Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture Award

Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture :

Sue Wickison has been awarded the Associate of Honour, (AHRIH). Persons who have rendered distinguished service to horticulture.  This is our highest award for services to horticulture and three people have been awarded in 2025 across all disciplines of Horticulture.

Sue Wickison has become a 2025 Associate of Honour of the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture.

Sue Wickison is a distinguished botanical illustrator and botanical artist. She has lived and worked in many countries, and is currently based on Waiheke Island, Auckland. Her work is outstanding because of its botanical accuracy combined with technical competence and artistic flair. Her paintings are not timid but are striking because of their size and their boldness. She has revitalised botanical art.

The quality of her work has been recognised by awards from the Royal Horticultural Society, the Society of Botanical Artists, London, and the Linnean Society, London. Several of these awards are for excellence in published illustrations in aid of plant identification, with an emphasis on botanical accuracy and the accurate portrayal of diagnostic characteristics.

Sue Wickison: "I was delighted to meet the members of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture to receive the Associate of Honour Award. It was a fabulous evening and being able to meet esteemed people involved in the plant world in different areas within New Zealand and intrenationally was inspiring . My thanks to Dr. Ross Fergusson who nominaited me and wrote the citation dating back to early days working at Kew Gardens and to the Chairman Alan Jolliffe. The award to me represents all the incredible botanists and experts who have helped me in my career and I could not have done it without them, so I see the award as a joint award and my deep felt thanks goes out to them too."