Cultural relict plants - a living heritage

Cultural relict plants are remaining populations of plants once introduced for cultivation and use. The plants have survived, even though the population is no longer actively maintained. Cultural relict plants can be found in the close surround- ings of historical places such as monastery ruins, churches, castles, fortresses, manors, old farms and villages. The plants are part of a living heritage, but the responsibility tends to fall between different perspectives – between the conservation of buildings, objects and immaterial knowledge (cultural heritage) and conservation of nature (natural heritage). In this article we debate the value of such plants as parts of a place. We list potential species and findings from a project with focus on the Arctic region in the Nordic countries. We furthermore emphasise the need for trans-disciplinary approaches to secure the habitat and increase awareness about cultural relict plants.