This spring, partners in our collaborative project to secure Safe Custody for Native Guava received the first plants to add to their living collections. Five advanced Rhodomyrtus psidioides plants were sent from the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan to Lismore Rainforest Botanic Garden (NSW), the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah (NSW), the Australian National Botanic Garden (ACT), and Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden (Victoria). Plants were also added to the existing collection of these species at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan.
Action to conserve Native Guava was rated as an emergency priority in the Myrtle Rust in Australia National Action Plan. Our current collaborative project helps meet the Germplasm Capture objective which is a very high priority in the NAP. This pilot project aims to show what is possible with collaborative action on germplasm capture. We also aim to understand the workflow and take any learnings into similar future ex situ conservation projects on emergency priority species.This project received grant funding from the Australian Government.
Image: Dr Zoe Knapp and Toby Golson with critically endangered Rhodomyrtus psidioides (Native Guava) planted at the Australian National Botanic Garden. Credit: Amelia Martyn Yenson.