Panayoti Kelaidis, Sr.
Looking for Succulents in all the Wrong Places
Everyone thinks of Mexico, Argentina, Socotra, or the Richtersveld when succulents are mentioned. But people are wild about succulents in China, Europe, and even New Zealand. Over the years, Panayoti has been astonished to find wonderful cactus collections in places one would never think to look—and wild succulents that are little known in collections. He'll talk about the secret gardens of succulents around the globe.
About the speaker: Panayoti Kelaidis is a plant explorer, gardener, and public garden administrator associated with Denver Botanic Gardens where he is now Senior Curator and Director of Outreach. He has designed plantings for many of the gardens at DBG, and he is particularly noted for the plantings of the Rock Alpine Garden. He has introduced hundreds of native ornamentals from throughout the Western United States and Mexico to general horticulture. He has taken seven collecting trips to Southern Africa researching the high mountain flora there, traveled to the Andes and the Himalayas (from both Pakistan and China), and done research throughout much of Europe and Turkey. Thus far, five plants discovered by Panayoti have proved new to science. Many of his plant introductions are available through Plant Select® (a plant introduction program he helped launch along with staff from Colorado State University and nurseries across America).
In recent years, Panayoti has been honored with the Boulder History Museum’s 60 Year Living History award in 2004, in 2003 by being inducted into the Garden Club of America as Member-at-Large, in 2002 he received the National Garden Clubs Medal of Honor and in 2000 he received the Arthur Hoyt Scott Medal from the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College. He has received four awards from the North American Rock Garden Society. In 2004, he was inducted into the Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse Association’s Hall of Fame. In 2009, he received the Liberty Hyde Bailey Award of the American Horticultural Society.
Panayoti has lectured in over 140 cities in ten countries, and has been featured in dozens of television, newspaper, and magazine pieces. He has published widely in popular and technical horticultural journals. He has co-written and edited many books over the last 30 years, most recently Steppes: The Plants and Ecology of the World's Semi-arid Regions.
The presentations starts at 6:45 pm.
Members free
Guests $15
Parking free for everyone.
