A new state-of-the-art plant propagation laboratory has opened in Devon, providing a significant boost to efforts to protect some of Britain’s rarest and most historically important plants.
The facility, established by the National Trust at its Plant Conservation Centre, will enable conservationists to use advanced micropropagation techniques in-house for the first time. The technology allows plants to be reproduced rapidly under sterile laboratory conditions and can be up to ten times faster than traditional propagation methods.
Located at the Trust’s specialist conservation centre in Devon, the laboratory will support the preservation of rare native species, historic garden plants and important horticultural collections that form part of Britain’s rich botanical heritage.
Micropropagation involves growing plant material from tiny tissue samples in carefully controlled laboratory environments. The process can be particularly valuable when protecting species threatened by disease, ageing populations or environmental pressures.
The opening of the facility represents an important development for plant conservation in the UK, particularly as a number of specialist micropropagation laboratories have closed in recent years due to the high costs and expertise required to operate them.
The Plant Conservation Centre has previously attracted attention for its work propagating seeds collected following the illegal felling of the famous Sycamore Gap Tree in 2023. Conservation specialists say the addition of a dedicated laboratory significantly expands the centre’s capabilities.
Among the plants already being propagated using the new technology are rare varieties of daffodils and peonies from Hidcote, one of Britain’s most celebrated Arts and Crafts gardens. The aim is to produce healthy new specimens that can help preserve historic planting schemes for future generations.
The facility is also expected to support efforts to conserve the native black poplar, one of Britain’s rarest trees. By creating stocks of young plants for distribution and future use, conservationists hope to strengthen populations of the species across the country.
Experts involved in the project say the laboratory will provide greater security for valuable plant collections while helping preserve species that might otherwise be at risk from disease, climate pressures or simple decline through age.
The first plants to be fully micropropagated at the new laboratory will be historic azaleas from the Azalea Grove at Munstead Wood. Many of the plants were originally planted around 1880 by renowned garden designer Gertrude Jekyll and are among the few surviving specimens from her lifetime.
Supporters of the project say it demonstrates how modern science and traditional horticultural expertise can work together to help safeguard Britain’s unique plant heritage for future generations.
