This rare and endangered species is so beautiful that we thought it deserved to be more widely available. Because of restrictions on the commercialisation of endangered species, they are scarcely found in the nursery trade. However, with permission from National Parks and Wildlife, this is the first threatened species from our collection to be made available to the general public. We’ve named it Prostanthera ‘Mint Velvet’, referring to the texture of the leaves.
The number of rare and endangered species in New South Wales is likely to increase under the impacts of climate change, population growth etc, but not all are suitable for horticultural applications or the confines of a commercial production system.
At Mount Annan we aim to select and trial those species within our collection which have the most potential. PlantBank, our new research facility, is also contributing to their preservation and conservation through seedbanking and propagation research.
Through the sale of these plants we hope to augment funding for further research and development of our native flora.
Our botanists have also contributed to research on the relationships of this and closely related species in an effort to better understand the biodiversity of Australian flora.
In April, three staff teams have volunteered to participate in the Save a Species Walk with P. densa being one of their target species. This initiative is raising awareness of the threats currently putting 50 per cent of the world’s plant species at risk, with 10 per cent of Australia’s native plant species identified as threatened. Donations will fund staff at PlantBank so that they can continue to conserve endangered plant species here at home.
Prostanthera ‘Mint Velvet’ is available from our Garden Shops as well as good native nurseries.