About us
A depiction of an asian lily on a decorative ceiling panel on the roof of the Natural History Museum's Central Hall.
Botany is one of five science departments responsible for research and collections at the Natural History Museum. More than 60 staff, scientific associates, students and volunteers work in the department.
Our collections
We house one of the five largest botanical collections in the world with around 6 million plant specimens gathered from the 17th century to the present day.
The collections include all plant groups except non-lichenised fungi, and coverage is worldwide. Our collections have added importance because they are rich in type specimens - over 117,000 of them.
Our work
The Botany Department’s work divides into two main sections:
- collections management
- research
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Botany research
Discover more about our fascinating work researching botanical ecology, conservation and biomonitoring.
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Botany collections
Learn more about how curators are collating and caring for our collections from around the world.
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Departmental information
Find out about our opening hours, location and who to contact with enquiries.
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Facilities
Find out about the facilities that support the department’s research and that scientific visitors are also welcome to use.
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Sister institutes
The department collaborates with institutes and laboratories around the world and has strong links with similar national and international organisations. Find out more.