Rare Chilean tree seedlings arrive at Scotland's Logan Botanic Garden
Two seedlings of the critically endangered Dendroseris neriifolia, the last wild tree of its species, have been transferred from Chile to Logan Botanic Garden in Scotland.
The last known wild individual of Dendroseris neriifolia, a tree daisy native to Robinson Crusoe Island, yielded 29 seeds that were deposited at the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew Wakehurst. After eight seeds sprouted, two robust seedlings were moved to Logan Botanic Garden in Scotland, where conditions are deemed favorable for the species. Richard Baines, the garden's curator, described the transfer as a significant step toward safeguarding the plant and using it for public education.
Diego Penneckamp of Jardin Botanico VerdeNativo emphasized the urgency of protecting the species, and Felipe Saez of Parque Nacional Archipielago Juan Fernandez praised the collaboration as a major effort to preserve the archipelago's flora. The seedlings now sit on public display, offering a tangible example of international cooperation in biodiversity conservation.
Why it matters
It shows how global cooperation can rescue a species on the brink of extinction.
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