The Puto hornbeam is a small tree that can grow up to 15 meters.

It is endemic to Zhoushan archipelago in eastern China where it survives as a single tree on the Putuo Mountain. This tree is more than 210 years old and is a critically endangered species that is under first-class state protection in China.

In 2020, Botanic Gardens Conservation International established a fund worth 70,000 yuan (around 8,790 U.S. dollars) to support the conservation and breeding of Puto hornbeam. The program started on January 1, 2020 and will last for a year.

(Cover image via VCG.)

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