Hounslow Volunteers Help Save One of London’s Rarest Plants
Hounslow Volunteers Help Save One of London’s Rarest Plants
Green spaces in Hounslow are set for a major ecological boost as a new partnership takes shape to protect and restore one of London’s rarest plant species: tower mustard. The initiative has been made possible through funding from the Mayor of London’s Green Roots Fund and Thames Water.
Tower mustard is a delicate white‑flowered herb surviving at just 30 sites across England and only two in London.
Seeds from these remaining London populations have been carefully collected for the project.
Volunteer citizen scientists will begin growing tower mustard from seed at home this spring, before joining coordinated planting days in the autumn. This will take place at selected sites on Hounslow Heath—one of only five locations across the species’ historic range suitable for restoration. The plants, which grow to around one metre tall, play a vital role in supporting native bees, butterflies and rare moths.
The Mayor of London’s Green Roots Fund is designed to help nature thrive in the capital by empowering communities to transform their local green and blue spaces. From expanding habitats to restoring threatened species, the fund prioritises work that strengthens ecological health and builds long‑term climate resilience. By supporting projects that enhance biodiversity and reconnect fragmented environments, it helps create cleaner air, cooler neighbourhoods and richer places for both people and wildlife.
The tower mustard programme is being delivered by Citizen Zoo alongside Hounslow Council, Lampton Countryside Rangers and a network of land managers and community partners.