Growing plants named after Royalty

It is a truth universally acknowledged that King Charles III loves his gardening. But what many gardeners may not know is that there is a rich array of garden plants that have been named after King Charles – or more commonly, after his previous title of the Prince of Wales.

What does it take to bestow a royal name on a plant, you ask? First of all, it takes many years – at least 10 for woody plants like roses – to breed a new cultivar. Even spontaneous ‘chance finds’ (often mutations, which are the source of many new garden plants) take several years to bulk up and produce enough plants to go on sale.

On the occasion that something suitably ‘kingly’ is found, permission to apply a Royal name must be sought from the Civil Service office’s ‘Royal Names Team’.

Take your pick from small trees, roses, clematis, hostas or even annuals, all named after Charles or the Prince of Wales.

Amelanchier laevis ‘Prince Charles’

When it comes to commemoration, trees are always a popular choice. The only tree currently named after the Prince of Wales is an Amelanchier; a fantastic flowering tree that’s ideal for bringing height to small gardens. It was selected by Tom Watson and Dr Ed Hasselkuss in Wisconsin, USA around 1970.

The pair were apparently royalists, as they also named other Amelanchier after members of our current royal family such as Amelanchier canadensis ‘Prince William’.

Happily, a number of more readily available plants were also named after the King while he was Prince of Wales.

Clematis ‘Prince Charles’, which was bred in New Zealand in 1975 and introduced to the UK in 1986, has at least a dozen UK suppliers and even boasts an RHS Award of Garden Merit. At just 2.5m (8ft) tall, this viticella-type clematis is relatively easy to find a place for in the garden; looking dreamy scaling a fence or scrambling over shrubs such as roses.

Clematis ‘Prince Charles’

Clematis ‘Prince Charles’ bears pale mauve blooms in late summer, each up to an impressive 10cm (4ins) across. He won’t become unruly either, as he is pruned back in late winter to a pair of strong

A bud is a small, undeveloped shoot that contains the potential for new growth. Buds are typically found on stems, where they can be apical (found at the tip) or axillary (found between leaf axils) and may develop into leaves, shoots or flowers.

Hosta ‘Prince of Wales’

Hosta ‘Prince of Wales’ (seven UK suppliers) was introduced in 2012 by the late Diana Grenfell of Applecourt Nursery in Hampshire. Reaching 90cm (3ft) in height and spread, its a large, handsome

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

Erica carnea ‘Prince of Wales’

Rosa ‘Prince Charles’, a Bourbon rose introduced in 1842, was presumably named for the future Edward VII, who became Prince of Wales in 1841. Nicknamed the ‘Playboy Prince’, he was popular, but also somewhat notorious; indulging in all of life’s excesses. Streaked with scarlet, this cherry-red rose certainly reflects some of the Prince’s passion and indulgence.

The rose originated from a chance cross on the French Indian ocean territory of Reunion between the Autumn Damask rose ‘Tous les Mois’ and the ‘Parson’s Pink’ China rose before 1818. Bourbon roses are fragrant and, for their time, long-flowering. They had their heyday in the Victorian era but are now much less commonly grown. However, Rosa ‘Prince Charles’ is still offered for sale and bears its crimson flowers on sturdy bushes up to 1.2m (4ft) tall and wide.

Rosa ‘Prince Charles’

• Most of these plants can be sourced via the online RHS Plant Finder