The Royal Horticultural Society and Emilios Theodosiou are working hard preparing to raise tree seeds sent by GLH from Hiroshima. The plan is to create displays in their U.K. gardens for 2045, to commemorate 100 years since the atomic bombings. The picture shows pots containing seeds for Gingko Biloba, Camphor, Kurogane Holly, Persimmon, Chinese Hackberry and Oriental Plane Tree. They propose for the full-size trees to be displayed alongside bonsai Gingko also originating from GLH.  The Gingko saplings, currently being turned into bonsai at Herons Bonsai, were donated by Aberdeen City Council.

A ginkgo, nurtured from seed to sapling for seven years, was planted on World Peace Day in Dunedin. Thank you to all of those in New Zealand who have made this planting a reality.

New batch of Ginkgo seeds have safely arrived at our partners at the Leiden University Botanic Garden.

With gratitude to GLH partner Rinny Kooi and her colleagues in Leiden, to David Dowd, James Ross and their colleagues at GLH regional hub at CAFRE, Northern Ireland, to Nakahara-san and the team at the Hiroshima Botanic Garden — and to generations past and present, who have tended to the seeds and saplings, and will do so in the future.

Akiko Perona, UNITAR chief of communications who was instrumental in helping us plant a hibakujumoku sapling at ICRC, sent us photos of the tree as it stands (July 2024) — a magnificent specimen, clearly ICRC gardeners have taken good care of Hiroshima’s green ambassador of peace.

An article published in the Yomiuri Shimbun about six camphor and 13 ginkgo of hibakujumoku that survived the tragic fires in Chile. New leaves have sprouted from these trees, encouraging residents during the recovery process. To read the article, click here (Japanese).

GLH co-founder Tomoko Watanabe and master gardener, Chikara Horiguchi, attended a series of events organized by partners in Norway. They had a chance to visit the Ginkgo sapling sent by GLH to Oslo University Botanic Garden and to give talks on Hiroshima and the Hibaku-jumoku in Oslo and Stavanger, thanks to partners Andreas Løvold and Ekuko Naka.  They also attended a special exhibit organized through the Ullandhaug Botanical Garden in Stavanger. To read the transcript of Tomoko’s speeches, click here. They also attended a special exhibit organized through the Ullandhaug Botanical Garden in Stavanger. To read the transcript of Tomoko’s speeches, click here. Click here to view the announcement for the event at Natural History Museum, Oslo University.

Davidson College held a Planting Ceremony for its Gingko saplings on April 26. The event was both reflective and festive, featuring speeches from professor of Psychology Kristi Multhaup (top-left photo) and assistant Professor of Biology Susana Wadgymar (top-right photo). Photos from the ceremony capture the meaningful moments shared by attendees. The College informs us that they are planning future ceremonies for the Hackberry and Camphor seeds when they are ready for planting.

Ted Samuel, Senior Director of Oberlin Shansi, visited Hiroshima and was given a tour of the hibakujumoku by GLH coordinator Nassrine Azimi and secretariat team member Ben Echikson, who has been working at GLH as part of a 2-year Shansi fellowship. Throughout the tour, they visited hibakujumokus on Atagoike, around Hiroshima Castle and Shukkeien Garden.

We are delighted to learn that Jo Brennan of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria could receive today a batch of hibakujumoku Ginkgo seeds, hand delivered by GLH partners Virginia McNally and Dominic Napoleone of the University of Melbourne. Under a shining sun, a small handover ceremony was set against the backdrop of one of the Gardens' flourishing Ginkgo specimens. The seeds are currently undergoing cold stratification in the Gardens' nursery as they prepare to be sowed. We extend our gratitude to all involved for their efforts to make this exchange happen.

In June 2017 GLH sent seeds to V.F.F. Institute Mare Nostrum e.V. NPO-Austria, who since have diligently documented the process. Their website features images of the seeds, and the flowchart below, detailing application, arrival and sowing of seeds. It also has a detailed technical analysis that includes step-by-step images and explanations for germinating the seeds. Gratitude for their care and efforts, as well as those of Shuichi Hamatani and colleagues from the Hiroshima Botanical Garden.