Who discovered 100's of azaleas, the Regal Lily, Clematis Montana, Sambucus and Acers?
Plant hunter Chinese Wilson
Chinese Wilson (1876 – 1930)
In 1910 an intrepid plant collector had the misfortune to break his leg. He was working in the mountains in Western China and the accident occurred as the result of an avalanche. Skillful surgery saved him from amputation but he was lame for the rest of his life. The man’s name was Ernest Henry Wilson. Shortly before the disaster 7,000 bulbs of a new discovery lilium regal had been lifted and arrangements made for their despatch to the West. If you grow or have grown this amazing lily you owe a debt of gratitude to Wilson.
‘Chinese Wilson’ as he was called was the most important member of a group called the ‘Veitch Collectors’. It was founded by the 19th century firm of nurserymen of that name. Working for Veitch between 1899 and 1905, Wilson’s first assignment was to go to China and collect seed of the Davidia involucrata, the pocket handkerchief tree. Not only did he achieve this but brought back seeds of Actinidia deliciosa (the Kiwi Fruit). All in all, he collected thirty-five cases full of tubers, corms, bulbs and rhizomes and dried herbarium specimens representing some 906 plant species along with the seed of over 300 plant species. Some of the plants introduced to western cultivation from his first expedition include various Acer’s (maples), Berberis julianae, Clematis armandii, Clematis montana var. 'Rubens', various Hydrangea’s, Sambucus, Ilex pernyi, Jasminum mesnyi and Primula pulverulenta. The credit for introducing Davidia involucrata must ultimately go to Père Paul Guillaume Farges though who returned to France in 1897 with thirty-seven seeds, one of which finally grew.
Later Wilson went to Japan where he discovered ornamental cherries and the evergreen Kurume azalea considered by many to be one of the best flowering shrubs for the small garden.
Like all plant hunters of his age, Wilson encountered all sorts of danger. On one occasion in his search for rare plants he planned to follow a completely unknown route and nearly starved to death in doing so. Another time he was sailing up the Yangtse when his boat crashed twice against the rocks. Earlier in his career he was held up for weeks in a fever stricken Chinese port where he was accused by French military officials of being an English spy. When eventually he was allowed to go the only Chinese servant willing to accompany him was an opium addict who didn’t speak a word of English.
Wilson died in 1930 in a car crash in the USA.
