Chinese tree flowers after 90 years
09 Jul 10
More than 90 years after it was planted in a County Down garden, a rare tree brought from China has finally begun to flower.
Famed for its scented white flowers, the Goat Horn Tree was first introduced into the UK in 1908 by plant collector Ernest H Wilson who got the seeds from Sichuan in western China.
In 1919, a sapling was planted in the gardens of Rowallane country estate in Saintfield, on the outskirts of Belfast.
It grew into a tree, but the acclaimed flowers showed no signs of appearing until earlier this summer, when head gardener Averil Milligan spotted the first signs of bud growth.
Ms Milligan said: "We had noticed in June that this tree was making flower bud growth, which has slowly developed over the past week or so. We were intrigued to see what they were going to look like when they eventually opened and have been keeping a careful eye on it."
She said the first of the buds blossomed last weekend into pale white flowers with a "lovely light scent".
"The tree has hundreds still waiting," Ms Milligan added.
Rowallane Garden is now a property of the National Trust.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/ (National Trust)
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