The offspring of one of the world's rarest trees has been given a new home in south-west Scotland as conservationists step up efforts to save the species from extinction. Two seedlings from the last known wild dendroseris neriifolia tree have arrived at Logan Botanic Garden in Dumfries and Galloway after an international rescue effort involving experts in Chile and the UK. The species, native to Robinson Crusoe Island in the South Pacific, has been pushed to the brink by habitat loss, invasive species and repeated wildfires.
Conservationists hope the move will provide a vital safeguard for the future of a plant that now survives in the wild as a single tree clinging to a cliff face. Garden's sapphire tower flower begins to bloom Giant plants make epic journey to new home The dendroseris neriifolia, a rare tree daisy found only on Chile's Robinson Crusoe Island, has suffered a dramatic decline over recent decades. By 1980, only eight wild specimens remained, and although reintroduction projects were launched in the early 2000s, the breakdown of protection measures in 2017 left the species vulnerable once again to invasive plants and grazing animals.
Today, the last surviving wild tree is supported by ropes on a steep volcanic outcrop to prevent it from falling. In May this year, 29 seeds were collected from the lone tree and sent to the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew Wakehurst. Eight seedlings successfully germinated, with two now transferred to Logan Botanic Garden, where the climate is considered particularly suitable for rare Chilean plants.
The remaining seedlings will stay at Kew. Richard Baines, curator at Logan, described the arrival as a significant moment and said the garden could play an important role in learning more about the species and helping secure its future. "Experience shows that plant species from the Juan Fernández Islands do well at Logan," he said.
"This is the start of an exciting new period. "Creating a safe place for these seedlings, getting to know them, and learning more about their adaption to different environments, gives us the chance to contribute so much more." What stories would you like BBC News to cover from the south of Scotland? Scientists involved in the project said the international collaboration offered a rare opportunity to prevent the extinction of a unique plant lineage and preserve part of the natural heritage of the Juan Fernández archipelago.
Diego Penneckamp, a scientist at Jardín Botánico VerdeNativo, said saving the species was a "race against time". "This international collaboration to support the last remaining individual could prevent the extinction of a species that represents a unique lineage with its own natural history," he said. 'Scotland's most exotic garden' hits landmark
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