Kew Gardens, one of the world’s largest plant collections based in southwestern London, is preparing for a major renovation of its iconic Palm House, a Victorian-era glasshouse that requires extensive restoration work. The facility’s ornate ironwork has deteriorated through rust, and its 16,000 glass panes have warped and become damaged, making it increasingly difficult to maintain the hot and humid conditions necessary for the rare plants housed within. Some of the specimens are critically endangered, with Kew holding the only known examples of certain species.
The renovation project, scheduled to begin in 2027 pending successful fundraising, will necessitate the removal and relocation of approximately 1,000 plants currently in the greenhouse. Some large specimens, particularly giant palm trees whose fronds reach the roof, will need to be felled as they cannot be safely moved. Palm House manager Will Spoelstra acknowledged that while the project is necessary and exciting, it represents a difficult period for the horticultural team that has tended these plants. Staff have already begun transferring plants to a behind-the-scenes tropical nursery, where they will acclimate before returning to the renovated space.
The relocation effort has presented an unexpected opportunity for significant conservation work. Scientists at Kew are collecting seeds and cuttings to propagate replacement plants and have undertaken field expeditions to locate wild populations of endangered species. One notable success involved the Ravenea Moorei, a tree native to the Comoros islands thought to exist only at Kew. After researchers located a wild population, the greenhouse specimen was successfully propagated, and ten young plants now grow in the nursery. Kew plans to assist in protecting and enhancing the wild population as well.
The facility is employing specialist conservators accustomed to handling delicate artworks to safely relocate particularly fragile specimens, including the Eastern Cape giant cycad, the oldest potted plant in the world, which has been at Kew since 1775. Kew’s leadership views the renovation as an opportunity to strengthen the institution’s conservation mission, with successful propagation efforts enabling the translocation of plants back into their native habitats. A fundraising campaign, planned for October, will seek support for what officials are calling a project to “save London’s rainforest,” with the renovation expected to last approximately 50 years.
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