How often do we stop to wonder how a plant arrived in our gardens, and by whose efforts? Plants have an extraordinary impact on our lives and have shaped the course of human history. Our garden plants have inhabited all corners of the globe, and have witnessed the rise and fall of empires and horticultural fashions alike.
Each and every plant has a tale to tell, and National Trust gardens and parks are filled with nearly as many stories as specimens.
Saving our horticultural heritage:
Plants under threat in the wild
A Chilean beauty in danger
© National Trust / Betsy Anderson
How can a plant be endangered when it’s found in gardens all over the country? Though the Chilean coral plant 'Berberidopsis corallina' scrambles up numerous shady walls and along countless fences, its abundance does not reflect a healthy, varied gene pool.
In fact, the vast majority of 'Berberidopsis corallina' in gardens today are clones, propagated from the first plants introduced to Britain in the 19th century. Increasingly threatened in their native habitat, wild-source specimens—and their precious genetic material—may find a safe haven in National Trust gardens.
Conserving Captain Fitzroy’s conifer
Associated with Darwin and named a national monument of Chile, the magnificent evergreen 'Fitzroya cupressoides' is in danger of disappearing forever from its native South American forests. First introduced to Britain during the Victorian conifer craze, the Fitzroya is now finding new life in National Trust gardens thanks to 21st-century conservation initiatives.
A new look at Yew: 'Taxus baccata' and the fight against cancer
© NTPL / Stephen Robson
Did you know that your hedge trimmings could save your life? Every year National Trust gardeners collect over 11,000 kg of yew clippings that are used to manufacture an important anti-cancer medication. The English or common yew 'Taxus baccata', such an institution in our gardens, has long impressed us with its longevity and its air of mystery. Now the extraordinary chemical power of this plant has been harnessed as a potent weapon in the fight against cancer.
The Mother Orchard at Cotehele: Preserving Cornish heritage one apple at a time
© National Trust / Betsy Anderson
Old orchards are a rich and characteristic feature of the British countryside; a rare harmonious example of human collaboration with nature. Yet for decades these vibrant links to our cultural heritage have been threatened by bulldozers and supermarkets alike. A Cornish couple’s crusade to rescue historic Tamar Valley apples has inspired a living museum of apple varieties, safeguarding the tastes and tales of Cornwall’s orchards for generations to come.
In the Shadow of the 'Big Tree': The great Sequoiadendron craze
© NTPL / Clive Boursnell
Forget cars, handbags, or plasma televisions and imagine a time when a giant American conifer was the ultimate status symbol. From its legendary discovery to its explosive introduction to British gardens, the 'Sequoiadendron giganteum' has always been larger than life.
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