The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Animal and Plant Health
Agency (APHA) will join forces on a new £3 million National
Centre for Environmental Horticulture Plant Health that will
research and help mitigate existing and emerging threats to our
green spaces.
Funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra), it will see the two organisations work together in
collaboration with industry and others to help protect the UK's
23 million gardens and burgeoning horticultural trade, which
contributes
£38 billion to UK GDP and supports 722,000 jobs.
The Centre, operated virtually by staff based at APHA and RHS
sites across the country, will engage with industry to identify
areas of focus according to potential impact before researching
solutions and management practices and sharing findings.
Example threats already in the UK include Bemisia tabaci, an
insect which is a vector for a range of highly damaging plant
diseases; Phytophthora spp., part of a group of impactful water
moulds that rates as the RHS' second most reported plant health
problem annually; and Rose Rosette virus, an often fatal pathogen
of roses.
The RHS will also lean on its 600,000 members to raise awareness
of biosecurity and track priorities for both industry and home
gardeners nationally. In 2025, honey fungus and phytophthora root
rots were amongst the most prevalent plant health problems in
gardens according to enquiries to RHS Gardening advice.
The announcement of the Centre falls during Plant Health Week
which runs from 11-17 May. More information can be found at
National Plant
Health Week.
Defra Chief Plant Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spence
said:
Climate change and globalisation are increasing the range and
diversity of threats to our plants and this groundbreaking new
centre marks a significant step forward in how we protect UK
biosecurity.
Bringing together expertise to deliver innovative research
and science will help us stay ahead of emerging threats and
better protect the country.
APHA Chief Executive, said:
This is significant news as APHA, working with Defra and the RHS,
continues to play a key role in maintaining the country's
biosecurity and protecting our borders from new and existing
threats.
RHS Director of Science and Collections, Professor
Alistair Griffiths said:
Collaboration between the RHS and APHA, alongside Defra and the
environmental horticulture industry, is a vital step in
strengthening plant health. By combining cutting-edge science
with real-world horticultural expertise, we can support an
industry that delivers significant economic, environmental and
wellbeing benefits for gardeners and society.
The Centre aligns with the Plant Biosecurity Strategy
for Great Britain (2023–2028) and supports the
government's mission to kickstart economic growth through
investment in innovation and technology.
