Extinction by its very nature is irreversible. Once a species is extinct, it’s too late for conservation practitioners to act. So, for us working on the front line of plant conservation, instead of just questioning whether a species is extinct, we need to look at the risk of extinction. Using assessments of extinction risk, we can uncover trends that help us to target the conservation resources we have available towards those species that need it most. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is one of the most well recognised lists that documents the extinction risk of species.