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Alex Clovis

Alex Klobas, Nursery Manager at State Flora, South Australia's oldest native plant nursery, and guest on ABC Adelaide's Talkback Gardening.

Oct 2, 2026

ABC Adelaide's Talkback Gardening

ABC Adelaide's Talkback Gardening

South Australia's oldest native plant nursery celebrates 140 years

Oct 2 · 45m

Deb Tribe
Deb TribeHOST
1:52
Well, before we hear what's happening today, can you give us a bit of a potted history of State Flora, how it began and how it's evolved?
Alex ClovisGUEST
2:00
Well, yeah, so it started in eighteen eighty-six, so a hundred and forty years ago this year.
Alex ClovisGUEST
2:06
It re-- like, it's kind of changed quite a bit over the years.
Alex ClovisGUEST
2:08
It was originally sort of set up to assist what was, uh, effectively a new colony in its forestry industry.
Alex ClovisGUEST
2:15
So there was a lot of Pinus radiata being grown for forestry plots.
Alex ClovisGUEST
2:20
Uh, there was a focus on bolstering the viticulture industry, so there was mass production of, of grapevine cuttings, um, eucalyptus for plantations.
Alex ClovisGUEST
2:29
So e-effectively, it wasn't a shop, it was a government, uh, institution designed to bolster, uh, the state's forestry.
Deb Tribe
Deb TribeHOST
6:22
Um, so and so what's happening there today to celebrate your amazing milestone?

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