We are delighted to announce that we are working with Citizen Zoo and Habitats & Heritage on protecting and restoring Tower Mustard (Turritis glabra), a species threatened across the UK and one of London’s rarest plants. We are working on establishing a new population of Tower Mustard on Barnes Common, using plants grown by our volunteers.

As part of the major collaborative conservation programme bringing together people and organisations across London, our volunteer citizen scientists will grow this scarce species at home before replanting at carefully selected sites across Greater London. Tower Mustard is currently thought to survive at just 30 sites across England and currently at only two sites in London.

Tower Mustard is a herb native to the UK. Once widespread, it has suffered steep declines due to habitat destruction and changes in land management. The species has been assessed as Near Threatened on the Great Britain Red List. Growing to around one metre tall and producing delicate white flowers, Tower Mustard plays an important role in supporting pollinators including native bees, butterflies and rare moths.

Volunteer “Tower Mustard Guardians” will be at the heart of the project. Participants will learn how to grow and care for tower mustard from seed at home, beginning in March 2026, before joining coordinated planting days in the autumn. Habitats & Heritage will be running a volunteer training event in Twickenham. Seeds have been sourced from London’s remaining strongholds, with new plants to be established at five suitable sites across the species’ historic London range.

Our Conservation Manager, Will Dartnell said: ”Barnes Conservation is proud to be a key partner in this ambitious project to safeguard one of London’s rarest native plants. We are particularly excited to establish a new population of Tower Mustard on Barnes Common, a site perfectly suited for this species to return to its historic range. By working closely with our partners and the local community, we are ensuring this rare plant becomes a permanent feature of our landscape once again.”

This community led model builds on Citizen Zoo’s successful Hop of Hope project and its Citizen Zookeepers. The Hop of Hope project saw volunteers rear Large Marsh Grasshoppers from eggs at home, going on to release the species in wetlands across Norfolk. Tower Mustard is the first plant species Citizen Zoo has worked with in London, joining a growing portfolio of rewilding projects that also includes Beavers, Water Voles, German Hairy Snails and White Storks.

The Tower Mustard project is funded by the Mayor of London’s Green Roots Fund and Thames Water, the programme brings together Habitats & Heritage and a wide network of land managers and community partners. These include Barnes Conservation, London Natural History Society, Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators, London Borough of Hounslow and Lampton Countryside Rangers, Home Park, the 750-acre royal park adjacent to Hampton Court Palace and managed by Historic Royal Palaces plus Lesnes Abbey Woods in south east London. Botanist Dr Mark Spencer is providing expert support.

Barnes Conservation is part of BCL and is responsible for delivering nature conservation work across multiple sites within the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. We undertake a broad programme of practical conservation management and ecological survey work.