Safeguarding our vanishing flora
345 British vascular plants are listed as threatened in the wild. Of these, 155, nearly half, grow in Scotland. Target 8 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation aims to grow at least 60% of threatened plants in botanic gardens and include 10% of them in conservation programmes by 2010.
Across our four gardens we currently cultivate, or hold as seed, 52 of the 155 threatened species in Scotland.
Rare fern, Dryopteris x sarvelae, growing in Atlantic woodland.
Each year we aim to collect and cultivate 10 additional species based upon:
- Level of threat
- Likelihood of successful cultivation
- Potential for restoration in the wild
Target 8
PlantNetwork's Target 8 Project sets a realistic goal for the conservation of some of our most threatened plants. It fosters practical action and collaborative working across botanic gardens and conservation agencies.
