Victorian Conservation Seedbank

The Victorian Conservation Seedbank (VCS) is Victoria’s primary facility for the conservation of the state’s most threatened plants. It stores the seeds and spores of native Victorian plants, particularly endemics and at-risk species, and forms the basis for our research into effective long-term germplasm storage, germination characteristics, and the propagation of recalcitrant native species.

The VCS, supported by our associated laboratories and plant propagation nurseries, forms part of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria’s Bushfire Plant Recovery and Care Unit, which aims to support the restoration of fire damaged landscapes and ecosystems.

Seeds accessioned for long-term storage at the VCS are also held in duplicate at our partner organisation in the UK, the Millennium Seed Bank (Wakehurst, West Sussex), operated by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The VCS currently holds over 2,330 collections covering over 1,500 taxa.