Propagation and selection support year-round production for South African grower

At Madibri Flowers, a Gauteng-based fynbos flower farm, colder winter conditions have prompted the business to place greater emphasis on propagation alongside flower production. Owner Nico Thuynsma explains that the shift has helped the business manage the seasonal risks associated with flower production while creating an additional commercial focus.

“We are highly dependent on flower production, but winter brings challenging and sometimes extreme conditions. That is why we are placing greater emphasis on young plants and propagation, as our winters can be particularly cold,” Nico says.

The propagation operation supplies young plants to commercial growers and export customers, while established plants are distributed through nurseries across South Africa, including Cape Garden Centre in the Western Cape. This gives Madibri a presence across both professional horticultural production and the retail nursery sector.

“We have developed the propagation side of the business to support growers, while also building relationships with nurseries that can take our plants into the retail market,” the Madibri team explains. Madibri is also part of the South African Nursery Association (SANA) Indigenous Plants. They take part in the annual autumn and spring trade days hosted by SANA.

Fynbos and Erica development
Madibri’s primary focus is fynbos, while the farm also develops Erica selections identified through naturally occurring crosses in the field. One such selection resulted from a natural cross between Erica chamisonis and Erica ‘Mauritania’, which Nico believes occurred through natural pollination.

The development of promising Erica selections is a long-term process requiring careful observation, evaluation and repeated selection. Naturally occurring plants are monitored over several seasons, allowing the team to identify characteristics that may have potential for further development and commercial production.

“You need to observe the plants over many years and evaluate the characteristics that emerge naturally,” Nico says. “Flower size is one of the important characteristics we look for when assessing a selection.”

The process reflects Madibri’s broader approach to plant development, where naturally occurring variation provides an opportunity to identify plants with distinctive commercial characteristics. Selection is followed by propagation and further evaluation before a plant can become part of the farm’s wider offering.

One of the resulting Erica selections has been named Nica, after Nico’s daughter. The name also reflects the family connection behind the business: Madibri was named after his first three children, Maryn, Dirk and Wybri, while Nica’s name has been given to the Erica selection.

Propagation at scale
Young plants are initially raised under protected conditions before being moved into production or supplied to customers. This infrastructure allows Madibri to manage young plant production in a controlled environment and develop planting material for different market requirements.

Madibri’s propagation infrastructure provides considerable capacity for young-plant production, with one of its tunnels able to accommodate approximately 90,000 plants. The protected environment supports the early stages of development before plants are moved into production or supplied to customers.

“This gives us the capacity to produce young plants on a substantial scale,” Nico says.

“We have built the propagation operation to a scale that allows us to supply different markets while continuing to develop our own plants.”

The farm has been operating since 1996, with its own flower production continuing alongside the expanding propagation business. Flowers produced on the farm are supplied to the market on a weekly basis, maintaining Madibri’s connection with the cut-flower market while propagation broadens the business into plant supply.

During NAMPO Cape 2026, Nico also highlighted the farm’s own flower production, noting that the flowers on display originated from Madibri. The event provided an opportunity to showcase the farm’s production alongside its developing propagation activities.

© Tinneke Hattingh | FloralDaily.com
The Madibri stand at NAMPO Cape 2026 with their selections of Fynbos varieties for sale

For Madibri, propagation has therefore become an integral part of the business, linking the farm’s experience in fynbos and plant selection with commercial growers, export customers and the South African nursery market.

For more information:
Madibri
[email protected]
https://madibri.co.za/