Japan’s landscapes are as diverse as they are beautiful – from Hokkaido’s alpine meadows to the subtropical forests of Okinawa. This variety of habitats supports an extraordinary range of plants, with a quarter found nowhere else on Earth.

In this talk, Ben Jones, Arboretum Curator at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum, will share stories and discoveries from over a decade of botanical fieldwork in Japan. Working with Japanese universities and botanic gardens, he has explored remote mountains and ancient forests to study rare and endangered plants.

The lecture will introduce remarkable species such as Betula chichibuensis and Picea koyamae – some of the world’s trees found only in one small part of Honshu – and reveal how seeds, knowledge and expertise are being shared between Japan and the UK to help safeguard these plants for the future.

Blending science, conservation and cultural heritage, this presentation celebrates Japan’s unique plant life and highlights why protecting it matters for both nature and people, at home and around the world.

About The contributors

Ben Jones is the Arboretum Curator at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum. He is passionate about plant conservation, with a particular focus on trees. Ben’s work explores ‘Bioquality Hotspots’, investigating how species distribution data can guide conservation priorities at multiple scales. He has conducted fieldwork focusing on the Japanese floristic regions and conservation of threatened species establishing a strong network with local partners.

Ben is particularly interested in the role that living collections ex-situ can play, supporting both scientific research and practical plant conservation action. He is a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Tree Specialist Group and Seed Conservation Specialist Group.

As part of the University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden (the UK’s oldest, founded in 1621), Harcourt Arboretum contains the finest collection of trees in Oxfordshire, including some of the world’s rarest species, set within 130 acres.