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Science has always been at the heart of Kew. Our research, partnerships and collections contribute to some of the most important issues facing our planet.

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State of the World's Fungi report

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has released the first ever State of the World’s Fungi report. The report outlines the state of the world’s fungi and highlights just how important fungi are to all life on Earth. It explores the current knowledge on the diversity, distribution and evolutionary relationships of the world’s fungi, examines positive interactions and insights incorporating the key uses of fungi in everyday life, and looks at the global challenges associated with fungi, including climate change and plant diseases. Explore the data and download the report from stateoftheworldsfungi.org.

Seed collecting in Namibia

Who we are and what we do

Kew is a global resource for plant and fungal knowledge. Our unique combination of extensive collections, databases, scientific expertise and global partnerships gives us a leading role in facilitating access to fundamental plant and fungal information.
Fungarium specimens

Kew's Science Collections

With over 8.5 million items, Kew houses the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. They represent approximately 95% of vascular plant genera and 60% of fungal genera.
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Projects

Search our key research projects below, or browse by geographical region.
Collecting Aloe dichotoma seeds (Credit: Wolfgang Stuppy)

Training and education

Find out more about Kew's MSc course, PhD opportunities, training courses and internships.
Plant and Fungal Tree of Life

Data and resources

Explore Kew's data and resources for plant and fungal information.
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Kew Science blog

Explore some of the results and activities of our global science and conservation research program, and keep up to date with current developments in Kew science and science policy.

Kew Science news

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5th November 2018

Conventional seed banking methods not an option for over a third of threatened species

New evidence from Kew suggests that traditional seed banking approaches do not work for some of our most economically important fruit and vegetables and iconic tree species. Alternative methods can help conserve these species.
Author Anonymous (not verified)
31st October 2018

Protecting the future of UK trees at Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank

Kew researchers have been collecting seeds from locations across the UK as part of The UK National Tree Seed Project.
Author Anonymous (not verified)

Kew Science blog

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12th November 2018

Agnes Arber: celebrating a pioneering female scientist

Kew scientist Paula Rudall comments on the lasting legacy of botanist Agnes Arber.
Author
Kew Science
6th November 2018

Plant cryobiotechnology at Kew: past, present and future.

As outlined in Kew’s State of the World’s Plant and Fungi reports, plants and fungi are under threat worldwide. If we want to preserve the Earth’s ecosystems for future generations we need to use all of the conservation tools available. This includes an urgent investment into cryobiotechnology.
Author
Kew Science

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