Only 6 Trees in the Wild.. Scientists Create 'Backups' for Them

Australian researchers are working to protect a rare species of eucalyptus, of which only six trees remain in the wild south of Canberra, by propagating them and preserving copies within Australia’s National Botanic Gardens.

The “Eucalyptus recurva” trees face a survival threat because their scattered locations prevent natural reproduction. After decades of effort, the team succeeded in grafting cuttings from the wild trees onto hybrid rootstocks, and now maintains multiple copies of four of the six trees as a safeguard against the species’ extinction.

However, the task is not yet complete. These plants may take around 20 years to flower, and individual trees may flower in different years. Researchers are testing a growth regulator to accelerate flowering, with the aim of producing viable seeds, while preventing pollinating insects carrying pollen from other species from reaching the trees, thereby avoiding hybridization.