Key stats: 

• Status: Endangered.
• 300+ plants have been replanted into wild sites for research.
• 100 plants are held in ex-situ collections at Wollongong Botanic Garden, constantly under propagation.

In 2017, more than 300 endangered Bomaderry Zieria (Zieria baeuerlenii) that were grown at the Wollongong Botanic Garden were planted back into the wild. This species is endemic to NSW (only found growing here and nowhere else in the world).

Sadly, the following year a large bushfire went through the replanted and wild population, burning most of the planted area. This was a big setback and loss for this endangered species.

Amazingly, some of these plants (both wild and replanted) are showing their ability to survive and are re-shooting from their root plates underground.

This example highlights the important role of botanic gardens to hold plants to safeguard these threatened species.