The newly developed Meta Collection Program builds on the Botanical Gardens’ long-standing role in ex situ conservation. This coordinated conservation initiative focuses on safeguarding some of Tasmania’s most threatened and botanically significant plant species.
A meta collection is a coordinated network of living plant collections held across multiple botanic gardens and partner institutions. Each plant is rigorously documented with known genetic identity and wild provenance, ensuring the preservation of genetic diversity while reducing the risk of species loss at any single location.
Why it matters
Tasmania is home to almost 500 threatened plant taxa, many of which occur in small, isolated populations and are highly vulnerable to threats such as fire, climate change, disease, and habitat disturbance.
By establishing coordinated, genetically representative collections across a network of institutions, the Meta Collection Program:
- Safeguards species through distributed “living insurance” collections
- Preserves genetic diversity for future conservation and restoration
- Supports scientific research and propagation knowledge
- Strengthens collaboration across botanic gardens and conservation partners
Priority species
The program will initially prioritise some of Tasmania’s most significant and threatened species, including:
- Lomatia tasmanica (King’s lomatia) – one of the rarest plants in the world
- Phebalium daviesii (Davies’ waxflower) – a critically endangered endemic shrub
- Athrotaxis cupressoides (pencil pine) – a fire-sensitive alpine conifer
- Athrotaxis selaginoides (King Billy pine) – an iconic Gondwanan rainforest species
How it works
The RTBG acts as the coordinating institution, managing plant records, provenance data, and propagation protocols through its collections database. Plants are then cultivated and shared with trusted partner organisations, creating a distributed network of secure, well-documented collections.
This collaborative model supports long-term conservation, research, and species recovery, while also building horticultural knowledge and capacity across institutions.
The Meta Collection Program complements the work of the Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre (TSCC) by ensuring that species which are difficult to store as seed - or require ongoing cultivation, are also conserved as living plants.
How can you help?
This vital conservation work is supported by donations to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Help us protect Tasmania’s rare and remarkable flora by making a contribution today.
Donate here