A Dumfries and Galloway plants expert has played a key role in international efforts to save the rich flora of Vietnam.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has worked with partners in Vietnam since the mid twentieth century and, in recent years, teams from the Scottish research institute’s Logan Botanic Garden in the west of Dumfries and Galloway have joined local experts on expeditions to the remote Hoang Lien mountain range.
In this biodiversity hotspot, new species such as Rhododendron tephropeploides – which has only recently been scientifically named by the team at Logan Botanic Garden – have been discovered.
Rhododendron tephropeploideshas a wonderful mahogany coloured bark that improves with age and is now flourishing at Logan Botanic Garden in the South Rhins of Dumfries and Galloway.
Among the team who made the discovery was Richard Baines, who is curator at Logan Botanic Garden which is described as “Scotland’s most exotic garden” as it enjoys an almost subtropical climate thanks to the Gulf Steam – enabling plants from Australasia, Central and South America and Southern Africa to thrive.
Although closed to the public at the moment, it will reopen on March 1, 2025, giving the opportunity for enthusiasts to see Rhododendron tephropeploides.
The work between the botanic gardens and Vietnam has also recently been strengthened – much to Richard’s delight.
Supported by the Stanley Smith Trust, senior botanists from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology recently visited Edinburgh to sign the third Memorandum of Understanding.
Mr Baines said: “The partnership provides us with a crucial opportunity to secure species in cultivation, giving them the chance to survive threats such as encroaching agriculture, logging and the effects of climate change, which are all happening right now.
“The recent expansion of cardamom farming in the area is a real problem. Our fieldwork in 2014 showed that there were 10 separate species of rhododendron in the locale. On our next trip, there were only three and last year, we were shocked to find none.
“Species of wild origin, that are not cultivated, are becoming more and more fragmented and yet, we are still finding plants that were previously unknown to science. Finding and recording plants is the very first step in protecting biodiversity, but many species are being lost before they are even named by science.”
Simon Milne MBE, Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh added: “At a time when 40 per cent of the world’s plants are in danger, global partnerships can really make a huge difference in securing the future of endangered plant species. By working together to collect, study and record plant specimens, develop conservation programmes and share training and research opportunities, we can slow or even halt the extinction of many of the world’s fascinating plant species.”
As part of the new agreement, the partners are also planning to write the world’s first field guide on the Flora of the Hoang Lien mountains, helping to identify, name and conserve plants from this biodiverse region.