His name may not ring a bell, but his plants probably look familiar. You’ve may have seen plant explorer and breeder Kelly Griffin’s wildly popular aloes, agaves, and other succulent plants in nurseries and big box stores across the country.
Kelly travels the world in search of new and/or rare succulents to document, photograph, and when possible – collects seeds and pollen. He does this with permits, and adheres to strict collecting guidelines of course, as is the practice of responsible plant explorers. “The point,” he says, “ is to record and get better knowledge about plants in the wild…because when plants aren’t known and aren’t protected, they are at risk of being destroyed.”
That ethic applies to wild plants that grow near Kelly’s San Diego County home as well as to those in Baja, Cuba, Bolivia, Peru, Madagascar, Chile, Yemen, or any of the other countries Kelly has visited in his hunt for interesting plants.
Wherever and whatever he collects – whether it is pollen, seed, or photographs – ultimately arrives at Kelly’s home and laboratory. There, he dreams up new plant combinations, then makes the crosses to see if he can create what he imagines.
For a plant lover like me, a visit to Kelly’s stunning private garden or to his extensive growing grounds at Altman plants are literal kid-in-the-candy-store experiences. I’m sure you’ll agree after you watch “The Adventures of a Plant Explorer.”
And next time you buy an Aloe or Agave in the nursery, you might just be adding a Kelly Griffin plant to your collection.
— Nan Sterman
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