Plant Heritage, formerly known as the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG), is a botanical conservation organisation in the United Kingdom and a
registered charity
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definition of a ch ...
.
It was founded in 1978 to combine the talents of
botanist
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
s,
horticulturalists and
conservationists with the dedication of keen amateur and professional
gardeners. The mission statement of the organisation declares that "The NCCPG seeks to conserve, document, promote and make available Britain and Ireland's rich biodiversity of garden plants for the benefit of everyone through horticulture, education and science." Specifically, the aims of the organisation are to:
* encourage the
propagation and
conservation of
endangered garden plants in the
British Isles, both
species and
cultivars
A cultivar is a type of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and when Plant propagation, propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and st ...
;
* encourage and conduct research into cultivated plants, their origins, their historical and cultural importance and their environments; and
* encourage the education of the public in garden plant conservation.
Through its membership and the
National Plant Collection holders, Plant Heritage seeks to rediscover and reintroduce endangered garden plants by encouraging their propagation and distribution so that they are grown as widely as possible. The charity works closely with other conservation bodies as well as botanic gardens, the
National Trust, the
National Trust for Scotland,
English Heritage, the
Royal Horticultural Society and many specialist horticultural societies.
Plant Heritage's patron is
The Prince of Wales.
In 2010, the television gardener
Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Fred Titchmarsh HonFSE (born 2 May 1949) is an English gardener, broadcaster, TV presenter, poet, and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a gardening journalist, he established himself as a media personality through a ...
became president of the charity.
See also
*
Heirloom plant
*
List of botanical gardens in the United Kingdom
*
Plant Collections Network
References
External links
*
*
*
{{authority control
Botanical societies
British biology societies
Environmental charities based in the United Kingdom
Plant conservation
1978 establishments in the United Kingdom
Organizations established in 1978
Nature conservation organisations based in the United Kingdom
Gardens in the United Kingdom