Kent botanist saved Japanese blossom from extinction

Taihaku trees were saved from extinction in Japan by Collingwood Ingram, from Kent

The story of how a botanist from Kent saved a variety of Japanese cherry trees from extinction in the 1920s will be told through a series of walks.

Collingwood Ingram, from Westgate-on-Sea, was in Japan when he was shown a picture of a white cherry blossom thought to be extinct in the country.

He immediately recognised it as Taihaku, which he had seen in a garden in Winchelsea, East Sussex, and later sent cuttings back to its native Japan for propagation.

Walks telling the story of Ingram's life and work will be held in Dane Park, Margate, and Ellington Park, Ramsgate, where Taihaku trees were planted in his honour in 2020.

Ingram was born in 1880 and was said to have found his love for nature on the Minster Marshes.

Upon visiting Japan in 1902, he discovered that cloning of more popular colours of cherry had led to a decline in the number of varieties.

He gathered 50 endangered varieties and planted them in his garden in The Grange, Biddenden, for safekeeping.

Peter Hasted, from Thanet Urban Forest, is leading the walks

Ingram became something of an authority on cherries and was invited to address the Japanese Cherry Society, when he was shown the picture of the Taihaku.

His initial efforts to send cuttings from Winchelsea to Japan failed. Only on his last attempt, when he sent them buried in a potato by train, did the cuttings take.

Now, more than 100 years on, Thanet Urban Forest has arranged two walks to tell the story of Ingram's important work and teach people about planting and blossom.

Leading the walks is Peter Hasted, who said: "These were lost species in Japan, [Ingram] spent many years and lots of money trying to re-establish the cuttings in Japan.

"We come to the cherry blossoms, stop, and appreciate what they are."

The walks will be held on 13 April.