Rare flowers rescued from eroded coastline at Culbin Sands

Thousands of one-flowered wintergreen plants, one of the rarest flowers in the UK, have recently been saved from disappearing into the sea along the Moray coastline. This delicate, star-shaped flower is unique to the pine woodlands of north-east Scotland. Unfortunately, the population of this species has dramatically declined in the last half-century, with more than half of the entire UK population lost over the past 50 years.

At Culbin Sands, a region of dunes and forest near Findhorn, conservation teams successfully relocated approximately 3,400 individual plants from an eroding stretch of beach to a more secure nearby location. This rescue effort was carried out through a collaboration between Plantlife Scotland, Forestry and Land Scotland, NatureScot, and dedicated volunteers. The patch of one-flowered wintergreen was carefully excavated to preserve its survival as the coastal erosion had steadily reduced its habitat over recent years.

Sam Jones, senior ecological adviser at Plantlife Scotland, emphasized the importance of this intervention, stating: “This type of ground-breaking conservation work will help ensure endangered species like the one-flowered wintergreen are not lost.” Jones described the task as a privilege, highlighting the urgency of protecting these “precious and rare” plants from the significant threat posed by natural habitat loss.

The one-flowered wintergreen thrives in fungal-rich soils, relying partly on a symbiotic relationship with fungi rather than solely on photosynthesis for nourishment. However, conservationists warn that rising temperatures linked to climate change may dry out these essential damp soils, jeopardizing the plants’ survival. Iain Macdonald, biodiversity adviser at NatureScot, acknowledged the uncertainty about how well the plants will adapt to their new environment. He remarked, “It was only a matter of time before they would have all been lost to the sea if we’d left them where they were. So, any survival will be a success,” adding that expanding the population to other suitable locations could help the species endure future environmental changes