The iCONic Project
iCONic stands for Internationally threatened CONifers In our Care.
Back in Victorian times Perthshire became famous for the introduction of many new exotic conifers brought back by plant hunters from all over the world.
The trees were chosen for their appeal as interesting “ornaments” for the large estate woodlands.
Today there is an even more urgent reason for bringing exotic conifers to grow in Perthshire.
Global warming is bringing about a changing biodiversity across the planet. Many plants and animals could disappear as their habitats are affected and many could be lost for ever.
Since the early 1990s the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has through the International Conifer Conservation Programme been working with threatened conifers.
The idea is to plant threatened species in other countries all round the globe to create a seed bank for safe-keeping as a backup.
Some of threatened species are being planted in Perthshire through a partnership of RBGE, Forestry Commission Scotland and the Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust.