De Graaff Brothers

The de Graaff brothers (De Gebroeders de Graaff, Gebr. de Graaff) were a Dutch horticultural family company based in Lisse, Netherlands, in an area known as Duin- en Bollenstreek (Dune and Bulb Region), the centre of the Dutch bulb and floriculture industry.

History

The family business was founded by Cornelis de Graaff in 1723.[1][2] They became notable in the nineteenth century when Jan de Graaff and his two sons developed the Reginae strain of hybrids of Hippeastrum by crossing Hippeastrum vitatum and Hippeastrum striatum with Hippeastrum psittacinum and some of the better hybrids available in Europe at the time. Some of the most successful hybrids were Graveana and Empress of India.[3]

In the twentieth century the business was continued in the United States in the de Graaf nursery in Oregon (Oregon Bulb Farms 1928) by another Jan de Graaff (1903-1989), who became known as an international expert on Lilies.

Awards

The brothers were awarded a First Class Certificate by the Dutch Horticultural Society for their development of Hippeastrum 'Koningen Wilhelmina', inter alia in 1891.[4]

References
  1. Jan de Graaff; Horticulturist; Lily Specialist. Los Angeles Times. August 10, 1989
  2. "The Lily Wizard". The Australian Women's Weekly: 4. 19 January 1966.
  3. Alan W. Meerow. Tilting at windmills: 20 years of Hippeastrum breeding. Israel Journal of Plant Sciences Volume 57, Issue 4, 2009 303-313. DOI: 10.1560/IJPS.57.4.303
  4. Gardeners Chronicle & New Horticulturist, Part 1. Haymarket Publishing, 1891
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