Ten plants facing imminent extinction globally
Discovering and nurturing the world's rarest plants, almost non-existent in nature today, pushes conservation to its absolute limit. Behind the scenes at Kew Gardens, an army of dedicated horticulturists diligently work to cultivate these precious specimens.
Here's some interesting stuff you might wanna check out:
- Seven of the deadliest plants on Earth
- The battle against Gunnera: what it means for enthusiast gardeners
- The man who resurrected an extinct plant
- Are Himalayan poppies on the brink of extinction?
- Endangered trees: six species under threat
Here are ten of the most endangered plants on our planet:
The World's Most Endangered Plants
Angels's trumpets (Brugmansia species)
IUCN Status: Extinct in the Wild
The eye-catching large trumpet flowers of Brugmansia have made it a favorite among botanical enthusiasts. The seven wild species of Brugmansia were originally native to South America, but they've been pushed to extinction in the wild. The last recorded sightings of these plants were in the late 18th Century, and it's believed their decline was largely due to the extinction of the unknown animal that dispersed their seeds.
Jess Francis, Botanical Horticulturist at Kew, shares some insights: "Brugmansia are part of the Solanaceae family, which includes common foods like tomatoes and potatoes. The Solanaceae family is quite vulnerable to viruses. So, when taking cuttings, we use a very sharp blade to minimize the risk of infections and sanitize the knife between plants to avoid spreading diseases."
Gumwood (Commidendrum robustum)
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Gumwood is found as an ornamental tree on St Helena, and only survives in two isolated locations in the wild. Fortunately, gumwood seeds are stored on St Helena and at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, which opens up possibilities for reintroducing this species back into the wild in the future.
Malgorzata Czarnecka, Botanical Horticulturist at Kew, talks about her fascinating experience with propagating rare plants: "Propagating rare plants gives me the most incredible rush. It's one of the most rewarding and exciting parts of my job. We use semi-hardwood cuttings of gumwood, which usually root within eight weeks. We're constantly striking a balance between recreating a species' natural habitat and the realities of a controlled environment. Recently, we've experimented with growing St Helena gumwood outdoors during the summer months. They've been coping well with the British weather so far."
Golden fuchsia (Deppea splendens)
IUCN Status: Extinct in the Wild
The golden fuchsia originates from a small area of the magical Chiapas cloud forest in Mexico. By 1976, all known wild populations of the golden fuchsia had been wiped out by agricultural activities. Presumed extinct in the wild, all surviving golden fuchsia plants are thought to be descended from seeds collected by American botanist Dennis Breedlove.
Alex Baribeau, Tropical Nursery Supervisor at Kew Gardens, shares some tips for cultivating the golden fuchsia: "The temperatures in Mexico's cloud forest remain fairly consistent year-round, rarely reaching extreme heat or cold, so we mimic that climate and provide plenty of moisture-rich compost for the golden fuchsia to thrive in."
Euphorbia obesa
IUCN Status: Threatened
Over-collecting nearly led to the extinction of Euphorbia obesa in the wild. Kew's horticulturists are growing seedlings from seeds stored in the vaults at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank. Euphorbia obesa is endemic to the Great Karoo in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, meaning it doesn't grow naturally anywhere else on Earth. The Great Karoo is a vast semi-desert region spanning approximately 153,000 square miles. The plant appears deceptively like a round stone. It first flowered at Kew in 1889.
Paul Rees, Tropical Nursery Manager at Kew Gardens, explains the secrets of propagating Euphorbia obesa: "To produce seeds from Euphorbia obesa, you need a male and female plant. Our only male plant at Kew ceased to exist in 2017. We managed to collect seeds before it perished and have since grown seedlings that are about to reach the flowering stage. We're hopeful that there will be a male plant among them."
Pygmy Rwandan waterlily (Nymphaea thermarum)
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
The rare pygmy Rwandan waterlily is the smallest waterlily in the world. In 2008, it was thought to be extinct in the wild. Kew's horticulturists have successfully propagated new plants since then, and two previously unknown wild populations were discovered in Rwanda in 2023 and 2024.
Kew Botanical Horticulturist Carlos Magdalena shares his impressive story of germinating Nymphaea thermarum seeds: "Botanists from Bonn Botanic Garden, in Germany, collected Nymphaea thermarum plants before they disappeared in the wild. They sent me seed from the last known plant in cultivation, but none of us at Kew or Bonn could figure out how to germinate them. Whilst I was experimenting, the parent plant was eaten by a rat. Fortunately, my idea to increase the seed's access to CO2 by germinating them in extremely shallow water proved successful—the seeds germinated successfully."
Dwarf ebony (Trochetiopsis ebenus)
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
The last two known wild St Helena ebony plants were discovered growing on the side of a cliff-face on the island. St Helena's ebony is the nation's beautiful hibiscus-like flower. Forest clearances in the 17th century initiated the decline of the St Helena ebony, and the remaining populations were devastated by grazing goats. Following over a century of presumed extinction, two mature Trochetiopsis ebenus plants were rediscovered on St Helena in 1980.
Malgorzata Czarnecka, Botanical Horticulturist, shares her thoughts on the future of Trochetiopsis ebenus on the island: "When our colleague from St Helena, Vanessa Thomas Williams, showed me where Trochetiopsis ebenus was rediscovered, I was astounded. These two solitary specimens were found on a sheer cliff-edge precipice. Their inaccessibility is probably what saved these plants from being eaten by goats like so many of their wild relatives. The horticultural conservationists in St Helena have such thorough and formidable knowledge of their local flora. I feel very confident about Trochetiopsis ebenus' future on the island."
Blue amaryllis (Worsleya procera)
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
The blue amaryllis is threatened by poaching and wildfires. Kew horticulturists have successfully propagated this beautiful blue amaryllis and seeds from plants stored at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank in Wakehurst. The blue amaryllis grows on the tough granite hillsides of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, naturally rare, but in danger due to poaching and wildfires. In 2008, a major fire swept through part of the wild amaryllis population.
Aloe albiflora
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the wild)
Aloe albiflora is grown in many botanic gardens but has not been seen in the wild since 1955. Kew horticulturists are working with other botanic gardens to ensure the continuation of this snow-white flowered aloe. Aloe albiflora is a small succulent with spikes of white, bell-shaped flowers, endemic to southern Madagascar. This aloe's natural grassland environment has been converted to farmland, making it impossible to reintroduce the species to its home. This highlights the importance of conserving both individual species and their habitats.
Silke Strickrodt, Botanical Horticulturist at Kew, emphasizes the importance of collaborative efforts: "With plants as rare as this, collaboration is essential for cultivation. Aloe albiflora cannot self-pollinate. One of our specimens recently developed a flower spike. We'll make sure that partners worldwide are informed if we can cross-pollinate it with another flowering Aloe albiflora."
Falso Maguey Grande (Furcraea macdougallii)
IUCN Status: Extinct in the wild
Once found in the ecologically rich river basin of the Río Hondo in a small region of Oaxaca, Mexico, the Falso Maguey Grande has lost its natural habitat due to wildfires and Agave plantations used for producing Mezcal, an alcoholic drink. Yet, hope remains that this species can return to its original home.
Paul Rees, Tropical Nursery Manager at Kew, shares some insights on the future of Falso Maguey Grande: "The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in California shared two bulbils from their single specimen with Kew in 1990. In 2020, one of these flowered, but none of our pollination attempts were successful. We suspect the plants can't be self-pollinated, which means we'll need pollen from another, genetically distinct, individual to cross-pollinate it. Most of the Furcraea macdougallii in cultivation came from the same Huntington individual. However, a small community of cultivated plants remains in Mexico. If we can discover genetic variability here, there's hope of reintroducing the species to the Rio Hondo."
Rhododendron kanehirai
IUCN Status: Extinct in the wild
Once indigenous to Taiwan, Rhododendron kanehirai is one of the rarest rhododendrons in the world. This small-leaved evergreen shrub prefers a temperate climate and grows between 1-3 meters tall, producing crimson funnel-shaped flowers in April. It was once found along the Peishi River, in the mountains of northern Taiwan, but frequent flooding resulted in its disappearance from its habitat, making it extinct in the wild.
In recent years, only two plants in the world remained, both grown at Logan Botanic Garden. This collection has now been distributed to gardens worldwide, including Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Charles Shi, Botanical Horticulturist at Kew, stresses the significance of saving rare Rhododendron species in mountainous regions of East Asia: "Preserving endangered Rhododendron species in mountainous regions of East Asia is critical for protecting these ecosystems. To achieve this, we urgently need horticultural expertise to conserve and distribute these plants, which are near the brink of extinction."
In October 2024, 20 plants classified by the IUCN as critically endangered or extinct in the wild will go on display as part of the temporary exhibition "Rare and Extinct" (19 October - 17 November 2024) at Kew's iconic Temperate House. These specimens are usually found behind the scenes in Kew's remarkable Tropical Nursery.www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/rare-and-extinct
- The ongoing work at Kew Gardens, a hub of botanical science, includes not just cultivating the world's rarest plants, but also studying seven of the deadliest plants on Earth.
- The conservation efforts extend to gardens, as enthusiast gardeners may find connections with the battle against Gunnera, a plant whose nemesis is being grappled with by Kew's horticulturists.
- The importance of environmental science becomes evident as one learns about the man who managed to resurrect an extinct plant, reviving hope for threatened species.
- The health-and-wellness benefits of plants are visible through initiatives like the cultivation of Himalayan poppies, whose status as near-extinction highlights the need for awareness around endangered tree species.
- Fitness-and-exercise enthusiasts can embrace the promotion of nutrition through the incredible work done by Kew horticulturists to cultivate rare plants originating from the Solanaceae family, which includes common foods like tomatoes and potatoes.
