Biodiversity & Well-being Toolkit: Natural History Collections - 2b Montserrat's plants and fungi - UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum

Montserrat's plants and fungi

Plants

Montserrat’s plants are very special. A huge range of plants live here, from Tridax Daisies on road verges to huge Silk Cotton Trees in the forest. From the forests of the Centre Hills to the cactuses on Silver Hills, they’re what makes our Emerald Isle green!

It’s important that we protect plants when we develop buildings and roads on Montserrat. We can help by planting Montserrat’s native species; this helps Montserrat’s animals too.

Photosynthesis

Plants use the sun to grow, instead of eating food like we do. This is called photosynthesis. Most plants also get nutrients from the soil. Some plants are parasitic, like Love Vine. This means they get nutrients from other plants.

We all need plants to survive: they breathe out oxygen which we need to survive, and feed us and other animals. Plants also help us stay healthy and happy. Many Montserratians use plants to make medicinal teas, and colourful flowers make everyone smile!

Plants keep our whole planet healthy: they breathe in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. We breathe out carbon dioxide, and it’s released by burning fuel.