Science & Collections at the RHS

Our founding purpose is to improve the science, art and practice of horticulture. At RHS Hilltop, the UK’s first research centre for gardening science, our 130 dedicated individuals work to promote sustainability in gardening and improve the health of the environment, people and nature.

Science & Collections news

Ecologist Dr Mark Goddard busts five wildlife gardening myths

What does the science actually tell us?

Nursery trials reveal peat-free doesn’t need extra water

News for growers, contrary to popular belief

How do we green up cities – and why do we need to?

Advice from international Greener Cities symposium

Ecologist Dr Mark Goddard busts five wildlife gardening myths

What does the science actually tell us?

Nursery trials reveal peat-free doesn’t need extra water

News for growers, contrary to popular belief

How do we green up cities – and why do we need to?

Advice from international Greener Cities symposium

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Who are we and what do we do?


Research into the science behind gardening and garden plants is central to the RHS’ charitable purpose. Science and sustainability underpins everything we do, and all the advice we give. Around 130 staff work at RHS Hilltop – the Home of Gardening Science at RHS Wisley, with more than 60 additional students and academics based externally.

Our impacts include:

  • Making advice on dealing with climate change available to the UK’s 28 million gardeners
  • Providing science-based advice through answering 115,000 gardening questions per year
  • Working with industry to find science-based solutions
  • Advising government on latest research and its impacts
  • Collaborating with 18 universities across the UK
  • Documenting 305,000+ plants in our online Plant Finder

    Our research areas include:

    • Increasing the resilience of gardens to climate change
    • Improving water management in gardens
    • Phasing out peat use in horticulture
    • Promoting healthy soils and carbon storage
    • Exploring the ecosystem services potential of plants, trees and hedges
    • Facilitating healthy plants and healthy garden ecosystems
    • Ensuring biosecurity of UK garden plants
    • Gardening for wildlife and biodiversity
    • Maximising the wellbeing benefits of gardening
    • Greening up the UK, especially our urban areas
    • Documenting diversity of UK cultivated plants

Meet the teams

Libraries and Collections

Curating our scientific and heritage collections

Cultivated Plant Diversity

Recording the diversity of UK cultivated plants

Environmental Horticulture

Advancing sustainable horticulture with research

Libraries and Collections

Curating our scientific and heritage collections

Cultivated Plant Diversity

Recording the diversity of UK cultivated plants

Environmental Horticulture

Advancing sustainable horticulture with research

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“No other organisation in the world focuses on the science of gardening. This is critical in providing solutions to some of the great challenges we face, such as climate change, creating healthy gardens, and improving the health of people, wildlife and the planet.”

Professor Alistair Griffiths, RHS Director of Science and Collections

Discover some of our key projects

What’s on in RHS Science & Collections
Explore events and exhibitions for all
Help our research

Discover how take part in community science to help our research, and find out how we can help you with solving your garden mysteries

Get involved

RHS Science and Sustainability Strategies

From 2020-25, our scientific work is focused on garden plants: their diversity, health and effect on people’s wellbeing. This Science Strategy aims to equip the UK’s 28 million gardeners with the tools they need to address the horticultural and societal challenges they face now and in the future.

Discover our Science Strategy

Within the decade, we aim to become net positive for nature and for people, and to encourage and enable gardeners to do the same. Focussed around 10 key sustainability targets to address the climate and biodiversity crises, the RHS Sustainability Strategy underpins all our work.

Discover our Sustainability Strategy

RHS Science Strategy

Explore our scientific & heritage collections

RHS Herbarium

Our herbarium is the largest in the UK dedicated to ornamental plants, and contains more than 92,000 specimens, now fully digitised

RHS Digital Collections

Our unique collections span over 500 years of garden history, art and science, including all our herbarium specimens available to view online

RHS Library Collections

If you want to explore gardening – its science, history, art, and how to do it well – our library and heritage collections are the best place to look
Support our research

Help our scientists combat the climate and biodiversity crises and improve the health of people and nature by donating towards our work or remembering us in your will

Support a scientist

Science-based advice for gardeners

Peat-free hub for gardeners & industry

Why go peat-free, and everything you need to know for success with peat-free gardening or growing

Water management for gardeners

Advice on coping with water shortages and extreme rainfall, storing water and using it wisely

Wildlife gardening hub

How to make your outdoor space a haven for wildlife, whatever size your plot

Science in everything we do

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.