Bangor University’s Treborth Botanic Garden has been officially recognised by Plant Heritage as the National Plant Collection® holder of Welsh native ferns. This is the first national collection to recognise Welsh native plants and reflects Treborth’s ongoing commitment to conserving the country’s botanical heritage.
As the only university botanic garden in Wales, Treborth provides an ideal home for this nationally important living collection. It will support research and teaching, provide material for identification workshops, and give visitors the rare opportunity to see species that normally grow in remote and hard-to-reach locations. The collection makes these plants accessible to students, researchers, conservationists, and the wider public.
With almost 60 native species, Wales’s ferns are remarkably diverse. Some, such as those restricted to Eryri and other localised habitats, are exceptionally rare, and their locations are kept secret. Others, like horsetails, are an unusual group that don’t even look like ferns and are often considered troublesome weeds in gardens.
Richard Storey, Horticulturist at Treborth Botanic Garden, said, “Setting up this collection has been a labour of love. By bringing together all of Wales’s native ferns, we’re safeguarding these species for the future.”
Natalie Chivers-Cross, Head of Botanic Garden and Biodiversity, added, “This recognition marks an important milestone for the Garden. It highlights our commitment to conserving Welsh flora, and the collection will provide a valuable resource for scientific study, inspire future conservation efforts, and engage the public with the ecological and cultural importance of these plants.”
