Help us save the Falkland Islands snakeplant

Found growing in rocky parts of the Falkland Islands, snakeplant (Nassauvia serpens) is one of the most unusual plants on these remote islands. You can help Kew safeguard this plant for our future by adopting a seed for yourself, or as a gift for £25.

Like other plants in the Compositae family, snakeplant produces a single seed in each fruit which is dispersed by the wind

Situated 500 km from mainland South America, the Falkland Islands are a remote archipelago comprising two larger islands (East and West Falkland) and over 700 smaller islands.

Snakeplant (Nassauvia serpens) is one of 13 species known to be found only on these islands (endemic), with a total of around 350 other wild plant species.

Snakeplants can be found growing in rocky areas inland, together with an array of fern species, including several delicate filmy ferns, such as the Falkland filmy-fern (Hymenophyllum falklandicum), the twisted filmy-fern (Hymenophyllum tortuosum) and the sculptural looking shield fern (Polystichum mohrioides).

One of the most unusual plants of the Falkland Islands, snakeplant has long straggling stems, reaching up to 2 m in height.

The dull green leaves are tough and slightly curved with sharp hooks along the edges and whitish undersides. The long curving stems of the plant often form tangled patches amongst the rocks and boulders, and can measure up to a metre across.

The tiny white flowers of snakeplant have club-shaped heads with purplish stamens, the heads of the flowers turning brown as the seeds develop. In full bloom these delicate flowers produce a strong sweet scent.

The tiny white flowers of the snakeplant have club-shaped heads, with purplish stamens. In full bloom these delicate flowers produce a strong, sweet scent.

Kew and the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs)

The Falkland Islands are one of the 16 UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) which include some of the most remote and biologically interesting places in the world.

Most UKOTs are islands distributed around the globe, from Antarctica to the Mediterranean, and from the South Pacific to the Indian Ocean.

Kew works with partners in the Territories and internationally to safeguard their remarkable biological diversity. This includes working with partners in-Territory and from other UK biodiversity organisations to develop and implement practical conservation projects which support the UKOTs in implementing the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.

You can follow the UKOTs team blog which documents the conservation activities of the UKOTs team at Kew and overseas.

You can adopt this seed for yourself, or as a gift for £25.

When you Adopt a Seed, you'll receive a personalised certificate, featuring your plant species, as a downloadable PDF document you can print off, and regular updates over the year from the Millennium Seed Bank.

For an additional £2, you can have an Adoption Pack posted (either to you, or direct to a gift recipient) featuring a certificate and a full colour picture of your species (UK only).

Adopt this seed now.