Daryl 1,800 Report post Posted October 8, 2020 Well known Australian nurseryman seed/seedling trader....many would have heard of K-Palms. Rolf introduced us to the Madagascar Foxtail as well as many other new species of palms from Madagascar. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LJG 1,289 Report post Posted October 9, 2020 Sorry to hear this Daryl. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tyrone 2,666 Report post Posted November 23, 2020 Just noticed this now. That is real sad. K-Palms brought a lot of great stuff into Oz and cultivation. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil 119 Report post Posted September 6, 2021 Prior to Rolf's passing, I knew him for over three decades. He was actually a European who somehow ended up in Australia. There he became a genuine plant explorer, naturalist and expert seedsman. He traveled throughout the New and Old World seeking adventure. His seed exporting business was named "K-Palms". I would repetitively see him at IPS Biennials where we'd have an evening cognac and discuss rare plants, palms throughout the world, the Palm Society and international politics. He was a gentleman yet had a rugged and rustic part to his personality. with a beard to match. This is what made him so memorable. But, he also had a high degree of sophistication, probably from his roots in Europe. He married a girl from Singapore and had a son. He was super proud of his son. And, a short story about him: For those of you who know the true taste of strawberries, once I took Rolf out to dinner in San Diego. We ordered strawberry shortcake as a desert. The strawberries were obviously not ripe. Rolf looked at me with surprise and asked "Is this what you call stawberries here?". I knew exactly what he was saying and apologetically said we don't have easy access to "real strawberries". He had friends throughout the world including Jim Wright, Carolo Morici, Stan Walkley, Eric Anderson and a woman named "Cookie" (Carol) in Florida and many others. I lost contact with him in the latter years of his life but maintained my respect for him. His passing is a true loss for all that love his character, his experience and his knowledge of palms and the world. I will miss him and our random meetings. Phil Bergman Past President of the IPS 6 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hbernstein 266 Report post Posted March 4 I'm sure that the Florida "Cookie" is Carol "Cookie" Graff. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil 119 Report post Posted March 4 You are correct Phil Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
