A collector extraordinary

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to visit the greatest private collection of haworthias in the world – the collection of Bob Kent in Southern California. The collection, in fact, is so vast and so well-documented that it is constantly referred to by growers and collectors worldwide. I am told the collection itself is even more significant than some of the public collections in South Africa, where haworthias come from. Many growers around the world, in fact, most probably have one or two Bob Kent-sourced plant in their collections, at the very least. I have several in mine.

I heard about Bob many years ago, while I was still living in Chicago. The first time was when I read an article in the Cactus and Succulent Journal of America (CSJA) on some of his plant expeditions in Mexico. The CSJA is the official journal of the largest and most influential Cactus and Succulent Society in the US. Bob was a career foreign diplomat who was based all over the world. He spent a lot of time in South Korea. He was also based in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. While he was based in Korea, he made frequent trips to Japan. His wife Beverly related to me a story of how, during one of his trips to Tokyo, Bob stumbled on some street-side sellers of cacti and succulents. Bob was so captivated by some of these plants that he ended up buying a bunch-full. For those who are not aware, the succulent and plant growers in Japan are among the finest growers in the world. I have often commented that the plants I see being sold in Japan are even more beautiful than the plants grown in the US. Bob also made trips to Southeast Asia. In Thailand, I’m sure he also stumbled across the various cactus and succulent growers at Chatuchak market.

Bob’s first collecting interest was in the Mexican and Southern Texas genus ariocarpus. He built quite a wonderful and large collection of these plants. While he was based in Mexico and even after his diplomatic stint there had ended, Bob made a number of expeditions around the cactus-rich areas of that country. I’m not so sure, but I think there may be a few cactus species which have been named after him.

After quite a number of years collecting ariocarpus and other cacti, Bob’s interest shifted to the diverse succulents of Southern Africa. In particular, Bob developed a passionate interest in haworthias. His interest in these succulents grew to a point where he decided to sell his entire ariocarpus and cactus collection and focus specifically on haworthias. He sold his ariocarpus collection to a grower-plant dealer in California named Wendell "Woody" Minnich, who himself was an avid plant explorer and authority who was frequently published in the CSJA. I actually had a chance to see Bob’s plants at Woody’s greenhouses when I visited there in 1995, although I did not know that the plants had previously belonged to Bob at that time. It was a wonderful collection indeed.

Bob has made several trips to South Africa to better understand haworthias and how these grow in the wild. Since retiring from the diplomatic service, Bob and his wife Beverly haved lived in Poway, which is about 20 or so miles north of San Diego. According to Bob, the micro-climate in Poway really comes quite close to the climate in the Cape, South Africa. I must say his haworthias were literally growing like vegetables, tens of thousands of plants in his huge greenhouse with only a black plastic meshing to protect its occupants from the elements. Just take a look at the photos here to see the quality, beauty and diversity of the plants Bob tends. It was a mind-blowing experience for me!

In fact, the plants actually get rained on inside Bob’s greenhouse. Bob likes his plants to look more like the plants he has seen growing in the wild in South Africa. Hence, he subjects his wards to exposure to the natural elements in his area. Of course, the black plastic meshing diffuses some of the sunlight entering his greenhouse, so the plants don’t really get burnt if these are given enough water.

One of the things that impressed me the most about Bob’s plants is that most of these are actually grown from seed. Bob is an expert in this area. He has about half a bench in his greenhouse which is dedicated to seed propagation and seedling rearing. He has kept meticulous records of each of his plants, when these were sown, from which source, where these plants came from in the wilds of South Africa, as well as other details required for the careful and thorough study of these plants. Yes, Bob is not just an expert grower but an ardent student of haworthias as well. Not only does he understand just how these plants grow, what these like or dislike; he also has a very good idea where these plants actually come from in the wild and what the micro-climates are in these areas. This helps him tailor his growing conditions and regimen to meet the requirements of these plants.

Given the sheer beauty and number of his plants, I wondered if Bob would sell me a few plants. But Bob isn’t in the business of selling plants. He grows plants for study and for admiration. In fact, he has given quite a number of his seedlings to other growers, so that they might propagate and enjoy these plants. One of these growers is the Guru (from a previous article), Steven Hammer, who lives about 20 minutes away from Bob. Steven has successfully propagated many of Bob’s plants and has sold them to numerous customers in the US and a lucky few non-US folks who have had the chance to visit his greenhouses. It was Steven who introduced me to Bob.

I have communicated with Bob via e-mail on several occasions, tapping his vast reservoir of knowledge. I find Bob to be very accommodating, answering my questions and pointing me in the right direction in cases where my over-zealousness has gotten me thinking the wrong way. Bob is a true icon in the Succulent world, and I hope I have a chance to visit him again. There is just so much to learn about this fascinating hobby of ours.

Before I end this piece, just a few words about Bob’s wife, Beverly. Bev has been Bob’s constant partner in his various plant endeavors. Bob wasn’t feeling very well when I visited him, so it was Bev who took me around the greenhouses and answered some of my questions that day. When Bob is away on speaking engagements (and believe me, he is constantly invited to speak on cacti and succulents, not just in the US, but across the globe), it is Bev who tends the plants. I don’t think Bob would have been able to build such an impressive collection without Bev’s support. It’s always good to have family and friends around you who support one’s endeavors. In this regard, Bob is one lucky cookie.

* * *

E-mail the author to succulentophile@yahoo.com.