Diversity challenge
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.
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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.
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.
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.
- How working together helps us deliver vital plant conservation around the world.
- Building global networks.
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.
Diversity challenge
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Science & Conservation news
Investigating the plants of the Caribbean... on the outskirts of London!
by: Andrew Budden, UK Overseas Territories team blog 15 May 2012
Andrew Budden, one of Kew's volunteer interns, describes how information from preserved specimens of Caribbean plants helps to assess the conservation status of plants native to the Caribbean UK Overseas Territories.
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Swapping seeds in the name of food diversity
by: Vanessa Sutcliffe, Millennium Seed Bank blog 21 Mar 2012
Join Vanessa Sutcliffe, Millennium Seed Bank Training Specialist, as she gets ready to organise the next Great Seed Swap taking place at Wakehurst on Saturday 20 October 2012.
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World's smallest waterlily brought back from the brink of extinction at Kew
18 May 2010
Kew’s top propagation ‘code-breaker’, horticulturist Carlos Magdalena, has cracked the enigma of growing a rare species of African waterlily. The 'thermal’ lily (Nymphaea thermarum) is believed to be the smallest waterlily in the world, with pads that can be as little as 1 cm in diameter.
Director (CEO and Chief Scientist) of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to return to Australia
14 Sep 2011
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew announced today that Director (CEO and Chief Scientist), Professor Stephen Hopper FLS will step down in autumn 2012 after six years in the job.
