Plant Hunter: George Forrest 1873-1932Plant Hunter: George Forrest 1873-1932George Forrest was born in Falkirk, Scotland in 1873 and unlike many of the famous collectors did not start work in a Botanic Garden but in a chemists shop. It was in pursuit of his studies in "apothecary" that he made a collection of plates, drying, labelling and mounting plants as is the practice in herbaria. Life in a chemists shop in Kilmarnock was not for Forrest and when he inherited a small amount of money he set out to travel to Australia to visit relatives. While in Australia he tried his hand at prospecting and working on a sheep station before returning to Scotland in 1902.The turning point in Forrests life came as a result of a fishing trip to Gladsdale Loch in the Scottish Borders. He was sheltering from heavy rain when he saw the corner of a stone coffin sticking out of an ancient burial mound and, curious to find out more travelled to the Antiquarium Museum in Edinburgh to research his find. While conducting his research at the museum he came into regular contact with The Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Edinburgh and was offered a minor position in the herbarium.
Forrest, now 30 years old, was working in the herbarium but still in love with the countryside. He didn't like staying in the city and walked 6 miles to and from work so that he could live outside the city, it made him a very fit 30 year old. Forrest's first opportunity to travel on a botanic mission, like Wilson's, originated with a nurseryman. In Forrest's case it was A.K. Bulley of Neston, Cheshire, the founder and owner of Bees Seeds.
Bulley funded Forrest on trips to China to collect material for Bees Seeds and the number of plants that bear forrestii in their names indicate how successful he was in his task. Forrest, however, never lost touch with Edinburgh Botanic Gardens and the Regius Keeper Bayley Balfour assisted in the identification of much of Forrests material. When Balfour died in 1922 his successor Professor William Wright Smith continued the same degree of co-operation. This formed a sound platform for the unique connection that exists between China, its flora and Edinburgh Botanic Garden. Ultimately this lead to the current co-operation and entwinning of Edinburgh Botanic Gardens and Kunming Botanic Garden.
Forest made five expeditions to China and didn't restrict his collection activities to plants but also collected birds and butterflies. He was well respected by the Chinese and used the medicinal skills he learned as a chemist to treat the local Chinese for a variety of illnesses. Forrest himself succumbed to illness and died in Yunnan in the upper Mekong River in 1932.
The list of material collected by Forrest is impressive and includes Abies georgei, Acer, Adenophera, Aster, Dacocephalum, Hemerocallis, Iris, Primula and Rhododendron forrestii.
A.K. Bulley used much of Forrests material to create a private garden at his home in Neston and on his death in 1940 the house and gardens were bequeathed to Liverpool University as a Botanic Garden. These grounds are the Ness Botanic Gardens and one of its prize exhibits is Pieris forrestii grown from the original seed brought back from China by Forrest.
- Duncan McDougall
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