Deeside.com > News
Posted: Sun 15th Feb 2026
Chester Zoo has become the first zoo in the UK to be officially recognised as an internationally important botanic garden.
The Cheshire-based conservation charity is only the second zoo in Europe to receive accreditation from Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the global organisation dedicated to plant conservation.
The accreditation recognises the zoo’s work caring for hundreds of plant species, including some at risk of extinction in the wild, both in the UK and overseas.
Philip Esseen, Head of Plants at Chester Zoo, said:
“This recognition shows that our plant work has real conservation value. We are caring for species that are threatened with extinction in the wild, and that carries a responsibility to protect them, propagate them and share our expertise with others.
“The accreditation will help us work more closely with other horticultural and conservation organisations and increase the amount of conservation work we can do, particularly to support native species.”
The zoo cares for five National Plant Collections as part of a UK-wide scheme to safeguard important cultivated plants. Thousands more plants are kept behind the scenes for conservation and research, alongside gardens and planted areas open to visitors.
BGCI assessed the zoo against 22 criteria, including education, sustainability, research and the conservation value of its plant work.
Richard Hewitt, team manager for the zoo’s plant nursery, said:
“In some cases, we are caring for plants that barely exist anywhere else. For example, there are three species from an island in the Madeiran archipelago which have almost disappeared from botanical gardens. We’ve been entrusted with seeds by the Madeiran government to help prevent their extinction.”
One of those species, Musschia isambertoi, is on the edge of extinction in the wild after its habitat was destroyed.
“It’s believed to be pollinated by lizards in the wild, and as far as we know it has never successfully produced seed outside its natural habitat,” Mr Hewitt said. “There are no set protocols, so we’re trying to recreate the conditions you’d find on a wild Atlantic cliff. Getting it to flower and set seed would be a major step forward for its conservation.”
The zoo is also involved in propagating and replanting threatened UK species, including black poplar, described as the most endangered native timber tree in Britain.
Alongside conservation work, the zoo highlights the role gardens and green spaces play in visitor wellbeing, offering quieter areas for reflection in what can be a busy environment.
Mr Esseen said: “We can have more than 10,000 people a day moving around the zoo. The gardens give people places to pause, rest and reflect. They’re important not just for visitors, but for staff too.”
He added: “Unlike animals, plants are something people can get very close to. You can touch them, smell them, listen to them in the wind. We plant species that engage all the senses and change through the seasons, so every visit feels a little different. It’s worth slowing down and exploring.”
Patricia Malcolm, Head of Membership and Conservation Services at BGCI, said Chester Zoo’s work led it to become one of only two zoos in Europe to achieve Conservation Practitioner status.
She said: “Our accreditation scheme exists to motivate and empower gardens, large or small, to do more for plant conservation and increase their impact on visitors. It’s fantastic to see Chester Zoo leading by example and using the accreditation framework to elevate its plant conservation efforts within the zoo.”
Spotted something? Got a story? Email news (@) deeside.com
Latest News
Comments are closed.