How many plants does Kew have?

Today, we hold over 68,000 accessions (one or more living plant specimens that come from the same initial source) of over 27,000 taxa. Some of these plants are extinct in the wild. Others represent threatened floras from different habitats around the world.



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Among its 300 acres of expertly tended grounds, Kew boasts several key attractions. The Arboretum is a living library of more than 14,000 trees, representing more than 2,000 species.

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RBG Kew currently employs nearly over 1,000 staff across our teams, including RBG Kew Enterprises, our commercial subsidiary. Our experts comprise of over 400 scientists and over 150 horticulturists.

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With over 8.5 million items, we house the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. They represent approximately 95% of vascular plant genera and 60% of known fungal genera. Here is a guide to the different types of collection we hold.

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Etymology. The name Kew, recorded in 1327 as Cayho, is a combination of two words: the Old French kai (landing place; quay derives from this) and Old English hoh (spur of land). The land spur is formed by the bend in the Thames.

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Kew Palace is the oldest building within the Gardens, serving as the summer home of King George III in the 18th century. The striking façade of the palace reflects its origins. Constructed in 1631 for a wealthy Flemish merchant, Samuel Fortrey, it was originally known as the Dutch House.

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The Nymphaea thermarum was discovered in 1987 by German botanist Eberhard Fischer at a thermal freshwater spring in Mashyuza, Rwanda -- the only known location in the wild.

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Kew is a non departmental public body with exempt charitable status and receives approximately half its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

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Kew Palace is the smallest of all the royal palaces. It was originally built as a fashionable mansion for wealthy London silk merchant, Samuel Fortrey in 1631.

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Charges at Kew were first introduced at Kew during World War One as a means of raising money. [4] That penny admission cost rose to 15p[5] by 1983 when the current status of the Gardens as a Non-Departmental Public Body was established by the National Heritage Act 1983 to the current adult ticket price of £15.

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Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a public body and charity with global collections and influence.

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