At the RHS, we are custodians to 32 National Plant Collections registered with Plant Heritage, formerly the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG). A National Plant Collection is a registered and documented collection of a group of plants. These can be linked botanically by plant group, or perhaps have a shared history or geography.
Currently, there are more than 690 registered National Plant Collections in the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands. In the main, each collection is devoted to a single genus, but a few have a broader remit. Taxonomic research is encouraged, as is placing voucher specimens in the RHS Herbarium at RHS Garden Wisley.
Documentation kept for the National Plant Collections includes descriptions, photographs, cultivation information and details of the origin and history of each plant. Duplicate collections help ensure the survival of these often very rare plants.
See the Plant Heritage website for further information about the National Plant Collections.
