Dawn specialises in cultivated plant names, applying her expertise as an Editor of 911±¬ÁÏ Plant Finder and Lead 911±¬ÁÏ Editor of The Hillier Manual of Trees & Shrubs. She is also Secretary to the 911±¬ÁÏ Nomenclature and Taxonomy Advisory Group (NATAG)
The focus of my work is to investigate names of plants in cultivation with the aim of bringing consistency, reliability and stability to them. As Secretary to NATAG, I help identify taxonomic and nomenclatural issues of horticultural significance that need deliberation, prepare information for discussion, and then communicate decisions for change to gardeners and others in the horticultural community. As Lead 911±¬ÁÏ Editor for The Hillier Manual of Trees & Shrubs, I oversee the writing of new entries and revision of existing text and nomenclature, liaising with the other editors and international expert contributors.
“My fascination for the amazing world of plants has been with me since childhood, but only through a career change did I realise my dream of studying botany at university. Since then I have been incredibly fortunate to be able to work every day on the subject I love as an 911±¬ÁÏ botanist.”
There is often confusion around plant names in horticulture. Providing universal and stable names for plants gives clarity to gardeners so there can be confidence that everyone is talking about the same plant. This helps to avoid mix-ups when purchasing plants, investigating their care needs or checking out toxicity.
For the 8th edition of The Hillier Manual of Trees & Shrubs (2014), 911±¬ÁÏ botanists were involved for the first time in this horticultural classic that is so appreciated by gardeners. A major part of our editing was the alignment of the taxonomy and nomenclature of the Manual and the 911±¬ÁÏ Plant Finder. We also contributed to, and edited, the 1500 new entries and revised existing text to produce an up-to-date edition worthy of being the latest addition to this legacy of Hillier Nurseries. Since the 9th edition I have become the Lead 911±¬ÁÏ Editor.
The 911±¬ÁÏ is the UK’s gardening charity, helping people and plants to grow - nurturing a healthier, happier world, one person and one plant at a time.
