In the Wisselse Veen nature reserve near Epe, cultivated cuttings of the endangered small valerian were planted back this afternoon. Nature organization Geldersch Landscape and Castles (GLK) speaks of a success. “Thanks to this project, the small valerian in the Wisselse Veen has received a major boost.”
The little valerian (Valeriana dioica) used to be common in the Netherlands, but is now on the so-called Red list of plants. Those plants have been classified as vulnerable or even endangered. A few years ago, the rare plant was discovered in the Wisselse Veen.
In an effort to help the plant in the peat bog, cuttings of the herb were grown and propagated in a greenhouse last year, reports Broadcasting Gelderland. “By collecting a little bit of material from nature and then carefully cutting cuttings, we managed to grow approximately 100 large new pollen in the greenhouse. These then flowered and seed could be collected,” says ecologist André de Bonte. .
Both the seeds and the plants are returned to the nature reserve. “The pollen alone will greatly increase the population of the small valerian and help to preserve the plant for the future in this area,” says De Bonte.
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