The Twinflower, named for its delicate pink bell-shaped flowers that grow in pairs, is an iconic and critically endangered emblem of the ancient Caledonian pinewood forests. The Twinflower has declined drastically from centuries of tree felling and overgrazing by deer, making surviving populations too far apart for pollinating insects to travel between them, manifesting in poor seed production. Twinflower patches are usually only single, cloned genetic individuals, as the plant is self-compatible and cannot produce its own seeds, requiring cross-pollination from another genetically distinct patch elsewhere.
Several organisations across Scotland are actively working to protect the Twinflower, creating specialist nurseries which cultivate compatible plants. This intervention has led to over 100 translocations of the species to assist in bridging the gap between isolated population patches.
