‘The risk of extinction is accelerating’: world’s botanic gardens raise alarm with space to protect endangered plants running out

Cambridge University Botanic Garden, where researchers have analysed a century’s worth of records to see how plant collections have changed. Photograph: Frank Bach/Shutterstock

Botanic gardens around the world are failing to conserve the rarest and most threatened species growing in their living collections because they are running out of space, according to research from the University of Cambridge.

Researchers analysed a century’s worth of records from 50 botanic gardens and arboreta, collectively growing half-a-million plants, to see how the world’s living plant collections have changed since 1921.