Botanist Cox is made an MBE

FOR MORE than 50 years he has been one of the world’s most renowned plant collectors and an authoritative voice on all things botanical.

Peter Cox has travelled the world to discover countless new species and bring them back to Scotland to cultivate.

He has explored little-seen corners to uncover specimens previously unknown to all but local people.

Mr Cox’s journey was shorter yesterday, however, as he and his family gathered at Buckingham Palace, where the 77-yearold was made an MBE for his services to horticulture and plant exploration.

His family, including wife Patricia and son Kenneth, said they were “filled with pride” by the award, which was presented to him at the palace by Prince Charles. It is a fitting tribute to a lifelong passion for botany, instilled in him from a young age through tales of his father Euan’s expeditions in Burma after the First World War.

After studying at horticultural college in Edinburgh, Mr Cox went on to start a nursery with his father and then gardens and a garden centre at Glendoick in the Carse of Gowrie.

He has won a number of awards over the years, but the MBE came as a huge surprise, telling The Courier the recognition had been “wholly unexpected but very pleasing”

“When I began this journey I never expected that I would end up exploring such a large part of the world, from India to China and Turkey— maybe as many as 25 countries,” he said.

Picture: PA. Peter Cox and his wife Patricia at Buckingham Palace.