Ventnor Tree Collection Gains National Status Ahead Of National Tree Week 2024

A stunning collection of Eucalyptus held at Ventnor Botanic Gardens, have now been secured for the future.

The nationally important collection of Eucalyptus trees has been accredited as a National Plant Collection by horticultural conservation charity Plant Heritage.

The collection is now protected for the future and will continue its vital role in helping mitigate against the challenges of climate change and encouraging wider biodiversity at both sites.

It will be celebrated throughout National Tree Week (23 November – 1 December).

Ventnor Botanic Garden’s newly accredited Eucalyptus collection is part of 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, said:

“Ventnor Botanic Gardens (is a) site of historical and national importance, (it) will be available for everyone to visit, in all seasons, in perpetuity.

"Also, the fact (it) will always have a dedicated team caring for these special trees is fundamental, as this will ensure (the) long-term survival.

"Knowing that the future is now secured is a real triumph for our ongoing plant conservation work.”

The UK is now home to over 700 National Plant Collections, from winter flowering Cyclamen and holly synonymous with Christmas, to early spring bulbs waiting to escape winter’s grasp.

These collections contain a staggering 95,000+ plants and together are crucial for encouraging biodiversity to thrive, as well as helping us adapt to and mitigate against the challenges of climate change.

These ‘living libraries’ are cared for by passionate individuals either at home, in the garden, greenhouse or nearby allotment, or by nurseries, garden centres, and larger organisations including arboretums, botanic gardens and historic houses.

Collections can be found in unexpected places too, such as a pub garden, a women’s prison, and zoos.

 To start a National Plant Collection, find your nearest collection to visit, or for more information about how you can support Plant Heritage and the charity’s important conservation work, visit www.plantheritage.org.uk