Darren Reidy
@darrenreidy.bsky.social
Curator of the National Seed Bank, DBN Herbarium, National Botanic Gardens of Ireland.
Conservation Botany 🌱 Wetlands 💧 Invasive Sp 🌿 Sustainable Communities🏡 Global citizen 🌍 Kerryman 🇮🇪🌈 Labhair Gaeilge liom ☘️
Conservation Botany 🌱 Wetlands 💧 Invasive Sp 🌿 Sustainable Communities🏡 Global citizen 🌍 Kerryman 🇮🇪🌈 Labhair Gaeilge liom ☘️
I have never been wetter on a hike! Nor have I ever had to queue for the summit before!
Grand soft day on #Snowdon, celebrating 20yrs of friendship with my bestie.
Grand soft day on #Snowdon, celebrating 20yrs of friendship with my bestie.
October 26, 2025 at 5:28 PM
I have never been wetter on a hike! Nor have I ever had to queue for the summit before!
Grand soft day on #Snowdon, celebrating 20yrs of friendship with my bestie.
Grand soft day on #Snowdon, celebrating 20yrs of friendship with my bestie.
My workplace is so ugly this time of year. All those sad dying trees. 😉
October 23, 2025 at 9:06 AM
My workplace is so ugly this time of year. All those sad dying trees. 😉
I just love the moody landscapes of Autumn...
October 21, 2025 at 8:42 AM
I just love the moody landscapes of Autumn...
Its giving Autumn (National Botanic Gardens of Ireland)
October 15, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Its giving Autumn (National Botanic Gardens of Ireland)
Sorbus scannelliana, S. anglica & S. rupicola from Killarney National Park recently
##WildflowerHour
##WildflowerHour
October 13, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Sorbus scannelliana, S. anglica & S. rupicola from Killarney National Park recently
##WildflowerHour
##WildflowerHour
Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) has long been my favourite wildflower, untiI I met the stunning Oysterplant (Mertensia maritima) for the 1st time last week, and then this week I saw my first ever Meadow Saffron (Colchicum autumnale) and now I just don't know anymore. #WildflowerHour
September 14, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) has long been my favourite wildflower, untiI I met the stunning Oysterplant (Mertensia maritima) for the 1st time last week, and then this week I saw my first ever Meadow Saffron (Colchicum autumnale) and now I just don't know anymore. #WildflowerHour
Little treat to see Frogbit
(Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) today in the River Boyne, Oldbridge, Co. Meath. Not something you ever see in the South West so - happy dance💃🕺
@bsbiireland.bsky.social
(Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) today in the River Boyne, Oldbridge, Co. Meath. Not something you ever see in the South West so - happy dance💃🕺
@bsbiireland.bsky.social
August 18, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Little treat to see Frogbit
(Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) today in the River Boyne, Oldbridge, Co. Meath. Not something you ever see in the South West so - happy dance💃🕺
@bsbiireland.bsky.social
(Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) today in the River Boyne, Oldbridge, Co. Meath. Not something you ever see in the South West so - happy dance💃🕺
@bsbiireland.bsky.social
For this week's #WildflowerHour Asteraceae Challege I give you - Common Fleabane
(Pulicaria dysenterica) from a roadside embankment in Wexford
(Pulicaria dysenterica) from a roadside embankment in Wexford
August 17, 2025 at 6:59 PM
For this week's #WildflowerHour Asteraceae Challege I give you - Common Fleabane
(Pulicaria dysenterica) from a roadside embankment in Wexford
(Pulicaria dysenterica) from a roadside embankment in Wexford
A new one for me - Kangaroo Apple (Solanum laciniatum), and escaped house plant, naturalised in coastal habitats around Killiney in Ireland.
August 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
A new one for me - Kangaroo Apple (Solanum laciniatum), and escaped house plant, naturalised in coastal habitats around Killiney in Ireland.
My piece on establishing Ireland's National Seed Bank was published in the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland back in the spring, but nothing beats seeing a copy in the flesh! My copy finally arrived in the post today 😊
August 13, 2025 at 10:55 AM
My piece on establishing Ireland's National Seed Bank was published in the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland back in the spring, but nothing beats seeing a copy in the flesh! My copy finally arrived in the post today 😊
For this week's pollinator themed #WildflowerHour I cheat a little (no flowers) and give you a swarm of honey bees on a Hawthorn hybrid trunk at the National Botanic Gardens
August 10, 2025 at 8:11 PM
For this week's pollinator themed #WildflowerHour I cheat a little (no flowers) and give you a swarm of honey bees on a Hawthorn hybrid trunk at the National Botanic Gardens
I recently went to check on the population of Pyrola rotundifolia subsp. maritima (Coastal Round-Leaved Winter-Green) in at the Raven Nature Reserve in Co. Wexford. It was still in flower but I will be returning to collect seed of this vulnerable species for Ireland's seed bank later in the season.
August 9, 2025 at 6:37 PM
I recently went to check on the population of Pyrola rotundifolia subsp. maritima (Coastal Round-Leaved Winter-Green) in at the Raven Nature Reserve in Co. Wexford. It was still in flower but I will be returning to collect seed of this vulnerable species for Ireland's seed bank later in the season.
Ipomoea species have such showy flowers. But the secret to their identity is in their sepals and bracteoles. With over 600 recognised species in the genus, this morning glory has been leaving me in quite the bind(weed) this week 😅
July 29, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Ipomoea species have such showy flowers. But the secret to their identity is in their sepals and bracteoles. With over 600 recognised species in the genus, this morning glory has been leaving me in quite the bind(weed) this week 😅
Looking back on last wknd, visiting some lovely saltmarsh & coastal lagoons habitats in search of some of Ireland's rarest charaphytes w/ Paul Green & @bsbiireland.bsky.social Aquatic Plants Project.
We found both Foxtail Stonewort
(Lamprothamnium papulosum) & Bearded Stonewort
(Chara canescens).
We found both Foxtail Stonewort
(Lamprothamnium papulosum) & Bearded Stonewort
(Chara canescens).
July 26, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Looking back on last wknd, visiting some lovely saltmarsh & coastal lagoons habitats in search of some of Ireland's rarest charaphytes w/ Paul Green & @bsbiireland.bsky.social Aquatic Plants Project.
We found both Foxtail Stonewort
(Lamprothamnium papulosum) & Bearded Stonewort
(Chara canescens).
We found both Foxtail Stonewort
(Lamprothamnium papulosum) & Bearded Stonewort
(Chara canescens).
Scented Mayweed
(Matricaria chamomilla) & Scentless Mayweed
(Tripleurospermum inodorum) side by side on the Wexford Slobs.
(Matricaria chamomilla) & Scentless Mayweed
(Tripleurospermum inodorum) side by side on the Wexford Slobs.
July 19, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Scented Mayweed
(Matricaria chamomilla) & Scentless Mayweed
(Tripleurospermum inodorum) side by side on the Wexford Slobs.
(Matricaria chamomilla) & Scentless Mayweed
(Tripleurospermum inodorum) side by side on the Wexford Slobs.
Digitised today at DBN Herbarium was this 1863 specimen of Ranunculus repens accompanied by a lovely note.
1st ever plant specimen collected by R.M. Barrington, one of Ireland's great naturalists
@injournal.bsky.social
@colinkelleher.bsky.social
@nigelmonaghan-nh.bsky.social
@ria.ie
@dri.ie
1st ever plant specimen collected by R.M. Barrington, one of Ireland's great naturalists
@injournal.bsky.social
@colinkelleher.bsky.social
@nigelmonaghan-nh.bsky.social
@ria.ie
@dri.ie
July 16, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Digitised today at DBN Herbarium was this 1863 specimen of Ranunculus repens accompanied by a lovely note.
1st ever plant specimen collected by R.M. Barrington, one of Ireland's great naturalists
@injournal.bsky.social
@colinkelleher.bsky.social
@nigelmonaghan-nh.bsky.social
@ria.ie
@dri.ie
1st ever plant specimen collected by R.M. Barrington, one of Ireland's great naturalists
@injournal.bsky.social
@colinkelleher.bsky.social
@nigelmonaghan-nh.bsky.social
@ria.ie
@dri.ie
Some highlights from last wknd's @bsbiireland.bsky.social field outing to stunning coastal grasslands & saltmarsh on the Shannon Estuary, Co. Limerick.
- Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera)
- Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia)
- Hairy Violet (Viola hirta)
- Sea Wormwood (Artemisia maritima)
- Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera)
- Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia)
- Hairy Violet (Viola hirta)
- Sea Wormwood (Artemisia maritima)
June 18, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Some highlights from last wknd's @bsbiireland.bsky.social field outing to stunning coastal grasslands & saltmarsh on the Shannon Estuary, Co. Limerick.
- Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera)
- Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia)
- Hairy Violet (Viola hirta)
- Sea Wormwood (Artemisia maritima)
- Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera)
- Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia)
- Hairy Violet (Viola hirta)
- Sea Wormwood (Artemisia maritima)
If you missed my behind the scenes tour of the National Botanic Gardens, celebrating the centenary of the @injournal.bsky.social, I'll be doing it all over again on Saturday, 2pm
www.eventbrite.ie/e/a-natural-...
www.eventbrite.ie/e/a-natural-...
May 22, 2025 at 6:56 PM
If you missed my behind the scenes tour of the National Botanic Gardens, celebrating the centenary of the @injournal.bsky.social, I'll be doing it all over again on Saturday, 2pm
www.eventbrite.ie/e/a-natural-...
www.eventbrite.ie/e/a-natural-...
57,676 seed of one of Ireland's rarest plants, cleaned and ready to be banked.
Corky-fruited Water-dropwort
(Oenanthe pimpinelloides) is known to only a handful of locations in Ireland and is considered Vulnerable to extinction on the RedList.
However, it's status as a native species is disputed.
Corky-fruited Water-dropwort
(Oenanthe pimpinelloides) is known to only a handful of locations in Ireland and is considered Vulnerable to extinction on the RedList.
However, it's status as a native species is disputed.
April 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
57,676 seed of one of Ireland's rarest plants, cleaned and ready to be banked.
Corky-fruited Water-dropwort
(Oenanthe pimpinelloides) is known to only a handful of locations in Ireland and is considered Vulnerable to extinction on the RedList.
However, it's status as a native species is disputed.
Corky-fruited Water-dropwort
(Oenanthe pimpinelloides) is known to only a handful of locations in Ireland and is considered Vulnerable to extinction on the RedList.
However, it's status as a native species is disputed.
Work on digitisation of the National Herbarium at the National Botanic Gardens is in full swing. We rotate on shift operating the automated imaging equipment which was funded through our @interreg.eu project DigiHerb, to enhance digital technology & innovation in small herbaria NW Europe.
March 31, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Work on digitisation of the National Herbarium at the National Botanic Gardens is in full swing. We rotate on shift operating the automated imaging equipment which was funded through our @interreg.eu project DigiHerb, to enhance digital technology & innovation in small herbaria NW Europe.
Our seed bank got a small feature on Nationwide @rteone.rte.ie this evening, as part of a larger feature on gardening for biodiversity.
March 28, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Our seed bank got a small feature on Nationwide @rteone.rte.ie this evening, as part of a larger feature on gardening for biodiversity.
Come work with us!
Do you have a PhD in Plant Genetics?
We are recruiting a 18 month Post Doc to work on genetic characterisation and seed sourcing of native forest trees.
www.botanicgardens.ie/2025/03/06/p...
Do you have a PhD in Plant Genetics?
We are recruiting a 18 month Post Doc to work on genetic characterisation and seed sourcing of native forest trees.
www.botanicgardens.ie/2025/03/06/p...
March 19, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Come work with us!
Do you have a PhD in Plant Genetics?
We are recruiting a 18 month Post Doc to work on genetic characterisation and seed sourcing of native forest trees.
www.botanicgardens.ie/2025/03/06/p...
Do you have a PhD in Plant Genetics?
We are recruiting a 18 month Post Doc to work on genetic characterisation and seed sourcing of native forest trees.
www.botanicgardens.ie/2025/03/06/p...
On #WorldWetlandsDay here is a memory of me collecting seed from the rare Fen Violet (Viola stagnina) from a Turlough - one of Ireland's most unique and ephemeral wetland habitats.
February 2, 2025 at 6:54 PM
On #WorldWetlandsDay here is a memory of me collecting seed from the rare Fen Violet (Viola stagnina) from a Turlough - one of Ireland's most unique and ephemeral wetland habitats.