Kew's Millennium Seed Bank - seed count
Find out how many of the world's seeds and plant species we have saved in our seed bank this month, and how many we have saved in total.
We have now saved over one and a half billion seeds at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank
Saved for the future in Kew's Millennium Seed Bank
As of 26 February 2013 we have in total:
- 32,749 species saved and
- 1,923,065,145 seeds in storage.
Plant species saved from extinction
- We hold 12 species which are globally extinct in the wild (as classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature ). as at Sept 2011
Since it started, Kew's MSBP has...
- carried out over 63,000 germination tests
- introduced 420 plant species back into the wild through our global partnerships
- supplied 4,600 seed samples for use in research and conservation
- analysed seed data for 9,200 species
Recent success stories
- In February 2009 the Australian bush fires wiped-out all wild plants of shining nematolepis (Nematolepis wilsonii). Fortunately, our partners in Australia had already collected this seed. Read more about this story...
- Partners in the Republic of South Africa found the last remaining 17 plants of Protea odorata and have now started to re-introduce it into the wild. Read more about this story...
- It took two arduous expeditions to Burkina Faso, which involved camping in lion-territory, to find only 5 trees of Gardenia nitida, a rare and endangered species. Read more about this story...
How you can help
Each day the world’s plants are more and more at risk. If we continue on our current path, we will lose a species a day for the next 50 years.
By making a donation to the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, you can help one of the largest and most ambitious conservation projects in the world make a real difference on the ground. Find out how your donation can make a difference.
Give now and help Kew save the world’s plant life for the future
About our statistics
Our statistics are gathered on a monthly basis and estimated based on the latest scientific data. View our seed count in detail.
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