Leon Kluge and the South African team have won Gold and the ‘Best Exhibit in the Great Pavilion” award at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London. This year’s display, ‘Life After Fire’, showcased the diversity of South African flowers that appear after wildfires in the Cape region.
Up to 20,000 stems of Protea cut flowers, as well as thousands of burnt Protea branches, were arranged to create a post-fire landscape where bulbs and orchids from all regions of South Africa were on display. Artist Tristan Woudberg led a team to assemble a sculptural vortex of burnt material, including charred wood and burnt branches sourced from the remnants of the devastating fires which tore through the mountainous areas of the Western Cape last year.
‘Life After Fire’ is one of South Africa’s biggest displays at the RHS Chelsea flower and features a babbling ‘fonteintjie’ or natural stream complete with Disa orchids and carnivorous sundew plants. Other unique plants on display included the miniature star-like flowers of Rhodohypoxis, which hail from the high elevations of the Drakensberg.
The sponsors for this year’s display include The Rupert Nature Foundation, Hazendal Wine Estate, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve and Southern Sun.
Cape Flora SA, a non-profit established in 2005, offers their support this year and remains steadfast in its commitment to the sustainable harvesting and growth of the fynbos industry. The display drives demand for high-quality fynbos cut flowers in international markets, providing livelihoods for communities in the South African fynbos industry.
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