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PlantNetwork > DIRECTORY of Botanical Collections in Britain and Ireland > Index

Chelsea Physic Garden
Last updated: Nov 1999
Address: 66 Hospital Road, London, SW3 4HS
Tel: 0171352 5646
Fax: 0171 3763910
email: sue at cpgarden.demon.co.uk
web address:
Latitude: 51° 29'00''N
Longitude: 0° 9'44''E

BACKGROUND TO THE COLLECTION
Year Founded: 1673
Ownership: Chelsea Physic Garden Company
Garden code: CHEL
Umbrella organisation: PlantNetwork, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens

PERSONNEL
Head Gardener: Fiona Crumley
Curator:

Contact person:
Total Staff: 65 (7 full-time, 3 part-time, the rest are volunteers)
Total Horticultural Staff:

POLICIES
Accessions To accession plant material which will (i) augment the Historic Walk with species linked to the curators and associates of the Garden with a current focus on Lindley and Fortune; (ii) augment the medicinal plant collections with species known or suspected of biological activity as well as species used for medicinal purposes; (iii) be only arboreal species that are rare and likely to benefit from our microclimate, or which are medicinal or linked to the Historic Walk; (iv) augment genera in which the Garden has specific research interst, e.g. Cistus, Narcissus, Pelargonium, Dryopteris, Trichomanes, Asplenium and various genera of Macaronesia and Mediterranean Island endemics. Almost entirely accessed by seed from other Botanic Gardens with policy on Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and prior informed consent clauses.
Collections Preference given to natural-source material with good field notes.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Altitude: 5 m
Soil type: Riverbank alluvium, neutral
Aspect: South and mostly flat
Total area: 1.5 ha
Area heated: 0.1A
Other sites of collection:

WEATHER RECORDS Records are kept
Temperature:
Average daily:
Av. monthly max:
Av. monthly min:
Absolute maximum 25 °C (1997)
Absolute minimum 1 °C (1997)
Wind:
direction West
strength: Below average
Rainfall
Average annual 478 mm
Month of maximum June
Month of minimum March

PLANT COLLECTION
Families
Genera
Species
Taxa 5000
Accessions
Plants
Notable plants within the collection
Largest grapefruit tree and olive tree outside in British Isles.
Geographical area of specialisation
Middle Europe, Southwestern Europe, Macaronesia, Southern Africa
Special families within the collections
Cistaceae, Aspleniaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Geraniaceae, Labiatae
Special genera within the collections
Cistus, Asplenium, Dryopteris, Pelargonium Trichomanes
Special collections Cistus, NCCPG
– 69 Species, 110 Taxa.
Pelargonium, Natural History Museum Botany Dept.
– 110 Species.
Asplenium, Natural History Museum Botany Dept.
– 2 Species, 830 Taxa.
Dryopteris, Natural History Museum Botany Dept.
– 54 Species, 54 Taxa.
Ethnobotanical plants,

Collections by specific collectors,

Phenological Garden
Records of living collection Kept since 1946
Computerised
Record System Access
Plant-collecting trips No

FACILITIES ON SITE
Herbarium Yes, wild and cultivated specimens. Includes bound historic herbaria
Library 400 items. Includes old herbals, ethnobotany, history of medicine, history of plant introductions. Public access only by prior appointment
Research facilities General biological laboratories, seed bank, molecular
Publications Index seminum, garden guide (1991) and 9 other Publications
Identifications: Internal verification of material
Teaching and Education: Primary, secondary, higher, taxonomic, public education, special courses
Interpretation of the material: Supervised garden walks, signs, brochures, guided trails
Friends Organisation: Yes

Visitor facilities: Café, plant shop, book shop, gift shop

ACCESS TO THE COLLECTIONS
Public access: Admission charge
Visitors per year: 18 000. Schools access: 2 500 pupils per year
Public opening hours: Wed-Fri, Sun: 12 noon to 5pm

GUIDING PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE COLLECTION
Chelsea Physic Garden was founded by the Society of Apothecaries in 1673 in order to promote study of botany for medicine, then known as the physic or healing arts. As the second oldest botanic garden in England, it still fulfils the traditional functions of scientific research and plant conservation, and undertakes to educate and inform as well as to provide the amenity of a walled 'secret' garden in the heart of London. Its aims are to demonstrate through its plantings and publications the range of species named or introduced to cultivation by a succession of distinguished curators; to pursue horticltural exellence, especially in the cultivation of rare and tender plants; to demonstrate, to all who visit, the many uses of plants and, particularly, the heritage of the plant world as our common medicine chest.

PlantNetwork > DIRECTORY of Botanical Collections in Britain and Ireland > Index

Chelsea Physic Garden Last updated: Nov 1999
Address:	66 Hospital Road, London, SW3 4HS Tel: 0171352 5646 Fax: 0171 3763910 email: sue at cpgarden.demon.co.uk web address: Latitude: 51° 29'00''N Longitude: 0° 9'44''E
BACKGROUND TO THE COLLECTION
Year Founded:	1673
Ownership:	Chelsea Physic Garden Company
Garden code:	CHEL
Umbrella organisation:	PlantNetwork, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens
PERSONNEL
Head Gardener:	Fiona Crumley
Curator:

Contact person:
Total Staff:	65 (7 full-time, 3 part-time, the rest are volunteers)
Total Horticultural Staff:
POLICIES
Accessions	To accession plant material which will (i) augment the Historic Walk with species linked to the curators and associates of the Garden with a current focus on Lindley and Fortune; (ii) augment the medicinal plant collections with species known or suspected of biological activity as well as species used for medicinal purposes; (iii) be only arboreal species that are rare and likely to benefit from our microclimate, or which are medicinal or linked to the Historic Walk; (iv) augment genera in which the Garden has specific research interst, e.g. Cistus, Narcissus, Pelargonium, Dryopteris, Trichomanes, Asplenium and various genera of Macaronesia and Mediterranean Island endemics. Almost entirely accessed by seed from other Botanic Gardens with policy on Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and prior informed consent clauses.
Collections	Preference given to natural-source material with good field notes.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Altitude:	5 m
Soil type:	Riverbank alluvium, neutral
Aspect:	South and mostly flat
Total area:	1.5 ha
Area heated:	0.1A
Other sites of collection:
WEATHER RECORDS	Records are kept
Temperature:
Average daily:
Av. monthly max:
Av. monthly min:
Absolute maximum	25 °C (1997)
Absolute minimum	1 °C (1997)
Wind:
direction	West
strength:	Below average
Rainfall
Average annual	478 mm
Month of maximum	June
Month of minimum	March
PLANT COLLECTION
Families
Genera
Species
Taxa	5000
Accessions
Plants
Notable plants within the collection
	Largest grapefruit tree and olive tree outside in British Isles.
Geographical area of specialisation
	Middle Europe, Southwestern Europe, Macaronesia, Southern Africa
Special families within the collections
	Cistaceae, Aspleniaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Geraniaceae, Labiatae
Special genera within the collections
	Cistus, Asplenium, Dryopteris, Pelargonium Trichomanes
Special collections	Cistus, NCCPG – 69 Species, 110 Taxa. Pelargonium, Natural History Museum Botany Dept. – 110 Species. Asplenium, Natural History Museum Botany Dept. – 2 Species, 830 Taxa. Dryopteris, Natural History Museum Botany Dept. – 54 Species, 54 Taxa. Ethnobotanical plants, Collections by specific collectors,
Phenological Garden
Records of living collection	Kept since 1946 Computerised
Record System	Access
Plant-collecting trips	No
FACILITIES ON SITE
Herbarium	Yes, wild and cultivated specimens. Includes bound historic herbaria
Library	400 items. Includes old herbals, ethnobotany, history of medicine, history of plant introductions. Public access only by prior appointment
Research facilities	General biological laboratories, seed bank, molecular
Publications	Index seminum, garden guide (1991) and 9 other Publications
Identifications:	Internal verification of material
Teaching and Education:	Primary, secondary, higher, taxonomic, public education, special courses
Interpretation of the material:	Supervised garden walks, signs, brochures, guided trails
Friends Organisation:	Yes
Visitor facilities:	Café, plant shop, book shop, gift shop
ACCESS TO THE COLLECTIONS
Public access:	Admission charge
Visitors per year:	18 000. Schools access: 2 500 pupils per year
Public opening hours:	Wed-Fri, Sun: 12 noon to 5pm
GUIDING PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE COLLECTION
	Chelsea Physic Garden was founded by the Society of Apothecaries in 1673 in order to promote study of botany for medicine, then known as the physic or healing arts. As the second oldest botanic garden in England, it still fulfils the traditional functions of scientific research and plant conservation, and undertakes to educate and inform as well as to provide the amenity of a walled 'secret' garden in the heart of London. Its aims are to demonstrate through its plantings and publications the range of species named or introduced to cultivation by a succession of distinguished curators; to pursue horticltural exellence, especially in the cultivation of rare and tender plants; to demonstrate, to all who visit, the many uses of plants and, particularly, the heritage of the plant world as our common medicine chest.