Rare Tasmanian Tree Stolen From Royal Botanic Gardens

 

The only recorded specimen of Nothofagus gunnii in Britain was recently stolen from the Royal Botanic Gardens. The tree, which turns vivid colors in the fall, was grown from seeds collected during an expedition to Tasmania.
Photo courtesy of www.biolsci.monash.edu.au.

Thieves recently stole a rare Tasmanian tree from Britain?EUR??,,????'???s Royal Botanic Gardens ?EUR??,,????'??? the only of its kind in Britain.

The southern beech specimen, nothofagus gunnii, was removed by thieves at Wakehurst Place, a branch of the Royal Botanic Gardens, in southern England. The garden?EUR??,,????'???s main branch is at Kew in southwest London.

The tree, which was the only recorded live specimen of nothofagus gunnii in Britain, was grown from a seed collected in Tasmania in 2000. Even in Tasmania, where the species grows quite well in the central highlands, only two are on display at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.

Trevor Butler, a spokesman for the gardens, said that the tree would more than likely not receive the care needed to keep it alive and would die from ?EUR??,,????'??considerable root damage?EUR??,,????'?? caused by the theft when the tree was dug out of the ground.