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Diversity challenge

Discovering new species and investigating the properties that make them useful in a changing world.

Behind the scenes, Kew is a place of science - its purpose to discover and describe species, work out the relationships between them and investigate the properties that make them useful.

After more than two centuries, Kew has amassed vast collections and a huge amount of knowledge. Yet there's much more to be discovered, collected and learnt about plants and fungi. With species fast disappearing, we are using our expertise and the information held in our collections to gain a better understanding of the changing world and to guide decisions about where to focus conservation efforts.

Kew's Breathing Planet Programme (pdf) | Help Kew: Adopt a seed for £25

Over 250 years of plant and fungal research

Kew's international work covers the discovery and description of plant and fungal diversity, the conservation of species and habitats around the world, restoring damaged vegetation and identifying useful species. Here you will find a gateway into some of the major groups of plants and fungi that scientists at Kew study every day.

Seven botanists plant collecting in Madagascar

Recording and classifying plants and fungi

Plant and fungi experts at Kew specialise in the identification, naming and classification of plants and fungi. We still have much to learn about the world's plants and fungi; scientists estimate that 14-20% of plant species have not yet been described.

Kew scientists are recording plant life around the world and developing a World Checklist of selected plant families. A snapshot of the world's plant life today, this also provides vital information for plant conservation activities taking place at global and national levels.

Breaking new ground with DNA analysis

DNA research at Kew is changing the way we identify plants. Traditionally, Kew's botanists have classified plants by analysing their form and physical characteristics. Today our scientists are supplementing the old methods with DNA analysis. This modern technique is helping Kew break new ground, and throwing up some unusual relationships between plants.

More about DNA research at Kew

Working in partnership

At any one time, Kew is working with around 800 organisations across 300 projects in around 50 countries. Kew also works in collaboration with local communities around the world to help them learn more about native plant life, improve their quality of life and use plants sustainably.

The living collection in Kew's Princess of Wales conservatory

Maintaining Kew's collections

Kew’s living collection includes 178,000 plants (from over 19,300 species) growing in the Gardens at Kew and Wakehurst, and the Herbarium houses around 7 million dried and pressed plant specimens and preserved collections. Our plants reflect global plant diversity and we continually update our living collection to represent the world’s flora.

Find out what's involved in maintaining Kew's collections.