Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

United Kingdom - Surrey - Richmond

Institution Code: K

International Agenda Registrant: Yes

Current BGCI member: Yes

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 Number: 0208 332 5000
Fax Number: 0208 332 5197
Web Site: http://www.kew.org
Institution Email Address: info@kew.org

Show all data

Staff Details
- Director: Professor Stephen Hopper
  Curator:
  Plant Records Officer:
- Total Staff:
  Number of Horticultural Staff: 200
  Number of Educational Staff:
  Number of Research Staff: 200
  Number of Administration Staff:
About this Garden
- Institution Type: Botanic Garden
- Status
- State: Yes
  Satellite Garden: Yes
  Trust Administered: Yes
- Physical Data
- Total Area (in Hectares): 104 hectares
  Latitude: 43.12N
  Longitude: 76.56E
  Annual Rainfall: 659 mm
  Altitude: 0.00 metres
- Additional Locations
- Satellite Garden Names (including exteral arboreta): Wakehurst Place Millenium Seed Bank
Features and Facilities
- Herbarium: Yes
  Arboretum: Yes
- Micropropagation/Tissue Culture Facilities: Yes
  Seed Bank: Yes
  Published Plant Catalogue: Yes
  Computer Plant Record System: Yes
- Open to the Public: Yes
  Society of Friends: Yes
  Retail Outlet (shop): Yes
  Retail Outlet (plant sales): Yes
  Disabled Access: Yes
- Number of Volunteers: 350
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: Yes
  Reintroduction Programme: Yes
Research Programmes
- Biotechnology: Yes
  Conservation - Genetics: Yes
  Data Management Systems and Information Technology: Yes
  Ecology: Yes
  Education: Yes
  Ethnobotany: Yes
  Exploration: Yes
  Horticulture: Yes
  Molecular Genetics: Yes
  Systematics and Taxonomy: Yes
Education Programmes
- Visitor/Education Centre: Yes
  Education Signs in Garden: Yes
  Public Lectures/Talks: Yes
  Guided Tours: Yes
  Permanent Public Displays: Yes
  Special Exhibitions: Yes

Journal Articles

Connections with the Community - Spreading the Impact

December 2002

Working Together - Projects Bridging Conventions! Convention to Combat Desertification

April 2005

Conservation Assessment and Management Plan for St Helena: a Collaborative Workshop

December 1994

The Cultivation and Repatriation of Alsinidendron trinerve, a Threatened Hawai'ian Endemic

August 1995

The World Heritage Convention

The Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage arose from a need to stimulate international cooperation to protect the world's natural and scenic areas and historic sites for present and the future generations.