A collection of Eucalyptus trees held at Ventnor Botanic Gardens has been given National Plant Collection status, securing the trees for the future.
Hamamelis (witch hazel) and Amelanchier (snowy mespilus) at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire have also been accredited as National Plant Collections by horticultural conservation charity, Plant Heritage.
All 3 collections – which together comprise an impressive 434 trees – are now protected for the future and will continue their vital role in helping mitigate against the challenges of climate change and encouraging wider biodiversity at both sites.
The news comes ahead of National Tree Week (23rd November – 1st December 2024).
Ventnor Botanic Garden’s newly accredited Eucalyptus collection is part of a nationally important trial designed in the 1970s to test the limits of existing trees’ hardiness and introduce new species to the site. The outcomes from this trial will increase current understanding about how climate change is affecting various trees and plants, and how gardens might respond in the future.
Consequently, most of Ventnor’s Eucalyptus trees are now regarded as county or national champions on the Tree Register, as a mark of their responsiveness to a warming climate and their significance as indicators of change.
Gwen Hines, CEO of Plant Heritage, has said:
“Both the National Memorial Arboretum and Ventnor Botanic Gardens are sites of historical and national importance, meaning all three collections will be available for everyone to visit, in all seasons, in perpetuity. Also, the fact that both sites will always have a dedicated team caring for these special trees is fundamental, as this will ensure their long-term survival. Knowing that the future of these collections is now secured is a real triumph for our ongoing plant conservation work.”
