It is always a delight to see new Plant Guardian plants registered from our annual members’ Plant Exchange.  If you have received rare or unusual plants through the plant exchange,  we would appreciate you taking a moment to record your eligible Plant Guardian plants onto the scheme: http://bit.ly/PlantGuardians.  The number of plants now registered from around the country is 1800 and we look forward to adding even more rare plants!

The annual Plant Exchange is one of our membership benefits, and we would love to help more members take part.  Please visit our website to learn more about how to participate in sharing and/or receiving plants https://www.plantheritage.org.uk/conservation/annual-plant-exchange/ .

As always, we love to hear the stories and history of any rare & unusual plants that you grow too.  Please see the above links to our website for advice on offering a plant in the exchange and for recording plants too.

Here are some fascinating plants that have been shared through our annual plant exchange in 2021 and are now recorded in the Plant Guardian scheme:

Dahlia ‘Bloodstone’ Bred by Joseph Barwise (1874-1965) of Towneley Nurseries, Burnley and registered in 1939.  Joseph Barwise raised many Dahlia that were grown internationally and was a recipient of the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour in 1958.

You can read more about Joseph Barwise, his nursery and Dahlia introductions on The History of Towneley park website https://towneleypark.wordpress.com/category/people/joseph-barwise/

Abutilon ‘Old Belle Rose’

Although we don’t know for sure when this cultivar was first grown in the UK, we have received the following response from Logee’s nursery in Connecticut US. 

“Old Rose Belle was a selection of Logee’s that was here when I started working in 1972. It was a chance seedling that had been selected mainly for cut flowers. The date of introduction I don’t know.”

According to the Logee’s website, William Logee first established a cut flower business in 1892 and quickly developed into growing unusual and tropical plants. 

Dendrobium Ellen gx

One of the oldest Australian bred orchids registered with the RHS. Bred by Mr Wilhelm Schmidt of New South Wales from a cross of D. kingianum × D. tetragonum, it first flowered in 1928 and was subsequently registered with the RHS (Shooter, 2007).

Geranium phaeum ‘David Bromley’

Introduced circa 2000 by Monksilver Nursery, after being discovered by Shropshire plantsman David Bromley, this plant now has limited availability.

Pelargonium ‘Golden Harry Hieover’

With references dating back to 1874 this plant is one of several historic pelargoniums that are shared through the annual Plant Exchange.

Silene dioica ‘Stella’

Appears to have been first offered for sale in 2012 by Chipchase Castle Nursery, Hexham operated by Joyce Hunt & Alison Jones.

Please remember to record your eligible Plant Guardian plants onto the scheme. http://bit.ly/PlantGuardians

FOOTNOTE: (Shooter, R. 2007) in ‘How it is Done’ Journal of the Native Orchid Society of South Australia Inc (Vol 31 Nº 7 August 2007