Volunteers grow over 1,000 tower mustard plants to restore London’s rare wildflower
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More than 1,000 volunteers in London successfully grew and planted tower mustard, a rare native wildflower, as part of a community-led conservation project.
Citizen Zoo and Habitats & Heritage led the effort, uniting land managers, community groups, and volunteers to restore the plant to areas where it once thrived.
Volunteers learned to cultivate the tiny seeds at a workshop, receiving equipment to grow the plants from seeds sourced from the last remaining tower mustard populations in Lesnes Abbey Woods and Stain Hill Reservoir. The plants have been reintroduced to Wimbledon Common, Hounslow Heath, Lesnes Abbey Woods, and Barnes Common, with a final planting scheduled at Hampton Court Palace.
Tower mustard, a plant that grows to about one metre tall and supports pollinators, has experienced a steep decline in the UK due to habitat loss and changes in land management, and is now considered near threatened nationally and endangered in England. Elliot Newton of Citizen Zoo explained the project is part of a broader effort to preserve biodiversity in the face of climate change, noting London has lost 185 plant species in recent history.
The group hopes to replicate this model with other rare plants, building on the success of previous projects like rearing marsh grasshoppers. The project received funding from the Greater London Authority’s Green Roots Fund and Thames Water.
