About two months ago we decided to take a day trip to Robertson, a quaint little town on Route 62, also known as the Valley of wine and roses, 170 km outside Cape Town, South Africa.
Although Robertson is at the heart of the wine route and is very well known for the high-quality wines that are produced there, we only had one common goal - to visit the Sheilam Nursery on the outskirts of Robertson.
The Sheilam Cactus and Succulent Nursery have been owned by the Schwegmann family since 1967. The nursery is recognised by authorities as one of the finest collections of specimen plants worldwide and has approximately 2000 different species.
We were overwhelmed by the sight that beheld us! There were so many cacti and succulents in this nursery - and all have interesting stories to tell if they only could speak. I just marvelled at the different sizes, shapes and colours of the plants. If one looks closely, the most interesting textures and designs are found.
We also saw the Mother-in-law’s chair or Golden barrel cactus. Specimens of nearly 1 meter tall and 80 cm in diameter are in the collection. These plants are almost extinct in the wild due to the construction of a dam in Mexico. We had a good laugh about the name of these plants - I can just imagine how comfortable the Mother-in-law’s chair must be to sit on!
I bought quite a few seedlings, only to realize on my way home, that these plants might only be fully grown after I have reached the ripe old age of a hundred years!
Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so glad you enjoyed my post! I have read a few of your posts on accessibility and I think it’s a great idea to make people more aware of it.
@iamireku It takes very long for these plants to be fully grown. The Mother in Laws Tongue takes up to 50 years to be fully grown. It is also quite expensive if you buy a fully grown plant.
Fantastic post, @MagdaRautenbach ! I really enjoyed your photos and the interesting stories you shared.
To be honest, I never appreciated the beauty and diversity of cacti and succulents before reading your article. Were there information signs or guided tours at the nursery? How did you learn all the curious stories?
By the way, you can also add Google Maps links to the places you mention in your post. This will make it easier for other Local Guides to check the location, photos, reviews, and business information. To add a link, select the name of the place in your text while in draft mode. Then, click on the “Insert/edit link” button, represented by a chain link, and paste the URL.
