A place where beauty takes root

"She wanted the best collection in Europe, and she got her way," Kirkham said of the tree that still stands and is now 21 meters tall. The ginkgo is one of Kew's five "Old Lions" planted in the mid-18th century. Another, Styphnolobium japonicum or the pagoda tree, is 250 years old and is also from China.

Plants known and loved by British gardeners today that originated in China include peonies, gardenias, witch-hazels, azaleas, magnolias, ginkgos, camellias, rhododendrons, the golden larch, chrysanthemums, bamboo and ginseng.