We are delighted to welcome 2 new saplings from a very special source.
It was thought that native Irish Scots Pine, Pinus sylvesris L. had become extinct during a massive population decline throughout Europe about 2,000 years ago. It was replanted from Scottish stock but an exciting study of a small population in Rockforest Co. Clare has proved that these are original native trees. A paper by Alwynne H McGeever and Fraser J. G. Mitchel 'Re-defining the natural range of Scots Pine: a newly discovered microrefugium in western Ireland' shows how fossil pollen from soil cores was radiocarbon dated to prove this particular population is original Irish native Scots Pine!
Our wonderful plantsman Eddie Dea heard about the sale of a few saplings from the original trees and managed to purchase two that have now happily found a home next to the nature walk between the hawthorn arbour and the Wishing Well hut on the Turlough side of the path.
So why did the trees survive? The trees are growing in an area of limestone pavement that is unattractive to convert to agricultural land and also were within the bounds of an 'estate' that would have afforded some protection to the woodland.
Seeds were collected under license by the National Parks and Wildlife service and each tree has a colour coded label with a link to an image of the parent tree.
In the conclusion of the report the contributors demonstrated that P. sylvestnis deserves reclassification of its status and re-establishment as a native Irish Tree. The Burren therefore supports the only confirmed native stand of Irish Scots Pine