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National Collection status for Keele's flowering cherries
The collection of flowering cherry trees on campus, curated by Dr Peter Thomas, Senior Lecturer in Botanical and Environmental Science at the School of Life Sciences, has achieved the prestigious award of National Collection status.
This award, bestowed by Plant Heritage, is for the University's collection of 240 varieties of cherry. While many of the trees are still young, the collection builds upon the long history of cherries on the Keele campus using the expertise of Chris Sanders, a noted plantsman, and members of the University Arboretum Committee. It has been partly funded by Plant Heritage but primarily by generous donations of alumni in memory of John Ivinson, and by Philip Davies and his family.
As well as making the campus visually stunning in the spring, the collection is primarily of scientific use, acting as a reserve for unusual and little-known varieties. Material has been supplied to national nurseries, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Natural History Museum in London. The web site, run by Dave Emley (School of Physical and Geographical Sciences), attracts attention from around the world, and provides further information on the collection, including flowering times and locations.
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