Five Fact Friday: Plant Hunters - George Forrest

1. George Forrest was born in 1873 in Falkirk and was initially employed as a pharmaceutical chemist. He died 1932 at the young age of 59 collapsing in the scenery he loved, while shooting a hobby that he enjoyed.
2. After a few different jobs, including being a sheep farmer in Australia. He eventually found himself becoming a plant hunter. He first expedition was to explore south-east Tibet and north-west China. With his own money he paid for thousands of Yunnan Chinese to be vaccinated against smallpox.
3. He was caught up in some fighting that was taking place in Tibet and was out of touch with his contacts for so long that news had been sent home of his death. Luckily, the foreign office put off sending his information to his family for as long as they could and they only mourned for a week before hearing that Forrest was alive and well. He was dismayed at the loss of his collection during his time evading the Tibetans and calculated that plants of 2000 species, seeds of 80 species, and 100 photographic negatives had been lost.
4. However, Forrest carried on, sailing home in 1906 with a large collections of seeds, roots, and plants. He returned many times, his later trips sponsored by the Rhododendron Society and added over 300 new species.
5. Among the new plants Forrest introduced, include: Primula bulleyana, Camellia saluensis, and Rhododendron sinogrande.

Resources:
Musgrave, T. (1998) The Plant Hunters, London, The Orion Publishing Group