List of IUCN Red List vulnerable plants

As of September 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 5430 vulnerable (VU) plant species.^[1] 25% of all evaluated plant species are listed as vulnerable. The IUCN also lists 244 subspecies and 235 varieties as vulnerable. No subpopulations of plants have been evaluated by the IUCN.

•   Extinct in the wild (EW): 46 species
•   Critically endangered (CR): 6,445 species
•   Endangered (EN): 12,707 species
•   Vulnerable (VU): 10,596 species
•   Near threatened (NT, LR/cd): 4,880 species
•   Least concern (LC): 35,732 species
•   Data deficient (DD): 6,317 species

Plant species (IUCN, 2025.2)

• 76,864 extant species have been evaluated
• 70,547 of those are fully assessed^[a]
• 40,612 are not threatened at present^[b]
• 29,935 are threatened^[c]
• 187 to 892 are extinct or extinct in the wild:
  • 141 extinct (EX) species^[d]
  • 46 extinct in the wild (EW)
  • 648 possibly extinct [CR(PE)]
  • 57 possibly extinct in the wild [CR(PEW)]

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1. [a]

   excludes data deficient evaluations.
2. [b]

   NT, LR/cd, LC.
3. [c]

   Threatened comprises CR, EN and VU.
4. [d]

   Chart omits extinct (EX) species

For a species to be assessed as vulnerable to extinction the best available evidence must meet quantitative criteria set by the IUCN designed to reflect "a high risk of extinction in the wild". Endangered and critically endangered species also meet the quantitative criteria of vulnerable species, and are listed separately. See: List of endangered plants, List of critically endangered plants. Vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered species are collectively referred to as threatened species by the IUCN.

Additionally 1674 plant species (7.6% of those evaluated) are listed as data deficient, meaning there is insufficient information for a full assessment of conservation status. As these species typically have small distributions and/or populations, they are intrinsically likely to be threatened, according to the IUCN.^[2] While the category of data deficient indicates that no assessment of extinction risk has been made for the taxa, the IUCN notes that it may be appropriate to give them "the same degree of attention as threatened taxa, at least until their status can be assessed."^[3]

This is a complete list of vulnerable plant species, subspecies and varieties evaluated by the IUCN as of 2016^[update].