An endangered tree species is to be planted in a central London botanical garden this summer, as part of a conservation project to protect them against extinction.
Endangered conifers will be planted at the Chelsea Physic Garden as part of a partnership between the conservatory and The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
As part of the programme, the London-based botanical garden will become an International Conifer Conservation Programme (ICCP) safe site.
Emily Hazell, Head of Plant Collections at Chelsea said: “I am excited to get these unique species safely back to Chelsea, as our garden gets to widen its conifer collection.
“This is the beginning of our important relationship with the ICCP, helping to conserve and communicate about these threatened conifers, long into the future.”
Hazell travelled to Edinburgh last week to collect the trees and drive them back to their new London home.
The ICCP is based in Edinburgh and works with over 300 partners across the UK and Ireland to ensure the protection of the rare conifer species from extinction.
One way to safeguard the trees’ future is by contributing to battling threats to their natural habitats, including deforestation and mining.
With ICCP safe sites scattered across the UK, it hopes that the diverse range of climates can provide habitats for a variety of different conifer species.
One species making its home in Chelsea is the critically endangered Mulanje cedar, native to Mt Mulanje in Malawi.
The Xanthocyparis vietnamensis species will also be housed in central London, originally found in Vietnam and China.
It was described as a new species in 2002 and has only been in cultivation for 20 years in the UK.
Talking about the move, Dr Hannah Wilson, Head of the ICCP said: “Right now, around 30 percent of all tree species are at risk of extinction.
“Conifers represent a group that is even more at risk, with 34 percent of all species recognised as threatened.
“By expanding our network to include Chelsea Physic Garden we are building stronger safeguards for some of the planet’s most remarkable and vulnerable trees.
“At the same time, we are helping raise public awareness of the threats facing the world’s trees and the collaborative efforts being made to protect them.”
Feature Image Credit: Rights Free Library
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