Rare 'Sapphire Tower' blooms in Scotland for first time at botanical garden in Dumfries and Galloway

Visitors to Logan Botanic Garden in Port Logan near Stranraer have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to see the flowers of the rare 'Sapphire Tower' plant, as it blooms outdoors in Scotland for the first time.

The Puya alpestris plant is native to Chile and can take up to 10 years to produce flowers that only last about two weeks.

Horticulturalists at Scotland’s “most exotic garden” have said the area’s subtropical climate has created the right conditions for the rare flower to produce its distinctive turquoise and orange flowers.

The garden team also helpped the plant flourish by hand-collecting the pollen using a small paintbrush to assist with its pollination, a job that would usually be done by hummingbirds in the wild.

Richard Baines, curator of Logan Botanic Garden, said: "It’s not every day you get to see an extraordinary plant such as ‘Sapphire Tower’ bloom outside of its regular climate, so having it here in the garden is a true privilege for everyone at Logan.

"This unique plant is part of Logan’s larger living collection that has been curated through the garden’s global conservation efforts and commitment to support internationally significant research and education.

"With the summer holidays already underway, visiting the garden while the plant is flowering is a wonderful day out for families and plant enthusiasts alike, and we encourage visitors to come and witness its beauty for themselves over the next week."

The Puya alpestris was donated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in 2013 as part of a plant exchange programme that sees both gardens sharing resources to help the future of rare plants.

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