‘Threatened Plant of the Year’ Competition
Plant Heritage, the world’s leading cultivated plant conservation charity, is calling for threatened plants to be entered into their new ‘Threatened Plant of the Year‘ competition.
The competition, which was launched in conjunction with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), will showcase rare and unusual plants – specifically cultivars grown or sold before 2005 in the UK or Ireland, that are not currently supplied commercially or haven’t been consistently available.
Applications opened on 1st February, 2020, and Plant Heritage invites all of its National Plant Collection Holders, Plant Guardians, members and those exhibiting at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2020 to take part.
Cultivars from any plant group can be entered. Each plant entered will be judged by an expert panel from Plant Heritage and the RHS, with the top shortlisted plants being displayed at the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival in July. The winner will be crowned at the festival and will be the first to receive and raise the new Threatened Plant of the Year trophy.
To take part, applications, including a photo of the plant if possible, need to be submitted online or via a paper form, the latter available to download from Plant Heritage’s website, or by contacting Plant Heritage on info@plantheritage.org.uk or 01483 447 540.
Plant Conservation Manager, Plant Heritage, Vicki Cooke, points out that the colourful Chrysanthemum ‘Spartan Linnet’ (pictured left above) has been identified as ‘Threatened in Cultivation‘ by their Threatened Plants Programme: “It is rarely available commercially, thus qualifying it as an entrant for our new Threatened Plant of the Year competition. There are so many interesting plants out there and we would love to showcase these in front of the crowds at RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival, so we really hope lots of people take part,” says Vicki.
If you are not currently a member, National Collection Holder or Plant Guardian, but want to take part in the competition, please visit: www.plantheritage.org.uk to find out how you can get involved.
Image credits: Chrysanthemum ‘Spartan Linnet’ credit C Dawson; image right of page: Dianthus ‘Marchioness of Headfort’ credit C. Dawson. Images are ©Plant Heritage.
