This article was first shared in our Fall 2015 newsletter:

An exciting opportunity to add an extremely rare tree species to the Starhill Forest collection arose this year. The Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia) is a critically endangered small tree in the Yew family (Taxaceae) that, in the wild, is known to exist only in three counties in the Florida panhandle and an adjacent county in Georgia. This habitat is primarily inside the boundaries of Torreya State Park, on the shady ravines alone the Apalachicola River. It is thought that the species once had a much wider range, but was relegated to this glacial relict habitat, possibly due to the extinction of the animal that acted as a dispersal agent.

All of the puzzle pieces are still being assembled to determine the exact cause of the species’ decline. The population went into steep decline in the 1950’s, thought to be caused primarily by a fungal pathogen. Today, no mature specimens can be found in the native range, meaning seed cannot be produced to ensure reproduction. Climate change is also likely playing a leading role in the decline of this and other glacial relict species.

The largest specimens are now at botanical institutions outside the native range. Some of the oldest trees can be seen at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina where a dozen Florida torreya were planted over 75 years ago and continue to thrive in the Appalachian climate.

We were extremely fortunate to receive six seedlings from a friend of the arboretum, Stan Tyson. Stan received seed that was produced on plants that originated as rooted cuttings. Those cuttings would never grow into the upright true form of the species, instead growing laterally. They did, however, quickly produce viable seed in ample quantities. Stan received some of this seed and was able to successfully grow a number of T. taxifolia seedlings.

Planting the Torreya this far north is somewhat experimental. In order to give them the best possible chance to thrive at Starhill Forest, a site was selected to most closely replicate their natural habitat. Through hard work with the intern crew, the understory of a southeast facing slope was thoroughly cleared, leaving large trees to provide some cover while allowing dappled sunlight to filter through. The trees were planted, protected from wildlife with excellent cages donated by Plantra, watered, mulched, and monitored throughout the summer. Now we watch and wait and hope their first winter is mild!

 2025 Update: 

The oldest Torreyas in our collection are now reaching 10 years in the ground! In that time, the trees have experienced no winter dieback and minimal deer browse. The species appears to be fully hardy in our climate. We have six accessions planted in the original understory location and two just uphill on the slope below the field lab, including plants received from botanist Ron Lance and Missouri Botanical Garden. None have yet produced seed, but all are putting on healthy amounts of growth annually!

The Arboretum has since made a connection with the Torreya Guardians, a grassroots organization dedicated to private and governmental nurturance (from captive breeding to rewilding and assisted migration) of North America’s most endangered conifer tree.

The Torreya Guardians group is building a network of ex situ populations fostered by planting seeds that were harvested from trees that had been established before the Fusarium torreyae and other diseases became established in the original (and only wild) location. Current members include the Dawes Arboretum, the Secrest Arboretum, Holden Gardens, the Morton Arboretum, and Starhill Forest as well as many private gardens. Growing from seed can be a complicated process. It was determined in 2024 by the Florida Torreya researchers that Torreya seed germination can take up to 3 years!

Connie Barlow, a famous author of research on evolutionary anachronisms such as our work on Maclura propagation and director of the national Torreya Guardians organization, is our contact as a member organization and has been the leader on many subjects concerning the problems with Florida Torreya survival in situ.

For more information about Torreya Guardians, see Torreyaguardians.org.