Succulent Festival / Vetplantfees

The Succulent Festival or Vetplantfees is an annual event hosted by the Calitzdorp Succulent Society, in celebration of  South Africa’s stunning and rare succulents alongside unique species from around the world. The celebration is held annually in the Klein Karoo town of Calitzdorp.

Did you know: South Africa is home to almost 50% of all the succulent plant varieties on Earth!

The Little Karoo or ‘Klein Karoo’ has an extraordinary richness of plant species: 3200 species are found in the region and 400 of these are found nowhere else on Earth!

What to expect from the festival:

• Huge plant sale with plants offered by growers from all parts of South Africa.
• Art exhibition and sale of works by some of South Africa’s well-known artists.
• A plant competition – this year’s entrants are in the Euphorbia genus.
• Free talks by expert speakers – Cornell Beukes from Babylonstoren; Emily Kudze from SANBI; Buck Hemenway from the Succulent Society.
• Workshops on plant propagation and container gardening (60 minute workshops, R100pp).
• Veld ‘walks’ led by certified guides to see the plants in habitat (90 minute veld visits in small groups, R200pp).
• Meet the Authors – Dr Ernst van Jaarsveld, Waterwise Gardening in South Africa, and Detlef Schnabel, Succulent Plants of the Southeastern Karoo, will be in attendance at the festival.
• Saturday night dinner evening with guest speaker, Dr Peter Bruyns, talking about the Euphorbia genus.
• A variety of food vendors.