Telopea truncata (Tasmanian waratah) flowering near the shores of Lake King William, Central Highlands, Tasmania.

The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is focusing on the west coast of Tasmania for its 10th summer collecting season since the Gardens’ seed bank was established in 2005. The east coast and midlands of Tasmania are well represented in the seed bank due to their closer proximity to the Gardens and their higher biodiversity.

A 2012 assessment of the seed bank collections showed that only 13% of collections came from the west coast. To begin to address this issue, over 40 Tasmanian native plant species are being targeted in the 2015/16 collecting season – from tiny wetland species such as the mossy pennywort to the iconic conifer, the Huon pine. The work kicked off in October with the surveying for good, healthy, flowering populations and the first seed collections targeted for mid-December. The program is supported by the Australian Seed Bank Partnership, The Australian Plant society (Hobart) and the Parks Authority.

Images from the fieldwork have already been added to the Gardens Flickr site (West Coast collecting 2015 https://www.flickr.com/photos/rtbg/sets/72157660398650280 ) and will be added to every few weeks over the summer season.

Hibbertia prostrata (prostrate guineaflower) flowering near the shores of Lake King Willaim, Tasmania.

MORE TO COME:  Watch this space!

Natalie Tapson, RTBG Horticultural Botanist; James Wood, RTBG Seed Bank Coordinator