Plant Heritage Launches Missing Collections 2025 at RHS Chelsea

Plant Heritage returns to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year with exciting developments, including the launch of its Missing Collections 2025 campaign and a new dedicated zone within the Floral Marquee. For the first time, two National Plant Collection Holders will also exhibit at the prestigious show.

Missing Collections 2025 Campaign

The Missing Collections campaign highlights plant groups not yet part of a National Plant Collection and at risk of being lost without dedicated care. This year’s campaign will spotlight 12 pollinator-friendly plant groups, and the charity is encouraging passionate gardeners to consider starting a collection to help preserve them for future generations.

The plant groups in need of a home are: Armeria, Arbutus, Campanula, Erysimum, Festuca, Osteospermum, Paeonia (tree), Pittosporum, Silene, Trollius, Vinca, and Zantedeschia. Visitors to the Plant Heritage stand will be able to view beautiful examples of several of these plants.

To view the full list, visit: Plant Heritage - Missing Collections 2025

The campaign will continue at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival in July.

Gwen Hines, CEO of Plant Heritage, said: "The National Plant Collections are an amazing way to protect the UK’s favourite garden plants for the future. Through our network of passionate members and dedicated volunteers, we are safeguarding 95,000 different plants, but we need to do more and to adapt to climate change. We hope to inspire new Collection Holders to come forward this year and give a new plant group a home."

Plant Heritage Zone at Chelsea

Located in the Floral Marquee at stand GPB 020, the new Plant Heritage Zone will showcase a variety of National Plant Collections under the theme "Help us protect our beautiful plants." Featured plants will include Geums, Heuchera, Lathyrus, Baptisia, and Streptocarpus.

First-Time Exhibitors

Newby Hall will debut with its Cornus collection, including a dramatic Cornus kousa tree as the centrepiece, underplanted with woodland herbaceous species.

Glendoick Gardens will exhibit selections from its Rhododendron collection, showcasing new varieties bred for colourful foliage and evergreen and deciduous azaleas inspired by Scottish landscapes.

Other Highlights

• Sarah Cook will display a selection of Iris from the Sir Cedric Morris Introductions collection, accompanied by prints from the Florilegium, celebrating the link between art and gardening.
• Clare Austin Hardy Plants will showcase 25 bearded irises and early flowering peonies, illustrating over a century of floral development.
• Jonathan Sheppard will launch new Cosmos cultivars such as ‘Fondant Fancy’.
• Terry and Mary Baker will present a range of unique foxgloves from their National Collection.

Additionally, Plant Heritage is partnering with Frank P Matthews Trees, whose ornamental tree Prunus 'Crystal Falls'® has been shortlisted for the coveted Plant of the Year 2025 award at RHS Chelsea.

For more information about Plant Heritage and its vital plant conservation work, visit: www.plantheritage.org.uk