The collections at Batsford cover a wide range of plants from around the world but have an emphasis on the Far East. There are over 2,850 labelled specimens including about 1,300 different trees, shrubs and bamboo.
Batsford has held the National Collection of Japanese Flowering Cherries since 2002 – which means they have at least 70% of known cultivars. The lifespan of these trees is relatively short at only about 50 years so every 25 to 30 years they graft plant material to replace any losses.
Other collections at Batsford also include:
Acers – They are home to many species of Japanese maples loved by their visitors for their fiery autumn colour with some also giving attractive spring flowers;
Bamboo – Batsford’s home to one of the UK’s first comprehensive bamboo collections thanks to original wild garden creator A B Freeman-Mitford;
Magnolia – One of the arboretum’s most beautiful plants when in flower, the magnolias provide a backdrop of spring colour for the Japanese Cherries;
Pinus – Providing year-round evergreen interest as well as spires of fresh green growth in spring followed by cones of all shapes and sizes;
Quercus – Varying in size from large bush to magnificent tree, the oak trees look good and offer essential habitat for insects and birds;
Sorbus – Both Mountain Ash and Whitebeam varieties are well known for their large range of autumn berries and wonderful colour
Batsford takes part in the International Conifer Conservation Project run by the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. You’ll find a selection of some of the most endangered Chilean conifers in the arboretum which acts as a living gene bank of DNA material in case of extinction in the wild.
Batsford also takes in red data plant material from a number of other gardens including Kew, Bedgebury and Westonbirt to ensure their future survival
