Cottonweed (Achillea maritima)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Vascular plant > flowering plant > Herbaceous plant |
| Red List Status: | Extinct (globally) (Not Relevant) [EX(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Achillea maritima |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (L.) Ehrend. & Y.P.Guo |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | in Stroh et al., 2014 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Regionally extinct in England since 1936 when it was last recorded on the Isles of Scilly. Reasons for decline are better understood. Likely functioned as c. 4 metapopulations in GB in association with neighbouring countries where it is also declining, functioning of which was curtailed by increased coastal access, coastal defences and industrialisation. Associates are now better understood and work has been undertaken to improve its dune habitats in recent years (e.g. back from the brink Dynamic Dunes). The increased use of fencing to protect shoreline nesting birds provides plants with relief from recreational access. This improved knowledge and habitat availability, coupled with an improving climate for it mean that a reintroduction may be feasible. This is being investigated via a SRP project. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | A targeted project is required if this species is to be reintroduced as it is unlikely to recolonise naturally |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | This species (if reintroduced) would benefit from landscape scale restoration of dune habitats, particularly protection of foredune habitats from access pressures. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 5. Remedial action identified |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Medium-high |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Structured - sufficient |
| Species Comments: |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Produce plants and seeds for introduction to prioritised receptor locations
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: (Re-)introduction
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: Not applicable
High priority sites:
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Monitor and review successes - expand reintroduced population following established best practice to create metapopulation structure
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: (Re-)introduction
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites:
Comments:
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Work with partners in France and Ireland to secure international metapopulation functioning- securing sites that are linked by currents, and work together to share genetic sources, best practise on habitat management, etc.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: (Re-)introduction
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites:
Comments:
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.