A rare shrub, Asterolasia rupestris, subspecies recurva, is thriving on a property in New South Wales, Australia. This critically endangered plant is found only near Armidale on the Northern Tablelands. Stephen Walkden-Brown and his wife, Yvonne Langenberg, purchased the 200-hectare property in 2017, unaware they were caretakers of this unique species.

Ben Vincent, a senior regional conservation officer with the Biodiversity Conservation Trust, noted that little is known about the shrub. "It's probably been known about since the early 2000s when it was first found… there's really little known about its life history, so there's plenty still to learn," he said.

Despite its small size, the plant is striking to those who know what to look for. Vincent described its appearance: "The heart-shaped green leaves full of these little star-shaped hairs, which make it kind of a fluffy, light green appearance and then there's the beautiful yellow flower, they really do stand out."

Walkden-Brown expressed pride in being a custodian of the plant, stating, "They are quite an attractive plant, a little bit bushy in the wild but they have a very bright-yellow, very distinctive and nice flower."

The plant was first discovered in 2002, and interest in studying it has grown in recent years. Walkden-Brown recounted how he learned of the plant's rarity during a visit from the Armidale Plant Society in 2020. They were concerned about its survival after the 2019 drought. In 2021, botanist Lachlan Copeland conducted a survey and counted 115 plants for the first time.

Vincent reported positive signs for the plant's future. A recent survey revealed that the mature adults are thriving, and over 600 seedlings were counted. "These guys are probably 20 or 30 centimeters tall, so they've been in the landscape now for probably four or five years," he said.

It was previously thought that fire was necessary to break seed dormancy, but Vincent noted that severe drought conditions, like those experienced in 2018 and 2019, also appear to trigger germination. "The Australian flora has adapted to boom and bust drought situations," he explained.

Vincent emphasized the crucial role of private landholders in conservation efforts. "Private landholders are becoming more aware of what the Biodiversity Conservation Trust [BCT] does in NSW, which is partner with private landholders to achieve conservation outcomes on their property," he said.

The BCT provides funding to landholders to assist in caring for endangered plants. Walkden-Brown expressed a sense of responsibility and joy in collaborating with the BCT to protect the shrub. "There's mutual obligation and we've got two observation sites here and another three elsewhere on the block that BCT has set up, where there's monitoring of what is happening with this particular plant population, but also what's happening in general to the plant species, the trees, the shrubs."

Walkden-Brown and Langenberg hope to pass on their stewardship of the endangered species to future generations. "We would like this to pass on through the family after we've gone," Walkden-Brown said. "The kids and grandkids come up as well, and it's a very favorite spot for the family, beautiful bush walking, lots of lovely birds, orchids, plants, wild flowers in spring."