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Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

United Kingdom - Surrey - Richmond
Institution Code: K
International Agenda Registration: Y
BGCI Member: Y
The water lily house at Kew.
About the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The mission of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is to enable better management of the Earth's environment by increasing knowledge and understanding of the plant and fungal kingdoms - the basis of life on earth.

Kew is a world-leading public organisation governed by Trustees and sponsored by Defra: our funding comes mainly from Defra, visitor income and fundraising from individuals and organisations.

Over 1,200 people work at Kew including 700 staff (200 in science and 200 in horticulture), 75 affiliated researchers, 100 students and 350 volunteers

RBG Kew includes two outstanding gardens – Kew Gardens, a World Heritage Site six miles west of London, and Wakehurst Place on the High Weald in West Sussex. These attractions are home to Kew’s collections, laboratories, library and the Millennium Seed Bank.

RBG Kew is devoted to increasing knowledge and understanding, so that the diversity of plants and fungi can be conserved for future generations and used in sustainable ways for human benefit.

Herbarium specimens of 7,000,000 include 250,000 types, 200,000 specimens of cultivated plants and 80,000 artefacts of plant and fungal origin.

Taxa 28,689 includes 4,141 genera, 11,557 spp, 57,049 accessions and 108,663 living plants.

When the totals held at Kew's satellite garden, at Wakehurst Place, are added, the totals rise to the following: Genera - 4,875, Species - 13,808, Taxa - 33,748, Accessions - 72,254 and Plants - 148,008.

Main Address:
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 3AB United Kingdom
Telephone: 0208 332 5000
Fax: 0208 332 5197
URL: http://www.kew.org
Primary Email: info@kew.org

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  • Staff Details
    • Director's Name: Richard Deverell, Director
      Curator's Name:
      Plant Records Officer's Name:
    • Total Staff:
      Horticultural Staff Number: 200
      Educational Staff Number:
      Research Staff Number: 200
      Administration Staff Number:
  • About the Garden
    • Institution Type: Botanic Garden
    • Status
    • Status: State: Y
      Status: Satellite: Y
      Status: Trust: Y
    • Physical Data
    • Total Area: 104 Hectares
      Latitude: 51.478845
      Longitude: -0.296843
      Annual Rainfall: 659 mm
      Altitude: 0.00 Metres
    • Additional Locations
    • Satellite Garden Names: Wakehurst Place Millenium Seed Bank
  • Features and Facilities
    • Herbarium: Y
      Arboretum: Y
    • Micropropagation/ Tissue Culture Facilities: Y
      Seed Bank: Y
      Published Plant Catalogue: Y
      Computer Plant Record System: Y
    • Open to public: Y
      Friends society: Y
      Retail Outlet: Shop: Y
      Retail Outlet: Plant Sales: Y
      Disabled access: Y
    • Number of Visitors: 1958860
      Number of Volunteers: 485
  • Plant Collections
    • Special Collections:Alliaceae, Aloaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Araceae, Bromeliaceae, Cactaceae, Compositae, Cycadaceae, Ericaceae, Gramineae, Iridaceae, Labiatae, Leguminosae, Liliaceae, Oleaceae, Orchidaceae, Palmae, Pinaceae, Saxifragaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, Filices. Extensive collections of herbaceous, alpine, insectivorous, economic and succulent plants from most parts of the world.
  • Conservation Programmes
    • Conservation Programme: Y
      Reintroduction Programme: Y
  • Research Programmes
    • Biotechnology: Y
      Conservation - Genetics: Y
      Data Management Systems and Information Technology: Y
      Ecology: Y
      Education: Y
      Ethnobotany: Y
      Exploration: Y
      Molecular Genetics: Y
  • Education Programmes
    • Visitor/Education Centre: Y
      Education Signs in Garden: Y
      Public Lectures/Talks: Y
      Guided Tours: Y
      Permanent Public Displays: Y
      Special Exhibitions: Y