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Using Plant Search

The BGCI PlantSearch database allows you to identify threatened plant species that are growing in living collections around the world.

• The Plant Search is of value to conservationists, researchers, policy makers and planners, educators and many more people who are all working around the globe to save plant diversity. One of the most important uses of the Plant Search is to measure how many threatened plants are safely in cultivation somewhere in the world.
  

• The database is also being used to measure progress under Target 8 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation

• We do not make public the specific locations of species. This is to protect the collections from theft and unwanted intrusions
  

• The PlantSearch is very useful for gap analysis. If you type in a species and you get no results, that means that we have no record of that species in a living collection. A rare plant that is not in a living collection is more vulnerable than one that is being protected in that way. So you can see which species are in greatest need of being brought into the shelter of a botanic garden.
  

• There are currently two threatened species lists (IUCN Red Lists) which you can use to analyse the living collections. Each will give you different results. Which IUCN list should I choose?
  

• The PlantSearch consists of data supplied by botanic gardens around the world. The database depends on the quality of this data so if you have a plant list to share please apply for a login and upload your plant list.
  

• When you share your data you will have access to our Plant List Manager where you can check your collection for threatened species, ensure names are correct against the IPNI database, and more.
  

• More info about adding your plant list
  

• PlantSearch supplies a link to Google Image search so you can get pictures of the plant you are researching
  

• PlantSearch filters the data against the International Plant Names Index (IPNI) so that you won't see any incorrect species names in the list.
  

• For more help with PlantSearch, please contact BGCI.