Sources of new ornamental plants : the importance of heritage plants and plant relicts from historic places and old gardens

Abstract

Mankind has enjoyed a long historical relationship with plants, using them as objects of beauty, sculpting gardens into a form of art and fashioning them into expressions of philosophical belief. From the 1970s onwards there has been a remarkable resurgence in worldwide interest in ornamental plants which resulted in renewed efforts to search for and develop new ornamental plants. This trend is continuing to this day. Apart from collecting new indigenous plants from the wild, other important alternative sources for new ornamental plants exist and were researched by means of a literature review followed by a survey questionnaire sent out country wide to ornamental plant growers in South Africa. Botanical gardens, plant collectors, specialist nurseries, heritage plants and relicts from old gardens and historic places, fashion revivals, new applications for known plants, the rediscovery of species previously neglected by the horticulture industry and new cultivars of existing ornamental plants, are all recognised as sources for new ornamental plants in South Africa and internationally. The conservation of botanical gardens, old and historic gardens and plant collections of note has become important in South Africa, not only because of their historical value, but also as genetic resources for the future. The results of the survey confirmed that there is a revival of interest in heritage plants and old cultivars, and was voted as an important source for new plants by 73% of ornamental plant growers in South Africa.

Die mensdom het 'n lang geskiedkundige verbindtenis met plante, deur hul gebruik as pragobjekte, deur die verfyning van tuinskeppings tot 'n kunsvorm en as die versinnebeelding van filosofiese oortuigings. Sedert die 1970s was daar 'n merkwaardige herlewing in die belangstelling in sierplante en dit het opnuut gelei tot 'n soeke na en die ontwikkeling van nuwe sierplante. Hierdie tendens duur tot vandag toe voort. Benewens die insameling van nuwe inheemse plante vanuit die veld, bestaan daar etlike belangrike alternatiewe bronne van nuwe sierplante. Botaniese tuine, plantversamelaars, gespesialiseerde kwekerye, erfgoedplante en plantoorblyfsels in ou tuine en op geskiedkundige plekke, mode-herlewings, nuwe aanwendingsmoontlikhede vir reedsbekende plante, die herontdekking van spesies verwaarloos deur tuinboukundiges en nuwe kultivars van bestaande sierplante is almal erkende bronne van nuwe sierplante, hier te lande en wêreldwyd. Die bewaring van botaniese tuine, ou en historiese tuine en beduidende plantversamelings het in Suid-Afrika in belangrikheid toegeneem, nie alleen vanweë hul geskiedkundige waarde nie, maar ook as bronne van plantgene vir die toekoms. 'n Onlangse meningspeiling onder sierplantkwekers in Suid-Afrika het getoon dat 73% van respondente glo dat 'n herlewing in die belangstelling in erfgoedplante en ou kultivars 'n belangrike bron van nuwe plante kan ontsluit.