Whorled Solomon’s-seal is a rare, protected and highly localised native species with only around a dozen isolated patches remaining, all concentrated in Perthshire gorges. It is classified as vulnerable on the Red Data List and is protected in the UK under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act of 1981, meaning it is illegal to pick, uproot or damage wild specimens.
The limited Scottish populations are victims of low genetic diversity, causing poor adaptation to climate change, disease, the downturn of wood ants - a natural seed disperser - and their vulnerability to landslips during periods of flooding, which is becoming more common.
The RBGE has actively undertaken conservation projects to rescue fragile populations, bolster numbers in the wild, and cultivate plants ex-situ to prevent local extinction. Find out more about the RBGE’s work via the link below!
Viral or Cultural? A Mini Experimental Trial on Polygonatum Verticillatum – Botanics Stories
