ISU assembly of delegates passes greater participation rights for members

Executive member newly elected

The International Hardy Plant Union (ISU) was founded over 60 years ago as an umbrella organisation for national perennial gardener associations. Up until now the delegates of these associations have represented their respective countries in the ISU assembly of delegates. The ISU now has many members from countries without a national association and some members who are not perennial gardeners, but rather perennial experts and enthusiasts. Of the 18 countries from which the ISU members come, just nine offer a collective membership. The right to vote therefore had to follow democratic principles and pass from the delegates to the individual members. The delegates unanimously agreed in London-Gatwick on 9 August that the assembly of delegates should be reorganised into a general meeting with each member receiving a vote which they can transfer to other members.

The delegates also elected Tomasz Michalik, from Poland, to the executive committee of the ISU. He follows Rickard Nordström from Sweden.

ISU President Dr. Andres Altwegg was satisfied with the development of the ISU during his period in office. The excursion to Monte Baldo in Italy in 2015 was a success while the trip to Kyrgyzstan in 2017 is already booked up. The Winter Days in Grünberg have been full to capacity for many years. The new ISU activities on the internet (www.isu-perennials.org) and on Facebook have also received a positive response. The progress in the nomenclature of the plants is also encouraging. Differing views were considered during intensive discussions. The current status of the nomenclature of perennials is recorded in the recently published list of names for perennials. The number of members is stable at 300 members.

All members, delegates and the executive committee were strongly critical that the list of Invasive Alien Species published by the EU Commission did not base the evaluation on uniform criteria and that the regions are not classified according to climatic zones. For example, Gunnera tinctoria is on the current watch list of the EU Commission – a plant which is not hardy and therefore cannot be invasive in many countries. Lupinus polyphyllus, valued as an important soil conditioner, bee pasture, animal feed and garden perennial is also on the EU list.

In 2018 the ISU Summer Days will take place in Poland from 12-16 August 2018.