Valuable plant to be protected

15:58 13th April 2010

British garden and greenhouse experts are lending their knowledge to a programme designed to protect a plant used to make a valuable spice.

The saffron crocus, grown commercially throughout southern Europe, Kashmir and Iran, is at risk of loss of diversity due to flooding, disease and the fact that main growers tend to use clones, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) reported.

However, the European Union funded Crocusbank project, which is being assisted by Leicester University, hopes to create a more solid future for the plant.

It will do so by creating new strains by using the original two wild ancestors that helped create the species.

The scheme also hopes to track down smaller growers who have heirloom or rare varieties in order to give them a safe home that will mean they will not be lost in the event of disease or flooding.

Meanwhile, the RHS recently released an iPhone application which is designed to help garden and greenhouse enthusiasts wishing to grow their own fruit and vegetables.