'Knowledge tree' planted at Kew

Charles, a keen horticulturalist who is said to talk to plants, yesterday helped to bed down a Sidr sapling with a little assistance from Qatar's first lady, Sheikha Mozah.

The Prince is a friend of the Sheikha's husband, the Emir of Qatar, and met him in the Middle East on the way back from his recent surprise trip to Afghanistan.

The Middle East royal has come to the end of a three-day visit to the UK and she joined the Prince to unveil an initiative between the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Qatar Foundation – Qatar's strategic education and research centre.

The Sheikha is the Foundation's chairman and an official from her organisation – and Kew signed a "letter of intent" to exchange information and for the gardens to conserve Qatari plant seeds in its Millennium Seed Bank.

The Sidr is regarded as a symbolic tree in the Middle East, with people gathering in its shade to talk, reflect and share information.

Before leaving, the royals visited an exhibition featuring plants and trees mentioned in the Koran.