From left, Charles Dundas and Arina Nagy-Vizitiu, public affairs team at Woodland Trust Scotland; Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland; Simon Milne MBE, regius keeper; Natacha Frachon, horticulturalist at RBGE.
Maurice Golden MSP has pledged to help conserve the rare Arran whitebeam tree after a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh (RBGE) where he learned of the work being undertaken to help preserve the endangered species. The Conservative West Scotland region MSP was joined by members of Woodland Trust Scotland to discuss the Arran whitebeam with horticulturalists from the botanic gardens. As a champion for the species he works to raise awareness of Scotland’s most threatened native tree in the Scottish Parliament. Arran whitebeams are unique to Arran and have formed through hybridisation of the rowan tree and the rock whitebeam. Scottish Natural Heritage and RGBE are researching how to conserve the species - which has fewer than 900 individuals - in order to better understand the trees and learn why they are under threat before extensive planting can be undertaken. David Knott, curator of the living collection at RBGE, said: ‘The Isle of Arran is home to three species of tree found nowhere else in the world, the Arran whitebeam, the Arran service tree and the Catacol whitebeam.
‘Staff from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, working in partnership with staff from Scottish Natural Heritage and the landowner, have been actively involved in the conservation of these, Scotland’s rarest trees, to deliver the Scottish Government’s environmental objectives by promoting the natural regeneration of the trees through on site management and by safeguarding them in cultivation.’