Conservation & Environment Guideline Leaflets
Wild and Endangered Plants in Cultivation
The maintenance and introduction into gardens of plants from around the world is a well established, enjoyable and reasonable activity. Gardeners should always be mindful of threats imposed on plants in their natural habitat by indiscriminate collection. There are regulations and guidelines about such collection which must be acted upon. The RHS encourages gardeners and nurserymen to make themselves aware of acceptable means of acquisition and to adopt the best practices.
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A summary of RHS policy
1) The Royal Horticultural Society welcomes the responsible introduction of plants new to horticulture, with due reference to relevant conservation and plant health regulations in both the country of origin and the importing country. Ideally only small quantities of seed should be collected from large and healthy populations.
2) The RHS is concerned that international trade in plants should not damage wild populations. We strongly encourage the propagation of wild-collected and endangered plants in cultivation. It is important that plants or seeds raised in cultivation are made available to deter both illegal and excessive legal collections from the wild.
3) The RHS supports both national and international conservation legislation designed to protect wild plants and their habitats. The sale or exhibition of plants obtained by contravening CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) or other conservation regulations is never acceptable.
4) The RHS does not permit the exhibition or sale of illegally-dug wild plants, moss, bulbs or corms at its shows or in its plant centres.
5) The RHS encourages gardeners to purchase plants and seeds of declared cultivated origin. Those who trade in plants are strongly encouraged to offer for sale only plants that have been propagated in cultivation and to make their policy clear to the public.
6) The RHS will continue to monitor developments in conservation legislation, and give advice in support of the interests of horticulture to the Government and other organisations.