A HORTICULTURAL conservation charity is calling for volunteers from Dorset to help save ten different plant groups at risk of being lost from our gardens.

Anyone with a passion for plants, or whose interest in gardening or caring for houseplants was sparked during the national lockdowns, is being asked to consider looking after a specific plant group as part of Plant Heritage's annual Missing Genera campaign.

The campaign showcases different plant groups that are not cared for as part of a 'National Plant Collection'.

If plants aren’t being actively conserved in these collections, they are at risk of disappearing from cultivation.

Since the campaign began in 2016, the Missing Genera has resulted in eight new National Plant Collections conserving over 650 species and cultivars.

Conservation Manager at Plant Heritage, Vicki Cooke said: "Anyone can help, and by caring for a plant group means that future generations can enjoy them as much as we do now. What matters is that the interest and love for saving a plant is there, so we really hope the ten plants on this year’s Missing Genera list find their future Collection Holder soon."

This year, the ten plant varieties in need of a home are: Campanula, Erigeron, Lysimachia, Papaver, Phormium, Phygelius, Pittosporum, Sansevieria, Silene and Zantedeschia.

Vicki said: "Every year we showcase plants that need our help, and each year I'm delighted to say many of those listed do become part of a National Plant Collection. Given the interest in gardening seen during lockdown, we're keen to build on this to ensure that the ten listed this year find a home and can be conserved for the future."

To find out more about the Missing Genera, visit: https://www.plantheritage.org.uk/national-plant-collections/missing-genera/