A special focus of the Irish Garden Plant Society is Irish cultivars – distinct plants that have been bred or selected for cultivating. There is a wealth of cultivars from Irish gardens, orchards and farms. One of the most famous of Irish cultivars, originating from the wild,  is the Irish Yew, Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’. Originally discovered as a sapling on a mountain in Co. Fermanagh about 1740, it is today found in garden centres and gardens throughout the world. A detailed account of the recorded Irish cultivars is given in ‘A Heritage of Beauty’ by E.C. Nelson; though not exhaustive, it lists over 5000 cultivars!
Not all cultivars enjoy the popularity of the Irish Yew- some are too delicate, some are unfashionable, some are decidedly ugly (a distinct disadvantage for their continued existence) and some are lost or even extinct. The Society endeavours to bring to light these cultivars and to then trace, obtain and propagate these valuable plants that form a unique part of our gardening heritage.
As one of the aims of the Society is the conservation of Irish cultivars, the link below will take you to a list of 20 Irish plants. Please download this and tell us which of these you grow in your garden. (Clicking the link will open a Word document.)
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