At Trebah Garden, we are honoured to welcome a young ginkgo sapling whose lineage reaches back to a remarkable survivor of the Hiroshima bombing. This living symbol of resilience is one of several saplings being planted at locations across Cornwall, each descended from a ginkgo tree that stood just 1,370m (4,495ft) from the hypocentre of the 1945 attack.
Against all odds, the original tree sent out new buds in 1946, becoming a powerful emblem of peace, renewal, and the enduring strength of nature. Cornwall Council received its seeds, known as “survivor trees”, through the Mayors for Peace project, which distributes them around the world as gestures of hope. Nurtured carefully in the greenhouses at Penmount Crematorium, the saplings are now ready to begin new lives in the care of Cornish gardens and institutions.
Alongside Trebah Garden, the project is also gifting saplings and commemorative Cornish-granite plaques to Fox Rose Hill Gardens, Trewithen Gardens, the Eden Project, and Pencarrow House and Gardens. Each plaque shares the story and history of these extraordinary trees.
For many in Cornwall, the arrival of the saplings carries deep personal meaning. Councillor Hilary Frank, whose husband Shojiro’s family is from Hiroshima, expressed her delight at taking part in the project, describing the original tree’s survival as a “real symbol of hope.”
The initiative was first sparked locally by Cornish gardener Sam Nicholls, who reached out to the project to request that the seeds be shared with the county. As he noted, the ginkgo itself is a beautiful tree, but its message is even more profound: a reminder of regeneration and regrowth, and also a quiet call to reflect on humanity’s capacity for both harm and healing.
Here at Trebah, we look forward to nurturing our sapling and sharing its story with visitors; an enduring reminder that even in the wake of devastation, hope can take root and grow. You can find it on Andrew Way, near the Martino.
