Who was 'Cherry' Ingram?
Born in 1881, Collingwood Ingram was still breeding new plants in his nineties. His passion for plants took him all over the world, and it was Japanese ornamental cherries that were his first overwhelming interest.
Affectionately known as ‘Cherry’, he is probably responsible for the introduction of most of the ornamental cherries in cultivation in Europe today, as well as breeding many of the important hybrids.
Later expeditions took him to South Africa, New Zealand, Morocco and Spain, when his interest in plants diversified. The Mediterranean Cistus became a new favourite and one of his hybrid introductions is named ‘Anne Palmer’ for his friend Lady Anne, who gifted Rosemoor to the RHS.
The breeding of rhododendrons too became a speciality, and several of his gifts to Lady Anne can been seen here at Rosemoor, including pale pink R. griersonianum ‘Infanta’ and cream-flowered R. ‘Freckle Face’.
