News from the Botanic Gardens | Irish Botany News | Research Projects | Kilmacurragh News
New Curator at the National Botanic Gardens
The National Botanic Gardens are delighted to welcome Dr. Darach Lupton as the new Curator of the Gardens. Darach was a student at the Gardens from 1995 – 1998; he spent 12 months at the RHS Gardens at Wisley during his placement year in 1996. Finishing at Glasnevin...
An Introduction to the Spring Flowering Plants Project – online talk with Oisín Duffy
This live talk took place on 10 March 2021 Discover how you can become a Citizen Scientist by recording spring flowers, with Oisín Duffy. The Spring Flowering Plants Project is seeking records for 20 easily identifiable wildflowers. Find out how you can take part...
Ireland’s Oceanic Flora: Tales of mosses, liverworts and ferns from the Tropics and the Himalaya – online talk with Rory Hodd
This live talk took place on 03 March 2021 Thanks to its position on the edge of the Atlantic, Ireland has perfect conditions for the growth of a very rich, lush mix of mosses, liverworts and ferns which, within Europe, only grow along the humid oceanic fringe. Many...
A National Seed Bank in the National Botanic Gardens
Plants are fascinating. Even though they surround us and feed us, they often go unseen and unnoticed each day. They even hold the record for the largest and oldest organisms on earth - the largest being a clone of aspen trees and the oldest being a bristle cone pine...
Rhododendron ‘Thomas Acton’ registered with the RHS, March 2020
Very early in the 1860s, some rhododendron seedlings arrived at Kilmacurragh, sent to Thomas Acton by Dr David Moore, Curator of the National (then Royal) Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. The seedlings were a result of a cross between two of Joseph Hooker's Sikkim...
Plant News from the 18th World Wildlife Conference
by Dr Noeleen Smyth, National Botanic Gardens of Ireland Elephants, Giraffes, Sharks, Frankincense, Rosewoods and Malawi Cedars… What do all these have in common? These were some of the plant and animal species discussed at the world wildlife conference also known...
Herbarium in Focus – Exhibition brings to life the power of plants
Herbarium in Focus, a free exhibition in Ireland’s National Herbarium at the National Botanic Gardens was officially opened on Thursday 3rd October 2019 by Office of Public Works (OPW) Commissioner, John McMahon. The purpose of the exhibition is to showcase the key...
Eucalyptus Gall Wasp – an additional threat to Eucalyptus in Ireland
In late June a plant sample came to the Foremen at the National Botanic Gardens for identification of a plant problem. On close examination small galls were identified on the leaves of Eucalyptus gunnii from a suburban garden in Dublin 6. The specimen was placed in a...
Levinge lost treasures – plant specimens which have survived fire and lay undocumented at Irelands National Herbarium
This blog focuses on the discovery of the wealth of Irish and Indian plant specimens collected by Henry (Harry) Corbyn Levinge (1828-1896) rediscovered in the Herbarium here at the National Botanic Gardens. Levinge grew up in Knock Drin Castle in County Westmeath. He...