The westernmost and only botanical garden in the Lubusz Voivodeship – that’s a brief description of the University of Zielona Góra’s Botanical Garden, which has been operating in its current form for nearly 20 years. Just as its structure is diverse due to the involvement of multiple institutions, so too is the flora growing at Botaniczna Street full of contrasts. Since 2015, the UZ Botanical Garden (OBUZ) has been conducting restoration of endangered plant species (including Helosciadium × longipedunculatum), research on native species from the Lubusz region, and training and seminars in the field of natural sciences.
One of the "crown jewels" of the UZ Botanical Garden team is currently floating salvinia (Salvinia natans) – a rare aquatic fern. “This species is under strict species protection and is listed as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ (category V) according to the Red List of Plants and Fungi in Poland. Floating salvinia is the only representative of the genus Salvinia and the family Salviniaceae found in the wild in Poland. It’s a small floating fern with its leaves arranged in whorls of three, and it’s known for its leaf dimorphism,” explains MSc Eng. Agnieszka Tokarska-Osyczka from the UZ Institute of Biological Sciences.
Experts emphasize that in its natural habitat, salvinia is extremely rare. Its populations are primarily threatened by water pollution, climate change, and the transformation of natural water bodies. “With the goal of preserving the species, since July 2024 we’ve been conducting ex-situ conservation of floating salvinia at the UZ Botanical Garden – outside of its natural habitat – with hopes for future reintroduction into the wild,” adds Ms Tokarska-Osyczka.
Just last week, UZ Botanical Garden staff Radosław Skrobania and Dr. Andrzej Regilewicz carried out fieldwork as part of the project “Monitoring and Strengthening the Population of Floating Salvinia in Ex-situ Cultivation at the Botanical Garden.” The initiative is funded by the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Zielona Góra. Current observations show that the reintroduction process will require special care and appropriately chosen methods due to the extensive transformation of this fern’s natural habitats.
Equally one-of-a-kind is the Helosciadium × longipedunculatum, and quite literally so – the UZ Botanical Garden team oversees the only natural site of this plant species in Poland, located in Królów. “Also known as Helosciadium nodiflorum × repens, this plant is a unique species within Poland’s flora. It thrives in moist ditches with flowing water, needing constant access to sunlight and high groundwater levels. When the environment changes and trees like willows or alders begin to dominate, the celery plants gradually disappear,” says Tokarska-Osyczka.
Preparations for the next reintroduction phase are currently underway. Since 2018, the UZ Botanical Garden has been cultivating Helosciadium × longipedunculatum ex-situ, outside its natural environment. The plant material originally came from Królów but was secured and propagated with the help of staff from the Adam Mickiewicz University Botanical Garden in Poznań. “In 2021, we began reintroducing the celery back into its natural environment. Some plants were returned to ditches in Królów – both at the existing site and to places where the species had been previously recorded. However, to fully restore the species to its historical locations, habitat maintenance work is essential – especially mowing and clearing the ditches. In many areas, the shade cast by trees makes recolonization impossible,” explains Tokarska-Osyczka.
During a field visit in 2024, a few specimens were spotted in Królów’s natural habitat. While the species’ presence is encouraging, the low number confirms the urgent need for consistent conservation efforts.
Another visit to Królów is planned for later this year to assess the current population and plan the next stages of reintroduction and any necessary habitat restoration work. Only action leads to change – passivity in conservation means the slow loss of what is valuable. At the Botanical Garden of the University of Zielona Góra, Helosciadium × longipedunculatum is thriving – its healthy growth and development are a testament to the effectiveness of the Garden’s ex-situ conservation efforts.
