Victoria’s leading botanical experts converged on Girgarre on Tuesday, May 19 to launch a groundbreaking conservation experiment, with Gargarro Botanic Gardens playing the starring role.
Two sprouts of Eucalyptus stenostoma, also known as Jillaga ash, were planted in the front grassy plains area by the two directors for horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and Cranbourne locations, Clare Hart and Tex Moon, as well as the horticulturist who helped procure the seeds, Amy Downie.
This planting represents a crucial climate adaptation trial for these sprouts, which naturally thrive only in specific dry forest and woodland environments.
The species was classified as endangered in 2023 after the 2020 bushfires decimated populations in Wadbilliga and Deua national parks in NSW.
As stenostoma does not regenerate after fire, the risk of total extinction was immediate.
Ms Downie, with a specialist team of researchers, horticulturists and experienced abseilers equipped with professional climbing gear, ventured deep into Wadbilliga National Park last October, conquering a treacherous 90-foot cliff face to harvest seeds from this endangered stenostoma eucalyptus.
Ms Downie said hanging from a rope off the side of a cliff face collecting seeds was one of the coolest things she had ever done.
The team then strategically dispersed the precious seeds across multiple secure locations including the Deua Botanic Gardens, the Australian PlantBank and the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and Cranbourne sites, as well as several regional botanic gardens, such as Bendigo and Castlemaine.
Gargarro was one of the gardens that the Royal Botanic Gardens asked to try the seedlings.
“It’s important to have this spread of collections just in case the worst were to happen again, and another fire were to burn through the cliff face and destroy that small population of trees,” Ms Downie said.
Researchers will be monitoring the seedlings to see how they adapt to Girgarre’s climate, and if successful, within decades a mature 25-metre eucalyptus could transform Gargarro’s grassy plains.
