The Living Collections (LivColl) Database is a database containing records of every living specimen present in Kew and Wakehurst, and all of those from the past for which we have records. These specimens are known as accessions. At present the LivColl system contains details of over 178,000 separate accessions, with more being added every day. The database holds a wide range of information about each accession, split into 5 general categories:

  1. Curation data – a plant's location in the gardens, curation notes for gardening staff, and CITES restrictions
  2. Collection data – Who collected/donated the specimen to Kew, and whereabouts in the world it was found.
  3. Cultivation data – Includes information about the physical condition of a plant, and more notes for Kew gardeners.
  4. Taxonomic data – A range of taxonomic infomation including synonyms, common names, and range information.
  5. Scientific data – Includes info about scientific analysis of the specimen, such as anatomical, biochemical and genetic data.