The dendroseris neriifolia, a rare tree daisy species native to Robinson Crusoe Island in the South Pacific, has been brought to Logan Botanic Garden in Dumfries and Galloway as part of a coordinated international conservation initiative. The species, which exists as a single surviving wild tree anchored to a cliff face with ropes, represents one of the most endangered plant lineages in the world.
The dendroseris neriifolia has experienced dramatic population decline over several decades. The species numbered eight wild specimens by 1980, and subsequent reintroduction efforts in the early 2000s were undermined when protection measures were discontinued in 2017. Since then, the species has remained vulnerable to invasive plants, grazing animals, and environmental threats including wildfires and habitat loss.
In May of this year, 29 seeds were collected from the remaining wild tree and transferred to the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew Wakehurst. Eight seedlings subsequently germinated successfully from this seed collection. Two of these seedlings have now been transported to Logan Botanic Garden, where environmental conditions are considered particularly favorable for rare Chilean plant species, while the remaining seedlings remain at Kew.
Curator Richard Baines noted that plants from the Juan Fernández Islands have historically thrived at Logan, positioning the garden as an appropriate setting for supporting the species’ long-term survival and enabling research into its adaptation characteristics. Scientists involved in the project described the international collaboration as a critical opportunity to prevent the permanent extinction of a unique plant lineage and preserve the natural heritage of the Juan Fernández archipelago region.
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