CLIMATE CHANGE BRINGS PREHISTORIC PLANT BACK TO LIFE

The sago palm, or Cycad (Cycas revoluta), was a native plant in the United Kingdom 60 million years ago. But for the first time, botanists have been able to generate both male and female cones on Cycads grown outdoors. These plants, which are native to Japan, usually thrive in warm temperate and subtropical climates. So why are they growing back up in the UK now? Climate change. 

In 2012, the first male cone was created outdoors by botanists at the Ventnor Botanic Gardens on the Isle of Wight. However, a female cone only emerged last year, allowing them to produce seeds and transfer pollen for the first time in millions of years. These ancient plants thrive in the microclimate of the Isle of Wight, which is several degrees warmer than the rest of the United Kingdom. However, the fact that they can survive outside is a sign that the climate is changing.

Chris Kidd, curator of the Ventnor Botanic Garden, says, "We started cultivating cycads 15 or 20 years ago—it started as an experiment, something you wouldn't ordinarily do." After fifteen years, they are not only growing and generating leaves, but also surviving winters. A male cycad generated a cone five years ago, and this year, both a male and a female are generating cones. The trajectory of climate change is really significant. Cycads are forming cones, which is quite amazing, and we're getting species you wouldn't typically be able to grow outdoors.

The heat waves that have struck Europe in recent years have undoubtedly benefited the cycad. Indeed, Kidd noted that rising temperatures have enabled the botanic gardens to introduce a variety of exotic plants. The botanists acknowledge that this is exciting news, but they also emphasise the importance of considering the bigger picture. These temperature variations can have disastrous consequences for different kinds of plants and crops.