Grootbos Florilegium

Near the southern tip of South Africa, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve protects 8,600 acres of “fynbos,” a carpet of endemic plants and flowers so multifarious that the UNESCO World Heritage Convention recognized the region as one of the most biodiverse in the world. Here, botany safaris in 4x4 vehicles explore the interdependence of pollinators and plants. But owner Michael Lutzeyer, who has lived there for 30 years, wanted to amplify his conservation message beyond guests of the property’s 27 suites and two villas by creating a museum devoted to the small wonders of nature. The resulting Hannarie Wenhold Botanical Art Gallery houses the Grootbos Florilegium, a collection of nearly 250 botanical illustrations and portraits of insects, butterflies, and other pollinators commissioned from 44 international artists. Opened in September 2022 and continually growing, the museum aims to instill in its visitors a love of South African vegetation and the passion to protect it through public tours and by funding local school programs with the sale of botanical prints. “Without plants and pollinators, you and I would not be here,” says Lutzeyer. “We want this to be a catalyst for people to look at plants and insects in a new way.”

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