Introduction to Plantlife International

Plantlife International is a charity dedicated exclusively to conserving all forms of plant life in their natural habitats, in the UK, Europe and across the world.

Buttercups and Meadow Crane's-bill in
Yorkshire, UK © Jane Smart/Plantlife

The charity has 12,000 members and owns 23 nature reserves. Plantlife International is ‘Lead Partner’ for 77 species under the UK Government’s Biodiversity Initiative. Conservation of these threatened species is delivered through the charity’s Back from the Brink species recovery programme, which is jointly funded by Countryside Council for Wales, English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage, charitable trusts, companies and individuals. It involves its members as volunteers (Flora Guardians) in delivering many aspects of this work.

Plantlife International hosts the secretariat for Planta Europa, the network of organisations working for plant conservation across Europe and we are joint Lead Partner with IUCN-The World Conservation Union in identifying Important Plant Areas, the best sites for wild plants and fungi, across the globe.

Plantlife was established in 1989 after a meeting of conservationists and botanists recognised that a new organisation, was needed to champion wild plants which were seen as slipping through the net. Since then Plantlife has grown from two staff to 30, with a head office in Salisbury, UK and dedicated national offices in Scotland and Wales.

Plantlife’s work is directed and underpinned by the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. The strategy guides both our UK and global programmes.

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