dioon merolae seeds Durban Botanical Garden, and Douglas was the largest Id ever seen (Fig. 8). with him and got a wonderful insiders Goodes home and studio. Greg Holzman, a fellow TCS board mem- tour of the cycad collection. Two high- ber, had visited with Charlie in the lights of that tour were specimens of Charlie Hewsons Cycad Garden 1990s; his article recalling the visit can Encephalartos woodii and E. altensteinii. In early April 2002, my son Adam and I be found in issue no.5 (B&W edition). In the Temperate House, Adam and I had the chance to visit one of the most had the chance to see the large En- significant cycad gardens on the entire Douglas Goode & the Durban Botanical cephalartos woodii (Fig. 1). Kew consid- African continent, according to a knowl- Garden ers this its rarest plant, a gift many edgeable South African. This was the We traveled to Natal that evening, years ago from the Natal (now KwaZulu garden of the late Charles Hewson, in and the following day, we visited the Port Elizabeth, South Africas Eastern home, studio and garden of Douglas Cape Province. We were visiting this Goode, the renowned cycad horticul- garden, because he had passed away turalist, author and artist. Among the two years earlier and his sister Mrs. Alpha Hastings was arranging to sell the collection to some South African associ- ates and me. Charlie Hewson was a self-made entrepreneur who had built and sold a successful auction business in Graham- stown before moving to Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape Province. Upon mov- ing to Port Elizabeth, he commenced his
Fig. 1. David Cooke and Adam at Kew Garden Fig. 2. Kews enormous specimen of Fig. 3. Hedge-like cycad plantings in front of Encephalartos woodii Encephalartos altensteinii at the Hewson residence The Cycad Newsletter 29(4) December 2006 Page 6 things we enjoyed were the large swing before, this work was a plea for conser- that Adam enjoyed at the bottom of the vation. It was subsequently sold at auc- slope below Douglas property, and the tion in the USA, proceeds going to na- chance to see Douglas studio, where ture conservation. we saw one of Mr. Goodes latest cycad artworks up close (Fig. 9). Quite differ- The Durban Botanical Garden ent from any other Douglas had done After visiting his home and atelier, Douglas Goode toured us through the Durban Botanical Gardens. Not only did Fig. 4. A large specimen of Encephalartos we see a good number of beautiful and latifrons that seems to float specimen-sized cycads, we also had above a nearby E. lehmannii photographic opportunities with three of the original Encephalartos woodii trunks brought to the Durban Bot from the wild (Figs. 10-11). Leaf details and aerial branches can be seen in Fig.12. Some of the other impressive Fig. 8. A dwarf form of Encephalartos plants there were the Plumeria rubra horridus with Adam for scale next to which Adam almost seems to be dancing (Fig. 13), and Strelitzia reginae Mandelas Gold (Fig. 14). Fig. 5. A rare form of Encephalartos lehmanii from the Paardport Mountains of eastern Cape Province
Fig. 9. Douglas Goode holding one of his portraits with Adam
Fig. 6. Adam with a ten-foot Fig. 10. Durban Botanical Gardens famous specimen of Encephalartos longifolius specimen of Encephalartos woodii Fig. 12. Encephalartos woodii: view of aerial branches and leaf closeup
Fig. 13. Adam with Plumeria rubra
Fig. 7. Adam with an impressive specimen Fig. 11. Encephalartos woodii at Durban of Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi Botanical Gardens with Adam and Maurice Fig. 14. Strelitzia reginae Mandelas Gold The Cycad Newsletter 29(4) December 2006 Page 7