News published 12 March 2025

BGCI is pleased to announce a new communication facility in PlantSearch which allows garden staff and researchers to request information or material from another garden.

BGCI’s PlantSearch is a globally unique tool for sharing and accessing information about living botanical collections maintained by botanic gardens and similar organisations. PlantSearch connects collections directly to conservationists, educators, horticulturists, researchers, policy makers and many others who are working to save and understand plant diversity. PlantSearch, which functions in combination with BGCI’s GardenSearch, can be used to locate plants in botanic garden collections around the world and connect to staff who maintain those collections. Data in BGCI’s PlantSearch is made possible by valuable data contributions by thousands of botanic garden staff around the world.

This new communication facility replaces the ‘old blind request’ of PlantSearch. Garden staff will now be able to see the gardens they are requesting information or material from, while researchers (not linked to a garden) will still be able to request information or material blind.

Please refer to the full step by step guide on how to use this facility.

Main features

BGCI’s PlantSearch Communication Facility is designed mainly for garden staff to communicate with another garden, but also for researchers and conservation practitioners outside of the botanic garden world.

• As garden staff to have full access to the communication facility make sure that you are logged in and linked to a garden listed in GardenSearch. Search for a taxon and see which gardens hold that collection. You will be able to request information or material and communicate directly with the garden.
• As researcher or conservation practitioner outside of the botanic garden world, you are able to request information or material but blind. You will only see who holds a specific collection once a garden replies to your request. Please create a log in to make your request.
• As a garden receiving requests, please make sure that you set the email notifications and that you mark the requests as Declined, In Progress or Fulfilled.

Acknowledgements

The development of the BGCI’s PlantSearch Communication Facility was made possible with the support of Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

Data in BGCI’s PlantSearch is made possible by valuable data contributions by thousands of botanic garden staff around the world. BGCI is also grateful to Keith Damiani for designing and building the PlantSearch system and web app.