The Sophora Toromiro, a flowering tree, used to grow in abundance on Easter Island until it suffered from the deforrestation that blighted the Island in the first half of the 17th century.
It was declared extinct in the wild in 1978 and sits on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Amazingly Ventnor Botanic Garden has it growing on the Isle of Wight.
Only one outside South America
Being one of only seven Botanic Gardens in the world to have them growing is clearly pretty special, amplified when you learn that the Ventnor institution is the only one of these outside South America that can grow it outside.
“Extinction is for ever”
As Chris Kidd, Head Gardener at the Garden told VB, “That is seven gardens away from complete extinction … and extinction is for ever.
Sophora Toromiro [audio:http://otw-audio.s3.amazonaws.com/chris-kidd-on-sophora-toromiro.mp3]
