Kew Gardens to move some of world's 'most threatened plants' to renovate iconic Palm House

Charlotte Lillywhite
·3-min read
Palm House, Kew Gardens
-Credit: (Image: Sebastian Kettley/RBG Kew)


Kew Gardens will move some of the world's rarest and most threatened plants into glasshouses, as it prepares to renovate its iconic Palm House and Waterlily House. The renovation project at the world-famous site, in South West London, has hit a major milestone with the construction of two cutting-edge glasshouses.

The new glasshouses will provide temporary homes for plants currently housed in the Grade I listed Palm House and Grade II listed Waterlily House, during their upcoming revamp. They have been designed with advanced systems to control temperature, humidity and light in a more sustainable way. They will not be open to the public.

The tallest of the new glasshouses is a temporary structure, built near the Palm House, which will be dismantled once the project is completed. The second glasshouse is in a back-of-house area and will provide extra tropical nursery space after the refurbishment.

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Construction of one of the new glasshouses at Kew Gardens
Two new glasshouses have been built as temporary homes for the collections -Credit:Jeff Eden/RBG Kew

Their construction marks a major milestone in Kew's plans to transform Palm House and Waterlily House into the world's first net zero glasshouses. The famous Victorian glasshouses create an indoor rainforest environment for the protection of tropical plants, but they are showing serious signs of deterioration and are not energy efficient.

Palm House was built in 1844 and is home to a variety of tropical plants, some of which are endangered or even extinct in the wild. Waterlily House was completed in 1852 to showcase the giant Amazon waterlily, and it is now full of aquatic plants and tropical fruit.

Kew said 'some of the world's rarest and most threatened plants' will be temporarily accommodated in the two new glasshouses as a result of the move, while their permanent homes are renovated.

The organisation is making changes to the way it operates as part of its 10-year corporate strategy, which was published in 2021. Its priority is to become climate positive by 2030, setting a science-based carbon emissions reduction target.

Palm House, Kew Gardens
Palm House has an indoor rainforest environment to protect its tropical plants -Credit:Ines Stuart-Davidson/RBG Kew

Kew plans to repair and decarbonise Palm House and Waterlily House as part of this strategy. The project will involve replacing the building service systems with a net-zero carbon solution for heating, cooling and ventilation, along with improving accessibility, staff facilities and health and safety measures.

Scientists have been preparing to move plants from Palm House for some time, with pruning, cuttings, repotting and air layering already taking place. Some smaller plants will be moved this year, with a larger-scale move scheduled from spring next year.

Richard Barley, director of gardens at RBG Kew, said: "We are proud and excited to announce the completion of these new facilities, which not only support the conservation of some of the world’s rarest and most endangered plants but also reinforce Kew’s legacy as a leader in horticultural innovation.

"These glasshouses mark the start of a project which builds upon Kew’s long history of pioneering horticultural excellence and will ensure Kew remains at the forefront of global plant conservation, while also setting a new standard for sustainability in botanical garden management."

Got a story? Email charlotte.lillywhite@reachplc.com

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