Chen Yi Nursery

[Lesley Cox]

I find, after some careful thought in the last day or two and especially in the middle of the night when sleep wouldn't come, that I have become less tolerant of other people's views and this is to my discredit. While I make my own choices regarding my own actions, it is not for me to make judgements about other people's.

My original attitudes were formed, I suppose by my father whose take on life was that to be a "right" person, one had to be white, British and male. It was his absolute belief in this that sent me to opposite extremes and, I would have hoped to a wide tolerance - not only tolerance but full acceptance - of every human trait that was different from my own. It seems I still need to work on it.

So far as the horror stories are concerned Gote, I referred not to Chen Yi's collection practices, after all I have had no dealings of any kind with her, but only to the stories related here, of incorrect naming. And yes, of course, as in every situation, one hears only the complaints, not the praise.

[Afloden]

I have been in contact with several people who have seen her operation first hand, and I have experienced habitat destruction from whence some of her plants come. Numerous things are cultivated for medicinal use; some regional and some widespread. China started in the 1980's cultivation of some plants and in the 1990's other rarer plants have been brought into cultivation by native peoples to limit further harvest from the wild. Other things will be from the wild and such is the case with many places other than China. I have heard Chen Yi's father is an official the China department of agriculture. And we, outside China, don't know what regulations or laws there are that she must comply with. A recent trip to Vietnam shows the absurdity of government regulation protecting the habitat (this being an example outside similar experiences here in the US, but at least some groups get certification to rescue plants her). We, as collectors, paid a high fee to collect seed and herbarium samples while the majority of non-vertical habitat was being turned into cardamom plantations. What was not farmed was grazed, and all this in the national park. Even in "rural" areas the recent planting of cardamom was dooming the native flora into obscurity. Nothing grows beneath these cardamom plants 2m tall. It is soggy dark shade in the established plantations where the over story has been thinned and the understory essentially erased.

 Galanthus are still collected from the wild in Turkey for sale. Plants (Trillium) in the US can be dug in the state I live in for a nominal fee of $100, collected from state land as long as they are not endangered, and resold. From private land with the landowners agreement I can do it for free and resell them. The neighboring states have similar laws. Most Trillium not seed grown (which is most if you do not see all stages from seedling to mature) come directly from the wild with a high markup. I have to pay for a phyto from some states to ship to my own state and that phyto "certifies" a shipment pest free, but 9 times out of 10 I can open the box and find pests immediately.  

 Buying anything brought into cultivation via Chen Yi, be it seedlings, seed, or the plants themselves, just furthers the collection, so if you are bothered by her primary actions then don't support the resellers of the plants or plants produced from those plants.

 As Gote said, she has introduced many things into cultivation that were formerly not in cultivation or limited to the hallowed halls of botanical institutions who usually make little effort to get them into the general public. She has also introduced plants that were undescribed taxa!!! I know for a fact that the Polygonatum from her have and will change the floristic treatment of China for that genus with at least two undescribed taxa and numerous formerly in synonymy. The yellow Nomocharis was reintroduced by her and subsequently named.

[Lesley Cox]

or limited to the hallowed halls of botanical institutions who usually make little effort to get them into the general public.

Some in fact, make efforts to AVOID their being introduced or distributed. A few days ago I asked for seed of an Arisaema, from one of the collection curators at Dunedin Botanic Gardens. She said "Sure" then added "I'll have to check that we're allowed to. Some botanic gardens won't permit their recipients of material to sell or give away anything from that source." Surely such sources should recognise that it's better to distribute material already being cultivated that encourage further new collections from the wild.

[Diane Whitehead]

Yes, many botanic gardens have done that in order to comply with
the Rio Convention on Biodiversity.  The regulations usually say one must not
sell, select or breed the species one has requested seed of.  It is considered
that the country of origin should be the only one to benefit from their
native plants.

I first noticed this when I wrote to one well-known botanic garden to buy
seeds they were offering for sale, so I wrote back to say I wouldn't be
buying any as I sometimes sell plants at garden club meetings.  One of the
botanists responded that I needn't worry about that, but I still didn't buy
their seeds.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Diane, I didn't realize there was such a reason. It seems a long way from a Chinese (in this case) botanic garden to a grower in New Zealand. I mean if I were to grow the seeds and sell some of the plants, I doubt if China would be the worse off.

[gote]

I have to pay for a phyto from some states to ship to my own that "certifies" a shipment pest free, but 9 times out of 10 I can open the box and find pests immediately. 
 so if you are bothered by her primary actions then don't support the resellers of the plants or plants produced from those plants.

Thank you Aaron for supporting my views.

In the days of Intra-European phytosanitary inspections etc - before Sweden entered the EU I bougt Narcissi from Holland. These came through 100% legal inspected channels and some were full of eelworms i.e. nemathodes Ditylenchus dipsacii. I could see them in my microscope.

Those who refuse to buy anything that origins from CY will have to boycott nearly every specialist nursery there is and stick to marigolds from the supermarket.

Göte

[Gerry Webster]

Those who refuse to buy anything that origins from CY will have to boycott nearly every specialist nursery there is and stick to marigolds from the supermarket.

Göte

Given her current plant list, that might be a slight exaggeration.

[maggiepie]

I find, after some careful thought in the last day or two and especially in the middle of the night when sleep wouldn't come, that I have become less tolerant of other people's views and this is to my discredit. While I make my own choices regarding my own actions, it is not for me to make judgements about other people's.

My original attitudes were formed, I suppose by my father whose take on life was that to be a "right" person, one had to be white, British and male. It was his absolute belief in this that sent me to opposite extremes and, I would have hoped to a wide tolerance - not only tolerance but full acceptance - of every human trait that was different from my own. It seems I still need to work on it.

So far as the horror stories are concerned Gote, I referred not to Chen Yi's collection practices, after all I have had no dealings of any kind with her, but only to the stories related here, of incorrect naming. And yes, of course, as in every situation, one hears only the complaints, not the praise.

Lesley, you are an utter delight.
I wish you lived somewhere near me.

[manicbotanic]

have had plants from her via will mclewin.yes many wrongly named but some pleasant surprises aswell..there are many nurseries in uk that buy from her.

[Gerry Webster]

......there are many nurseries in uk that buy from her.

How many? Who are they?

[gote]

Those who refuse to buy anything that origins from CY will have to boycott nearly every specialist nursery there is and stick to marigolds from the supermarket.

Göte

Given her current plant list, that might be a slight exaggeration.

Sorry, I expressed myself badly I meant nurseries that do not carry anything originating from CY.
Göte

[gote]

......there are many nurseries in uk that buy from her.

How many? Who are they?

As far as I understand,any nursery carrying Lilium lijiangense, Lilium rosthornii or Helleborus thibetanus, are benefiting from her introductions even if they do not actually resell imported plants and there are many more.
Göte

[Ezeiza]

If one doesnt' have a life, destroying and contributing with money to it of a wild species won't give you one. A hobby can not be more important than the existence of a species that is the result of millions of years of evolution.

As things go, she will receive the Nobel prize any time. From her kin, no doubt.

[Lesley Cox]

Lesley, you are an utter delight.
I wish you lived somewhere near me.

That's only because I have some nce Clematis Helen.

[maggiepie]

Lesley, you are an utter delight.
I wish you lived somewhere near me.

That's only because I have some nce Clematis Helen.

Haha, so do I.

I guess if I came visiting I would have to bring a big wheelbarrow with me !!