In 2002 Plantlife conducted a "County Flowers" public survey to assign flowers to each of the counties of the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man. The results of this campaign designated a single plant species to a "county or metropolitan area" in the UK and Isle of Man. Some English counties already had flowers traditionally associated with them before 2002, and which were different from those assigned to them by Plantlife, including the white rose for Yorkshire, the poppy for Norfolk, and the cowslip for Essex. Some flowers were assigned to multiple counties.

Plantlife is a wild plant conservation charity. As of 2023, it manages 24 nature reserves around the United Kingdom. HM King Charles III is patron of the charity.