Safeguarding rare plants

Galanthus plicatus 'Trumps'

This February Plant Heritage (formerly known as the NCCPG) launches its Plant Guardian Scheme. The scheme has been trialled with its members since September and will now be opened up to the general public, including amateur and professional gardeners. Its purpose is to register threatened or rare plant species that are grown in small numbers in gardens across the country, and gives private gardeners the opportunity to take an active role in plant conservation. The scheme compliments the National Plant Collection Scheme, also run by Plant Heritage, developed to preserve comprehensive collections of plants. By contrast the Plant Guardian Scheme will require less commitment in terms of time and space and can be undertaken by anyone and on a small scale, even in a window box.

 Threatened and rare plants are listed on Plant Heritage’s website and comprise all those plants which have two or less listings in the RHS Plant Finder. Anybody who has a listed plant in their garden and would like to register as a guardian can do so via the website. In addition, anybody who wishes to grow a registered plant can request material from the guardian from which to propagate.

 During the trial period approximately 100 plants have been registered by guardians. Tim Upson, the new director of horticulture at the RHS, has registered three plants including Lavandula angustifolia ‘Nana Atropurpurea’ while the plant hunter Tom Hart Dyke has registered two plants collected on past expeditions, including the rare gum tree Eucalytpus vernicosa (The Varnished Gum). Plant Heritage members have also registered many plants including Begonia coccinea, Galanthus ‘Trumps’ and Pelargonium ‘Pink Raspail’. Horticulturalist and BBC presenter, Christine Walkden is the official ambassador for the scheme.  

 For further details on the scheme, on listed threatened plants and on how to register as a guardian go to the Plant Heritage website