A rare Virgin Islands plant on the Endangered Species List, once believed lost to extinction, now has a draft recovery plan available for review.
Marron bacora, a plant listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2022, only occurs on the island of St. John in the United States Virgin Islands and the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. First described in 1813, the species was believed to have gone extinct in the early 1900’s up until its rediscovery in 1992.
On St. John, all but one of the seven remaining populations occurs within the boundaries of the Virgin Islands National Park. Over 2,500 acres have been designated as critical habitat for the species on the island of St. John. The one population on Tortola was discovered in 2018 by staff from the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew) and the National Park Trust of the Virgin Islands, extending the species’ range to the British Virgin Islands.
Threatened by habitat destruction and modification, populations of this dry-forest shrub are fragmented, contributing to a lack of genetic exchange between them. Another ongoing threat to this beautiful plant with light violet blooms is that all occurrences lack natural recruitment, most likely due to consumption of its fruits and seedlings by non-native feral animals such as white-tailed deer, goats, pigs, and donkeys, along with habitat intrusion by exotic invasive plants like guinea grass.
Several actions have been identified in the draft plan that are necessary for marron bacora’s recovery. They are protection and management of natural populations; development and implementation of propagation programs; the continued gathering of information on the species’ biology and range; public awareness and education; and any other specific actions that are identified as part of the draft plan. The draft plan is available at the following link for public comment and review until 05/30/2025.
082456 20250321_Marron bacora_draft Recovery Plan.pdf
An intra-governmental agreement between the Service and the National Park Service is in place that allows for the propagation and augmentation of the population of marron bacora in the Virgin Islands National Park. In addition, there are agreements with Island Conservation and the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, two non-governmental organizations, for propagation and establishment of populations of marron bacora within the national park. The Service is also working with Kew to extend conservation efforts to Tortola and to conduct research on the species’ genetics.
Continued efforts, such as these, will be needed to help sustain and recover this beautiful plant native to the Virgin Islands.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/program/southeast-region. Connect with us on social media: Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Flickr, and YouTube.
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