Speaker: Tony Kirkham, Head of the Arboretum and Horticultural Services, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
E. H. Wilson (1876-1930) was one of the most renowned plant collectors of his generation. He was responsible for introducing more than a thousand plant species, mainly from China, to the west.
In this lecture Tony Kirkham will highlight his recent book Wilson’s China: A Century On. Many of Wilson’s introductions were ornamental plants and trees, such as the beautiful regal lily and dove tree. Other examples include the kiwi fruit, many popular rhododendrons and the Chinese dogwood. In his talk Tony follows in the footsteps of this intrepid plant hunter to reveal and connect with the China that Wilson once knew. With co-author Mark Flanagan, Tony retraced several of Wilson’s journeys to create a fascinating series of breathtaking “then and now” images of the remote Sichuan landscape, providing a unique insight into the changes that have taken place in China over the past 100 years.
Tony Kirkham started his career as an apprentice at Tilhill Forestry Nursery in Frensham, England. He attended Merrist Wood Agricultural College and was awarded the Kew diploma in Horticulture. He was appointed manager of Kew’s North Arboretum and became Head of the Arboretum and Horticultural Services at Kew in 2001.
This special lecture is being presented be the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania and the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University.