Claire Reaney, Horticultural Technician, Dundee Botanic Garden

Clare specialises in native plant conservation at Dundee Botanic Garden, and also maintains plant records. She is currently working on micropropagation of Vaccinium microcarpon to improve seed set in geographically remote clones.

Native plant project at the University of Dundee Botanic garden article appeared in SIBBALDIA: 175 ‘The Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture’ No. 11

Abstract: The University of Dundee Botanic Garden with regard to their native plants area and Target 8 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation since 2009. Propagation, micropropagation and growing techniques for ten native plant species are summarised and the successes and failures of these are discussed. The work demonstrates what can be achieved with even just a small amount of financial support.

The article presents a summary of the work carried out as a result of funding totalling £18,000 received for a project to conserve Scottish native plants which was titled ‘From Ben Lawers to the sea’. Funding came from a number of sources including the Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden (UDBG), the Gannochy Trust and the Grant Trust. The project was designed to assist in the conservation of endangered plant species native to the upland Glens of Angus (Scottish Natural Heritage, no date) and the coastal areas of Tayside (Lloyd et al., 2002). The work has enabled us to enhance the native plants area with the creation of specialist habitats for rare and endangered species and by devising propagation techniques and
growth and nutrition protocols for other selected species. As a result, these species can now be successfully propagated and planted out into the native plants area in the UDBG, but, and more importantly, hopefully also planted back into the wild in the future. This project runs in parallel with the refurbishment of the native plants area of the garden which was established in 1974.

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