Offspring from one of the world’s rarest trees finds new home in Scotland

Offspring from one of the world’s rarest trees has found a new home in Scotland, thanks to an international team of conservationists racing against time to stop the species from disappearing.

The next generation of the sole surviving wild Dendroseris neriifolia tree, which is perched precariously on the side of a remote volcanic outcrop in the South Pacific Ocean, has found a new home at Logan Botanic Garden (LBG) in Dumfries and Galloway this week.

The species, which is a type of “tree daisy” native to Robinson Crusoe Island in Chile, has suffered a dramatic decline in its natural habitat because of widespread forest clearance, intensive grazing by introduced mammals, invasive plants and repeated fires.

By 1980, only eight surviving wild D. neriifolia trees remained. Despite reintroduction efforts in the early 2000s, the breakdown of protective measures in 2017 allowed invasive species to enter the site.

Curator Richard Baines at Logan Botanic Garden with the seedlings (Chris James/PA)

The last remaining wild tree is now clinging to the side of a steep cliff on Robinson Crusoe Island and is supported with ropes to prevent it from falling.

Since 2017, several seed collections have been carried out and seeds stored in the seed bank, while several restoration projects have been developed to support the recovery of the species.

In May, the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) at Kew Wakehurst received 29 seeds from the last known Dendroseris neriifolia tree in the world.

Eight seedlings germinated, and two of those plants have now travelled more than 300 miles north to their new home at LBG in Scotland where conservationists have said growing conditions are particularly favourable for rare Chilean conservation species such as the Dendroseris neriifolia.

The other remaining germinated plants will remain at Kew Gardens and Kew Wakehurst.

Richard Baines, curator at LBG, said the arrival of the two seedlings is a “significant moment for everyone involved”.

“Experience shows that plant species from the Juan Fernandez Islands do well at Logan,” Mr Baines said.

Robinson Crusoe Island is home to the sole surviving wild tree (Diego Penneckamp/PA)

“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.”

He continued: “To plant these young D. neriifolia seedlings out on public display also presents strong storytelling opportunities to explain how knowledge, determination, and teamwork can bring tangible responses to many of the impacts of the biodiversity crisis.

“By caring about the natural world, we can all do our bit to make changes for the better.”

Dendroseris neriifolia saplings at Kew Wakehurst (Sebastian Kettley/RBG Kew/PA)

Diego Penneckamp, a scientist at Jardin Botanico VerdeNativo, said saving the species is 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,” Mr Penneckamp said.

Felipe Saez, a plant biotechnology engineer and administrator of Parque Nacional Archipielago Juan Fernandez said the successful transfer of these seeds represents “one of the most significant collaborative efforts” to safeguard the flora of the Juan Fernandez archipelago.