Israel Saves 500 Endangered Plants From Extinction

Plants that scientists struggled to keep alive are now thriving in Israeli gardens and producing the seeds that could save their species forever.

The joint effort between Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), Eshtaol Nursery, and the Jerusalem Botanical Garden has achieved what many thought impossible. More than 500 rare and endangered plant species are now successfully growing in protected settings, with many flowering and producing fruit for the first time in cultivation.

Among the success stories is the bristly cephalaria, a species so difficult to grow outside its wild habitat that scientists had nearly given up. It not only germinated but bloomed beautifully in the botanical garden.

The spiked fenugreek, a nearly-endangered yellow-flowered plant used in cooking and traditional medicine, is also making a comeback. Meanwhile, the phoenician rose, rare to the Middle East, flowered for the first time ever in the Jerusalem Botanical Garden.

Dr. Ori Fragman-Sapir, scientific director of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens and author of the Red Data Book on endangered plants in Israel, credits tireless dedication from the nursery team. "Our nursery team, and especially Nadav Herman, work tirelessly day and night," he said, praising the productive cooperation between organizations.

The initiative has transformed the Jerusalem Botanical Garden from just a research and display site into a crucial refuge for wild plants on the edge of extinction. Seeds from these thriving plants are being carefully collected and stored at protected locations including the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Plant Gene Bank.

The Ripple Effect

Every seed these rescued plants produce creates multiple layers of protection for species that could vanish from Earth. Some cultivated plants are even establishing themselves independently in the field, suggesting they could eventually strengthen wild populations.

Rotem Attias, manager of Eshtaol Nursery at KKL-JNF, explains the breakthrough: "The greatest significance is not only that a rare plant succeeds in flowering here, but that it completes its life cycle, produces seeds, and sometimes even establishes itself independently in the field."

The project has yielded unexpected bonuses too. Scientists successfully grew jointed goatgrass, which could prove valuable for ongoing agricultural research, and discovered an unexpected population of white-tunicated garlic.

Each rescued species represents hope that what was nearly lost can be brought back from the brink.