Kew Gardens

{{Short description|Botanic garden in London, England}} {{About|the botanical gardens in south-west London|the non-departmental public body|Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew||Kew Gardens (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}} {{Use British English|date=January 2014}} {{Infobox park | name = Kew Gardens | image = Kew Gardens Palm House, London - July 2009.jpg | image_size = 300px | image_caption = A view across the gardens to the [[Palm House, Kew Gardens|Palm House]] in Kew Gardens, in London, England | mapframe-custom = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-coord={{coord|51.4788|-0.2957}}|frame-align=center|type=shape-inverse|frame-width=300|frame-height=230|id=Q188617|zoom=12|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#545454|fill=#000000|fill-opacity=0.2}} | type = Botanical | location = [[London Borough of Richmond upon Thames]], England | coordinates = {{Coord|51|28|44|N|00|17|37|W|type:landmark_region:GB-RIC|display=inline, title}} | area = {{convert|121|ha|acre|abbr=off}} | species = <nowiki>></nowiki> 50,000 | collections =  | opened = {{Start date|1759}} | visitation_num = 2,250,355 in 2025<ref name=ALVA>{{cite web |title=LATEST VISITOR FIGURES |website=ALVA|url=https://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423 |access-date=20 March 2026}}</ref> | status = | public_transit = {{rint|london|underground}} {{rint|london|overground}} [[Kew Gardens station (London)|Kew Gardens]] | website = {{URL|www.kew.org}} | embedded = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site | child = yes | official_name = Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | criteria = {{UNESCO WHS type|(ii), (iii), (iv)}}(ii), (iii), (iv) | ID = 1084 | year = 2003 | area = {{convert|132|ha|acre|abbr=on}} | buffer_zone = {{convert|350|ha|acre|abbr=on}} }} }}

[[File: Kew Gardens Temperate House from the Pagoda - geograph.org.uk - 227173.jpg|thumb|upright=1.39| Kew Gardens Temperate House from the Pagoda]] '''Kew Gardens''' is a [[botanical garden|botanic garden]] in southwest [[London]] founded in 1759 that houses the "largest and most diverse [[botany|botanical]] and [[mycology|mycological]] collections in the world".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/collections|title=Kew's scientific collections – Kew|website=www.kew.org|access-date=15 October 2017}}</ref> Its living collections include some of the 27,000 taxa<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/plants/living-collection|title=Living collections at Kew|website=Kew.org}}</ref> curated by [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]], while the [[herbarium]], one of the largest in the world, has over {{Nowrap|8.5 million}} preserved plant and fungal specimens.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/launching-collections-strategy|title=Science collections at Kew|website=kew.org}}</ref> The library contains more than 750,000 volumes, and the illustrations collection contains more than 175,000 prints and drawings of plants. It is one of London's top tourist attractions and is a [[World Heritage Sites|World Heritage Site]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Centre |first=UNESCO World Heritage |title=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1084/ |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Most visited attractions in London UK 2021 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/630146/leading-london-visitor-attractions-uk/ |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref>

Kew Gardens, together with the botanic gardens at [[Wakehurst Place|Wakehurst]] in [[Sussex]], are managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, an internationally important [[botany|botanical]] research and education institution that employs over 1,100 staff and is a [[non-departmental public body]] sponsored by the [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]].<ref name="Dyduch">{{cite news | url=http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/11110817.Dozens_of_jobs_at_risk_as_Kew_Gardens_faces___5m_shortfall/?ref=var_0 | title=Dozens of jobs at risk as Kew Gardens faces £5m shortfall | work=Richmond Guardian | date=28 March 2014 | access-date=26 June 2014 | author=Dyduch, Amy}}</ref>

The botanic gardens at Kew formally started in 1759,<ref name="UNESCO_1084">{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1084 |title=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |work=[[World Heritage]] |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |access-date=24 March 2009}}</ref> although they can be traced back to the exotic garden at Kew Park, formed by [[Henry Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Tewkesbury|Henry, Lord Capell]] of [[Tewkesbury]]. The site now consists of {{convert|132|ha}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/ksheets/pdfs/k16kewhistory.pdf |title=Kew, History & Heritage |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=24 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829192523/http://www.kew.org/ksheets/pdfs/k16kewhistory.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2008 }}</ref> of [[garden]]s and [[Greenhouse|botanical glasshouses]], four Grade I [[listed building]]s, and 36 Grade II listed structures, all set in an internationally significant landscape.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/press/director06.htm |title=Director of Royal Botanic Gardens |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |date=14 October 2010 |access-date=24 April 2012 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315093847/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/press/director06.htm |archive-date=15 March 2007 }}</ref> Kew Gardens is listed Grade I on the [[Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England|Register of Historic Parks and Gardens]].<ref name="NHLE">{{NHLE|num=1000830|desc=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|date = 1 October 1987|access-date=13 November 2017}}</ref>

Kew Gardens has its own police force, [[Kew Constabulary]], which has been in operation since 1845.<ref name="KewHistoryQuiz">{{cite web |url=https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/quiz-kew-gardens-history |title=Quiz: Are you a Kew history buff? |publisher=Kew Gardens |access-date=3 October 2022}}</ref>

==History==

[[File:Flagpole, Kew Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 227188.jpg|thumb|left|The flagpole at Kew Gardens, which stood from 1959 until 2007]]

[[Kew]] consists mostly of the gardens themselves and a small surrounding community.<ref name=Malden/> Royal residences in the area which would later influence the layout and construction of the gardens began in 1299 when [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] moved his court to a manor house in neighbouring [[Richmond, London|Richmond]] (then called Sheen).<ref name=Malden/> That manor house was later abandoned; however, [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] built Sheen Palace in 1501, which, under the name [[Richmond Palace]], became a permanent royal residence for [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]].<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45378&strquery=|author=[[Daniel Lysons (antiquarian)|Lysons, Daniel]]|title=The Environs of London: volume 1: County of Surrey|pages= 202–211|date=1792}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.milesfaster.co.uk/information/london-attractions/royal-botanic-gardens-kew.htm |title=London Attractions and Places of Interest Index |publisher=milesfaster.co.uk |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-date=6 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706021106/https://www.milesfaster.co.uk/information/london-attractions/royal-botanic-gardens-kew.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wptYAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA25|title=The Visitor's Hand-book to Richmond, Kew Gardens, and Hampton Court|page=25 |publisher= Cradock and Company |date= 1848 |author= Harrison, W}}</ref> Around the start of the 16th century courtiers attending Richmond Palace settled in Kew and built large houses.<ref name=Malden>{{cite book |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43012|title=Kew, A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3|author=[[Henry Elliot Malden|Malden, H E]]|pages=482–487|date=1911}}</ref> Early royal residences at Kew included [[Mary I of England|Mary Tudor]]'s house, which was in existence by 1522 when a driveway was built to connect it to the palace at Richmond.<ref name=Malden/> Around 1600, the land that would become the gardens was known as Kew Field, a large field [[strip farming|strip farmed]] by one of the new private estates.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9YAEAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT9 |page=9 |title=The Story of Kew Gardens |author1=Parker, Lynn |author2=Ross-Jones, Kiri |publisher=Arcturus Publishing |date= 13 August 2013 |isbn=9781782127482}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.infobritain.co.uk/Royal_Botanic_Gardens.htm|title=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Wakehurst Place |author=Jones, Martin|publisher=infobritain.co.uk|access-date=14 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917213006/http://www.infobritain.co.uk/Royal_Botanic_Gardens.htm|archive-date=17 September 2013 |url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The exotic garden at Kew Park, formed by [[Henry Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Tewkesbury]], was enlarged and extended by [[Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha|Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales]], the widow of [[Frederick, Prince of Wales]]. The origins of Kew Gardens can be traced to the merging of the royal estates of Richmond and Kew in 1772.<ref name=Advisory>{{cite report|url=https://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/1084.pdf|title= UNESCO Advisory Body Evaluation Kew (United Kingdom) No 1084|date=2003 |author=UNESCO Advisory Body |publisher=[[UNESCO]]}}</ref> [[William Chambers (architect)|William Chambers]] built several garden structures, including the lofty [[Great Pagoda, Kew Gardens|Great Pagoda]] built in 1761 which still remains. [[George III]] enriched the gardens, aided by [[William Aiton]] and Sir [[Joseph Banks]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lSKsllGsTMoC&pg=PA78|page=78|author= Drayton, Richard Harry |title=Nature's Government: Science, Imperial Britain, and the 'Improvement' of the World|publisher=Yale University Press|date= 2000|isbn=0300059760}}</ref> The old Kew Park (by then renamed the White House), was demolished in 1802. The "Dutch House" adjoining was purchased by George III in 1781 as a nursery for the royal children. It is a plain brick structure now known as [[Kew Palace]].

''[[The Epicure's Almanack]]'' reports an anecdote of the garden wall as of 1815: "In going up Dreary Lane that leads to Richmond you pass along the east boundary wall of Kew Gardens, extending more than a mile in length. This dead wall used to have a most teasing and tedious effect on the eye of a pedestrian; but a poor mendicant crippled seaman, some years ago, enlivened it by drawing on it, in chalk, every man-of-war of Britain's Royal Navy. He returns annually to the spot to refit his ships, and raises considerable supplies for his own victualling board from the gratuities of the charitable, who pass to and from Richmond."<ref>''The Epicure's Almanack'', Longman, 1815, pages 226–227.</ref>

Some early plants came from the walled garden established by William Coys at [[Stubbers]] in North Ockendon.<ref>{{cite book|title= Stubbers: The Walled garden|first=R G|last=Smith|year=1989}}</ref> The collections grew somewhat haphazardly until the appointment of the first collector, [[Francis Masson]], in 1771.<ref>{{cite DCB |first=Richard A. |last=Jarrell |title=Masson, Francis |volume=5 |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/masson_francis_5E.html}}</ref> [[Capability Brown]], who became England's most renowned [[landscape architect]], applied for the position of master gardener at Kew, and was rejected.<ref name="kew">{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/heritage/people/brown.html |title=Lancelot 'Capability' Brown (1716–1783) |work=Kew History & Heritage |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=16 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008111550/http://www.kew.org/heritage/people/brown.html |archive-date= 8 October 2012 }}</ref>

In 1840, the gardens were adopted as a national [[botanical garden]], in large part due to the efforts of the [[Royal Horticultural Society]] and its president [[William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire]].<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Lankester Botanical Garden |year=2010 |title=Biographies |journal=Lankesteriana |volume=10 |issue=2/3 |pages=183–206, page 186 |url=http://lankesteriana.org/lankesteriana/LANKESTERIANA%2010(2-3)/Lankesteriana%2010(2-3)%20Part%2010%20-%20Biographies.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523220801/http://lankesteriana.org/lankesteriana/LANKESTERIANA%2010%282-3%29/Lankesteriana%2010%282-3%29%20Part%2010%20-%20Biographies.pdf |archive-date=23 May 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> Under Kew's director, [[William Jackson Hooker|William Hooker]], the gardens were increased to 30 [[hectare]]s (75 acres) and the [[pleasure ground]]s, or [[arboretum]], extended to {{convert|109|ha|acre|abbr=off}}, and later to its present size of {{convert|121|ha|acre|abbr=off}}. The first curator was [[John Smith (botanist)|John Smith]].

[[File:kew-tea-house.jpg|thumb|The Tea House at Kew Gardens after the arson attack in 1913 by [[suffragette]]s [[Olive Wharry]] and [[Lilian Lenton]]]]

The [[Palm House]] was built by the architect [[Decimus Burton]] and iron-maker [[Richard Turner (iron-founder)|Richard Turner]] between 1844 and 1848, and was the first large-scale structural use of [[wrought iron]]. It is considered "the world's most important surviving Victorian glass and iron structure".<ref name="Palm House">{{cite web | url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/explore/attractions/palm-house-and-rose-garden | title=Palm House and Rose Garden | publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] | work=Visit Kew Gardens | access-date=11 June 2014}}</ref><ref>[[The Crystal Palace]] was an even more imposing glass and iron structure but a fire destroyed it.</ref> The structure's panes of glass are all hand-blown. The [[Temperate House]], which is twice as large as the Palm House, followed later in the 19th century. It is now the largest [[Victorian era|Victorian]] glasshouse in existence. Kew was the location of the successful effort in the 19th century to propagate [[Hevea brasiliensis|rubber trees]] for cultivation outside South America.

In February 1913, the Tea House was burned down by [[suffragette]]s [[Olive Wharry]] and [[Lilian Lenton]] during a series of arson attacks in London.<ref>{{cite news |title=Suffragists burn a pavilion at Kew; Two Arrested and Held Without Bail – One Throws a Book at a Magistrate |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=21 February 1913 |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F0DE5DA133BE633A25752C2A9649C946296D6CF }} </ref>

Kew Gardens lost hundreds of trees in the [[Great Storm of 1987]].<ref name="Bone">{{cite news | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7033148.stm | title=Kew: Razed, reborn and rejuvenated | work=[[BBC News]] | date=16 October 2007 | access-date=17 June 2014 | author=Bone, Victoria}}</ref>

From 1959 to 2007, Kew Gardens had the tallest flagpole in Britain. Made from a single [[Douglas-fir]] from Canada, it was given to mark both the centenary of the Canadian province of [[British Columbia]] and the bicentenary of Kew Gardens. The flagpole was removed after damage by weather and woodpeckers made it a danger.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kew Gardens Flagpole|url=http://www.kew.org/heritage/places/flagpole.html|publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]]|access-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104074335/http://www.kew.org/heritage/places/flagpole.html|archive-date=4 November 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In July 2003, [[United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization|UNESCO]] put the gardens on its list of [[World Heritage Sites]].<ref name="UNESCO_1084"/>

A five-year, £41 million, revamp of the Temperate House was completed in May 2018.<ref>{{cite news |title='Breathtakingly beautiful': Kew's Temperate House reopens after revamp |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/may/03/kew-gardens-temperate-house-reopens-after-restoration |work=[[The Guardian]] |author= Kennedy, Maev|author-link = Maev Kennedy |date=3 May 2018|access-date=30 August 2020}}</ref> In 2025, Kew Gardens announced that the Palm House would close for a five-year renovation in 2027.<ref>{{cite web | last=Morelle | first=Rebecca | title=Kew Garden: Palm House set for major renovation | website=BBC Home | date=15 July 2025 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpwq08rxxklo | access-date=17 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Topping | first=Alexandra | title=Kew Gardens' tropical Palm House to shut for five years for net zero makeover | website=the Guardian | date=16 July 2025 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jul/16/kew-gardens-tropical-palm-house-close-net-zero-makeover | access-date=17 July 2025}}</ref>

Five trees survive from the establishment of the botanical gardens in 1762. Together they are known as the 'Five Lions' and consist of: a ginkgo (''[[Ginkgo biloba]]''), a pagoda tree, or scholar tree (''[[Styphnolobium japonicum]]''), an oriental plane (''[[Platanus orientalis]]''),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kew.org/blogs/library-art-and-archives/celebrating-tree |title=Celebrating the tree |website=Kew blog |access-date=8 September 2018}}</ref> a black locust, or false acacia (''[[Robinia pseudoacacia]]''), and a Caucasian elm or zelkova (''[[Zelkova carpinifolia]]'').<ref>{{cite web|url=https://exploring-london.com/2011/02/04/treasures-of-london-the-old-lion-maidenhair-tree-kew-gardens/ |title=Treasures of London – The 'Old Lion' Maidenhair Tree, Kew Gardens |website=exploring-london.com |date=4 February 2011|access-date=8 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/kews-old-lions|title=Meet Kew's Old Lions |website=Kew.org |author1=Vymeris, Andrew |author2=Johnston, Eddie|date=27 February 2023 |access-date=29 October 2024}}</ref>

==Features== ===Treetop walkway=== A [[canopy walkway]], which opened in 2008,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kew.org/trees/ |title=Treetop Walkway |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=24 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509130015/http://www.kew.org/trees/ |archive-date=9 May 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> takes visitors on a {{convert|200|m}} walk {{convert|18|m}} above the ground, in the tree canopy of a woodland [[glade (geography)|glade]]. Visitors can ascend and descend by stairs and by a [[elevator|lift]]. The walkway floor is perforated metal and flexes under foot; the entire structure sways in the wind. It was designed by [[David Marks (architect)|David Marks]].<ref name="theguardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/oct/09/david-marks-obituary|title=David Marks obituary|first=Steve|last=Rose|newspaper=The Guardian |date=9 October 2017|access-date=12 October 2017|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>

The accompanying photograph shows a section of the walkway, including the steel supports, which were designed to rust to a tree-like appearance to help the walkway fit in visually with its surroundings.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-in-the-gardens/treetop-walkway |title=Treetop Walkway |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=4 November 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221017235304/https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-in-the-gardens/treetop-walkway |archive-date=17 October 2022}}</ref>

A short video detailing the construction of the walkway is available online.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://apps.kew.org/trees/?page_id=245 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607144114/http://apps.kew.org/trees/?page_id=245 |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 June 2008 |title=The making of the Treetop Walkway |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=24 April 2012 }}</ref>

{{wide image|Kew Gardens Treetop Walkway - Sept 2008.jpg|600px|align-cap=center|A panoramic view of the treetop walkway. It stands {{convert|18|m}} above ground.}}

===Lake Crossing=== {{stack|[[File:Kew Gradens Sackler Crossing.jpg|thumb|The Lake Crossing]]}}

The Lake Crossing bridge, made of granite and bronze, opened in May 2006.<ref name="KewLakeCrossing">{{Cite web |title=Lake and Crossing |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-in-the-gardens/lake-and-crossing |access-date=3 October 2022 |website=Kew |language=en}}</ref> Designed by [[Buro Happold]] and [[John Pawson]], it crosses the lake and was previously named in honour of [[Mortimer Sackler|Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lake and Sackler Crossing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810061122/https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-in-the-gardens/lake-and-sackler-crossing |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-in-the-gardens/lake-and-sackler-crossing |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 August 2020|access-date=3 October 2022 |website=Kew |language=en}}</ref>

The minimalist-styled bridge is designed as a sweeping double curve of black granite. The sides of the bridge are formed of bronze posts that give the impression, from certain angles, of forming a solid wall while, from others, and to those on the bridge, they are clearly individual entities that allow a view of the water beyond.<ref name="KewLakeCrossing" />

The bridge forms part of a path designed to encourage visitors to visit more of the gardens than had hitherto been popular and connects the two art galleries, via the Temperate and Evolution Houses and the woodland glade, to the Minka House and the Bamboo Garden.<ref name="KewMap" />

The crossing won a special award from the [[Royal Institute of British Architects]] in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |author=Jury, Louise |date=2012-04-13 |title=New St Pancras wins major award for architecture |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/new-st-pancras-wins-major-award-for-architecture-6927174.html |access-date=2022-04-24 |work=[[Evening Standard]] |language=en}}</ref>

===The Hive=== {{stack|[[File:The Hive installation Kew Gardens.jpg|thumb|The Hive]]}} The Hive opened in 2016 and is a multi-sensory experience designed to highlight the extraordinary life of bees. It stands 17 metres (56 ft) tall and is set in a wildflower meadow. The Hive was designed by English artist [[Wolfgang Buttress]]. The Hive has been created using thousands of aluminium pieces that are presented in the shape of a honeycomb. It was initially installed as a temporary exhibition, but was given a permanent home at Kew Gardens due to its popularity.<ref>{{ cite web | title=Kew Garden set to bee a permanent home for popular sculpture The Hive | date=24 April 2018 | publisher=Evening Standard | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/kew-garden-set-to-bee-a-permanent-home-for-popular-sculpture-the-hive-a3821761.html | access-date=16 September 2021}}</ref>

===Vehicular tour===

Kew Explorer is a service that takes a circular route around the gardens, provided by two 72-seater electric [[Trackless train|road trains]]. A commentary is provided by the driver and there are several stops.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/kew-explorer-land-train |title=Kew Explorer land train |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=14 January 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422073424/https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/kew-explorer-land-train |archive-date=22 April 2022}}</ref>

A map of the gardens is available on the Kew Gardens website.<ref name="KewMap">{{cite web|url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/map |title=Maps of Kew Gardens |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=3 November 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020142209/https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/map |archive-date=20 October 2022}}</ref>

===Compost heap=== Kew has one of the largest [[Composting|compost heaps]] in Europe, made from green and woody waste from the gardens and the manure from the stables of the [[Household Cavalry]].<ref name="new compost">{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/explore/attractions/compost-heap|title=Compost heap|publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]]|access-date=18 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906045147/http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/explore/attractions/compost-heap|archive-date=6 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The compost is mainly used in the gardens, but on occasion has been auctioned as part of a fundraising event for the gardens.<ref name="Compost">{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/garden-attractions-A-Z/compost-heap.htm |title=Compost heap |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |work=Visit Kew Gardens |access-date=11 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203010325/http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/garden-attractions-A-Z/compost-heap.htm |archive-date=3 February 2014 }}</ref>

The compost heap is in an area of the gardens not accessible to the public,<ref name="new compost"/> but a viewing platform, made of wood which had been illegally traded but seized by Customs officers in [[HMRC]], has been erected to allow visitors to observe the heap as it goes through its cycle.<ref name="Compost"/>

===Guided walks=== Tours of the gardens are conducted daily by trained volunteers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/introduction-to-the-gardens |title=Introduction to the Gardens |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=3 November 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704174654/https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/introduction-to-the-gardens |archive-date=4 July 2022}}</ref>

===Plant houses=== ====Alpine House==== {{stack|[[File:Alpine House, Kew Gardens, 2018 edit.jpg|thumb|The Davies Alpine House (2014)|alt=A narrow semicircular building of glass and steel latticework stands at the right, set amid an area of worked rock with a line of deciduous trees in the rear left, under a blue sky filled with large puffy white clouds. In front of it, curving slightly away to the left, is a wooden platform with benches on it and a thin metal guardrail in front of a low wet area with bright red flowers.]]}} In March 2006, the Davies Alpine House opened, the third version of an alpine house since 1887. Although only {{convert|16|m}} long the apex of the roof arch extends to a height of {{convert|10|m}} in order to allow the natural airflow of a building of this shape to aid in the all-important ventilation required for the type of plants to be housed.

The new house features a set of automatically operated blinds that prevent it from overheating when the sun is too hot for the plants together with a system that blows a continuous stream of cool air over the plants. The main design aim of the house is to allow maximum light transmission. To this end the glass is of a special low iron type that allows 90 per cent of the ultraviolet light in sunlight to pass. It is attached by high tension steel cables so that no light is obstructed by traditional glazing bars.

To conserve energy the cooling air is not refrigerated but is cooled by being passed through a labyrinth of pipes buried under the house at a depth where the temperature remains suitable all year round. The house is designed so that the maximum temperature should not exceed {{convert|20|C|F|0}}.

Kew's collection of [[alpine plant]]s (defined as those that grow above the [[tree line]] in their locale – ground level at the poles rising to over {{convert|2000|m|0|abbr=off}}), extends to over 7000. As the Alpine House can only house around 200 at a time the ones on show are regularly rotated.

====Nash Conservatory==== [[File:Nash conservatory 7047r.jpg|thumb|The Nash Conservatory]] Originally designed for [[Buckingham Palace]], this was moved to Kew in 1836 by King [[William IV]]. The building was formerly known as the '''Aroid House No. 1''' and was used to display species of [[Araceae]], the building was listed Grade II* in 1950.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101250800-aroid-house-number-1-kew-ward#.WhkeNkpl_IU|title=Aroid House No 1 listing}}</ref> With an abundance of natural light, the building is now used for various exhibitions, weddings, and private events. It is also now used to exhibit the winners of the photography competition.

====Orangery==== {{stack|[[File:Kew Orangery 5138.JPG|thumb|upright=1.25|Kew Orangery]]}} The [[Orangery]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/garden-attractions-A-Z/orangery.htm |title=Visit Kew Gardens – The Orangery |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=24 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503010847/http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/garden-attractions-A-Z/orangery.htm |archive-date=3 May 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> was designed by [[Sir William Chambers]], and was completed in 1761. It measures {{convert|28|by|10|m}}. It was found to be too dark for its intended purpose of growing [[citrus]] plants and they were moved out in 1841. After many changes of use, it is currently used as a restaurant. {{Clear}}

====Palm House==== {{main|Palm House, Kew Gardens}} [[File:Kew Gardens campanile in afternoon.jpg|thumb|upright|The disguised Palm House chimney, the "Shaft of the Great Palm-Stove", designed by [[Decimus Burton]]]]

The Palm House (1844–1848) was the result of cooperation between architect [[Decimus Burton]] and [[iron founder]] [[Richard Turner (iron-founder)|Richard Turner]],<ref name="houses_of_glass_p300" /> and continues upon the glass house design principles developed by [[John Claudius Loudon]]<ref name="houses_of_glass_p140" /><ref name="houses_of_glass_p296" /> and [[Joseph Paxton]].<ref name="houses_of_glass_p296" /> A space frame of wrought iron arches, held together by horizontal tubular structures containing long prestressed cables,<ref name="houses_of_glass_p296" /><ref name="houses_of_glass_p299" /> supports glass panes which were originally<ref name="houses_of_glass_p300" /> tinted green with copper oxide to reduce the significant heating effect. The {{convert|19|m}} high central nave is surrounded by a walkway at {{convert|9|m}} height, allowing visitors a closer look upon the palm tree crowns. In front of the Palm House on the east side are the [[Queen's Beasts]], ten statues of animals bearing shields. They are [[Portland stone]] replicas of originals done by [[James Woodford]] and were placed here in 1958.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brentforddockresidents.co.uk/sculptures/10queens.php|title=Local Sculptures – 10 Queen's Beasts|publisher=Brentford Dock Residents|access-date=28 June 2014}}</ref>

The Palm House was originally heated by two coal-fired boilers, with a {{convert|107|ft|m}} chimney, the "Shaft of the Great Palm-Stove", now known as the Campanile, near the Victoria Gate. Coal was brought in by a light railway, running in a tunnel, using human-propelled wagons. The tunnel acted as a flue between the boilers and the chimney, but the distance proved too great for efficient working, and so two small chimneys were added to the Palm House. In 1950 the railway was electrified. The tunnel is now used to carry piped hot water to the Palm House, from oil-fired boilers located near the original chimney, which is extant, and is [[Grade II listed]].<ref name="HE-Campanile">{{NHLE|desc=CAMPANILE, Richmond upon Thames |num=1251642 |access-date=10 January 2019}}</ref>

====Princess of Wales Conservatory==== [[File:Princess of Wales Conservatory, Kew Gardens - July 2009.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|left|[[Princess of Wales]] Conservatory]]

Kew's third major conservatory, the [[Princess of Wales]] Conservatory, designed by architect Gordon Wilson, was opened in 1987 by [[Diana, Princess of Wales]] in commemoration of her predecessor [[Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha|Augusta]]'s associations with Kew.<ref>Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ''[http://www.kew.org/heritage/people/augusta.html Augusta, Princess of Wales] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220031111/http://www.kew.org/heritage/people/augusta.html |date=20 February 2014 }}''. Retrieved {{Nowrap|6 October}} 2005.</ref> It replaced 26 smaller buildings.<ref name= powc-secrets>{{cite web |url=https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/princess-of-wales-conservatory-secrets-facts |title= The secrets of the Princess of Wales Conservatory |author= Katie Avis-Riordan |website=Kew.org |date= 7 May 2019 |accessdate=14 September 2021 }}</ref> In 1989 the conservatory received the Europa Nostra award for conservation.<ref name="ReferenceA">The History of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew</ref> The conservatory houses ten computer-controlled micro-climatic zones, with the bulk of the greenhouse volume composed of Dry Tropics and Wet Tropics plants. Significant numbers of [[orchid]]s, [[Nymphaeaceae|water lilies]], [[cacti]], [[lithops]], [[carnivorous plant]]s and [[bromeliad]]s are housed in the various zones. The cactus collection also extends outside the conservatory where some hardier species can be found.

The conservatory has an area of {{convert|4499|m2|ft2 ha acre}}. As it is designed to minimize the amount of energy taken to run it, the cooler zones are grouped around the outside and the more tropical zones are in the central area where heat is conserved. The glass roof extends down to the ground, giving the conservatory a distinctive appearance and helping to maximize the use of the sun's energy.

During the construction of the conservatory a time capsule was buried. It contains the seeds of basic crops and endangered plant species and key publications on conservation.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

==== The Temperate House ==== {{main|Temperate House, Kew Gardens}} [[File:Kew Gardens - Temperate House.jpg|thumb|right | Inside the Temperate House]]

The Temperate House, re-opened in May 2018 after being closed for restoration, is a greenhouse that has twice the floor area of the Palm House and is the world's largest surviving Victorian glass structure. It contains plants and trees from all the temperate regions of the world, some of which are extremely rare. It was commissioned in 1859 and designed by architect [[Decimus Burton]] and iron founder [[Richard Turner (iron-founder)|Richard Turner]]. Covering 4880 square metres, it rises to a height of {{convert|19|m}}. Intended to accommodate Kew's expanding collection of hardy and temperate plants, it took 40 years to construct, during which time costs soared. The building was closed for restoration 1980–82. The building was restored during 2014–18 by [[Donald Insall Associates]], based on their conservation management plan.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk/projects/project/temperate-house-royal-botanic-gardens | title=Temperate House, Royal Botanic Gardens | publisher=[[Donald Insall Associates]] | access-date=2 October 2015 | archive-date=9 October 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009031515/http://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk/projects/project/temperate-house-royal-botanic-gardens | url-status=dead }}</ref>

There is a viewing gallery in the central section from which visitors can look down on that part of the collection.

====Waterlily House==== [[File:Kew Gardens Water Lily House.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|left|The Waterlily House]]

The Waterlily House is the hottest and most humid of the houses at Kew and contains a large pond with varieties of water lily, surrounded by a display of economically important heat-loving plants. It closes during the winter months, as the waterlilies struggle to survive in reduced daylight during autumn and winter. During this interval, the House is cleaned in order to reduce pests.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/waterlily-house-closure | title=Why does the Waterlily House shut? |author=Brie Langley | publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] | access-date=17 January 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117142938/https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/waterlily-house-closure | archive-date=17 January 2025 | url-status=live }}</ref>

It was built to house ''[[Victoria amazonica]]'', which was then the largest known species of the water lily family [[Nymphaeaceae]]. This plant was originally transported to Kew in vials of clean water and arrived in February 1849, after several prior attempts to transport seeds and roots had failed. Although various other members of Nymphaeaceae grew well, the house did not suit the ''Victoria'', purportedly because of a poor ventilation system, and this specimen was moved to another, smaller, house ('''Victoria amazonica House No. 10''').

The [[ironwork]] for the Waterlily House project was provided by [[Richard Turner (iron-founder)|Richard Turner]] and the initial construction was completed in 1852. Initially, the heat for the house was obtained by running a flue from the nearby Palm House, but later it was equipped with a boiler of its own.<ref name="Waterlily">{{cite web | url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/garden-attractions-A-Z/waterlily-house.htm | title=Waterlily House | publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] | work=Visit Kew Gardens | access-date=11 June 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203010300/http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/garden-attractions-A-Z/waterlily-house.htm | archive-date=3 February 2014 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In November 2025 the Waterlily House was closed for renovation as part of the Palm House restoration project, aiming to reopen in 2027.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/palm-house-renovation | title=Palm House renovation project| publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] | access-date=9 May 2026 | url-status=live}}</ref>

==== The Davies Exploration House ==== {{stack|[[File:Davies Exploration House Kew Gardens.jpg|thumb|The Davies Exploration House]]}} Originally known as the '''Australian House''', the house was a gift from the [[Australian Government]]. It was designed by S L Rothwell ([[Ministry of Works (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Works]]) with consultant engineer J E Temple and was constructed by the Crittall Manufacturing Company Ltd. It opened in 1952. From 1995 until 2018, it was known as the Evolution House. The building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 for its special architectural or historic interest.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1401475|desc= Australian House Kew|date = 9 May 2011|access-date=26 November 2017}}</ref>

==== Bonsai House ==== [[File:Bonsai House Kew Gardens.jpg|thumb|left|The Bonsai House]] The [[Bonsai]] House was formerly known as the '''Alpine House No. 24''' prior to the construction of the Davies Alpine House. Kew's bonsai collection has around eighty specimens, with taxonomic strengths in ''[[Juniper]]'', ''[[Maple|Acer]]'' and ''[[Prunus]]''. Some of the trees are displayed seasonally in the House, the smallest only 10 centimetres tall, and the oldest being around 200 years old.<ref name=bonsai>{{cite web|url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/plants/bonsai-collection|title=Bonsai Collection|publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|access-date=1 November 2025}}</ref>

==== Former plant houses ==== The following plant houses were in use in 1974. All have since been demolished, with many of the collections being moved into the Princess of Wales Conservatory.<ref name=":0">The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Key Plan, 1974</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ordnance Survey |title=The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Key Plan |date=1939 |publisher=Ordnance Survey |series=The National Archive Kew OS 5/112. Ordnance Survey Map of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens |location=London}}</ref><ref name=powc-secrets/> {| class="wikitable" |+Former plant houses |'''Official number''' |'''Name''' |'''Notes''' |- |No. 2 |Tropical Fern House | rowspan="4" |Located in the gardens to the north of the Princess of Wales Conservatory |- |No. 3 |Temperate Fern House |- |No. 4 |Conservatory |- |No. 5 |Succulent House |- |No. 7 |Gesneriads and Rhipsalis, formerly (1939) South African House | rowspan="15" |Located on the site of the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Plant Houses Nos. 7 to 14b inclusive were collectively known as the "T" Range because of their T-shaped plan. |- |No. 7a |Sherman Hoyt Cactus House |- |No. 7b |South African Succulent House |- |No. 8 |Orchid House, formerly (1939) Begonia House |- |No. 9 |Orchid House, formerly (1939) Stove |- |No. 9a |Nepenthes |- |No. 10 |Victoria amazonica House |- |No. 10a |Impatiens |- |No. 11 |Bromeliad House, formerly (1939) Economic House |- |No. 12 |South African House, formerly (1939) Economic House |- |No. 12a |Insectivorous Plants House |- |No. 13 |Orchid House (1939) |- |No. 14 |Orchid House (1939) |- |No. 14a |Begonia House |- |No. 14b |Begonia House |- |No. 14c |Special Exhibition House (1939) | |- BEGONIA HOUSE

|No. 2a |Filmy Fern House |Located on the north face of Orangery |} The extant '''Aroid House''' (now the '''Nash Conservatory''') was designated Plant House No. 1 and the '''Water Lily House''' was Plant House No. 15.

===Ornamental buildings=== ====Great Pagoda==== [[File:Kew Gardens - Pagoda 01.jpg|thumb|upright|The Pagoda]] {{Main|Great Pagoda, Kew Gardens}} In the southeast corner of Kew Gardens stands the Great [[Pagoda]] (by [[Sir William Chambers]]), erected in 1762, from a design in imitation of the [[Chinese pagoda|Chinese ''Ta'']]. The lowest of the ten octagonal storeys is {{convert|15|m|0|abbr=on}} in diameter. From the base to the highest point is {{convert|50|m|0|abbr=on}}.

Each storey finishes with a projecting roof, after the Chinese manner, originally covered with ceramic tiles and adorned with large dragons; a tale is still propagated that they were made of gold and were reputedly sold by [[George IV]] to settle his debts.<ref>{{cite web|author=Morley, James |url=http://www.kew.org/heritage/places/pagoda.html |title=''Kew, History & Heritage'' |publisher=Kew |date=1 August 2002 |access-date=24 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615203159/http://www.kew.org/heritage/places/pagoda.html |archive-date=15 June 2012 }}</ref> In fact the dragons were made of wood painted gold, and simply rotted away with the ravages of time. The walls of the building are composed of brick. The staircase, 253 steps, is in the center of the building. During the [[Second World War]] holes were cut in each floor to allow for drop-testing of model bombs.

The Pagoda was closed to the public for many years but was reopened for the summer months of 2006. It has been renovated in a major restoration project and reopened under the aegis of [[Historic Royal Palaces]] in 2018.<ref>{{ cite web | title=Dragons to return to The Great Pagoda at Kew after 200-year hunt | publisher=Historic Royal Palaces | url=http://www.hrp.org.uk/news-and-media/press-resources/kew-palace-press-releases-and-archives/dragons-to-return-to-the-great-pagoda-at-kew-after-200-year-hunt | access-date=29 July 2016}}</ref> 80 dragons have been remade and now sit on each storey of the building.

====Japanese Gateway (Chokushi-Mon)==== [[File:Kew Gardens Japanese Gateway.jpg|thumb|left|The Japanese Gateway (Chokushi-Mon)]]

Built for the [[Japan-British Exhibition (1910)]] and moved to Kew in 1911, the Chokushi-Mon ("Imperial Envoy's Gateway") is a four-fifths scale replica of the [[karamon]] (gateway) of the [[Nishi Hongan-ji]] temple in [[Kyoto]]. It lies about {{Nowrap|140 m}} north of the Pagoda and is surrounded by a reconstruction of a traditional Japanese garden.

====Minka House==== [[File:Kew Gardens Minka House.jpg|thumb|The [[Machiya|Minka House]]]]

Following the Japan 2001 festival,<ref name="Japan 2001">{{cite news | url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2001/02/15/news/japan-2001-fest-set-to-take-center-stage-in-u-k/#.UuTIBbRFDDA | title='Japan 2001′ fest set to take center stage in U.K. | work=[[The Japan Times]] | date=15 February 2001 | access-date=26 January 2014}}</ref> Kew acquired a Japanese wooden house called a [[Machiya|minka]]. It was originally erected in around 1900 in a suburb of [[Okazaki, Aichi|Okazaki]] and is now located within the bamboo collection in the west-central part of Kew Gardens. Japanese craftsmen reassembled the framework and British builders who had worked on the [[Shakespeare's Globe|Globe Theatre]] added the mud wall panels.

Work on the house started on 7 May 2001 and, when the framework was completed on {{Nowrap|21 May}}, a Japanese ceremony was held to mark what was considered an auspicious occasion. Work on the building of the house was completed in November 2001 but the internal artifacts were not all in place until 2006.

====Queen Charlotte's Cottage==== [[File:Kew Gardens Queen Charlottes Cottage.jpg|thumb|left|[[Queen Charlotte's Cottage]]]] {{Main|Queen Charlotte's Cottage}} Within the conservation area is a cottage that was built sometime before 1771 for [[Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Queen Charlotte]] by her husband [[George III]]. It has been restored by [[Historic Royal Palaces]] and is separately administered by them.<ref>{{cite web|title=Queen Charlotte's Cottage|url=https://www.hrp.org.uk/kew-palace/whats-on/queen-charlottes-cottage/ |publisher=Historic Royal Palaces|access-date=11 November 2015}}</ref> It is open to the public on weekends and bank holidays during the summer.

==== King William's Temple ==== [[File:King William's Temple Kew Gardens.jpg|thumb|King William's Temple]] A double porticoed [[Doric order|Doric]] temple in stone with a series of cast-iron panels set in the inside walls commemorating British military victories from [[Battle of Minden|Minden]] (1759) to [[Waterloo Campaign|Waterloo]] (1815). It was built in 1837 by Sir [[Jeffery Wyatville]], and originally called '''The Pantheon'''. Named after King [[William IV]] (1830–37). It is Grade II listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1251785|desc=King William's temple |access-date=27 November 2017}}</ref>

==== Temple of Aeolus ==== [[File:The Temple of Aeolus Kew Gardens.jpg|thumb|left|The Temple of Aeolus]] A domed rotunda with eight [[Tuscan order|Tuscan columns]]. The original temple was built in 1763 by Sir [[William Chambers (architect)|William Chambers]]. The present temple is an 1845 replacement by [[Decimus Burton]]. It is Grade II listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1262669|desc=Temple of Aeolus |access-date=27 November 2017}}</ref> The temple was one of three originally named to honour British victories in the [[Seven Years' War]], in this case the name commemorates [[HMS Aeolus (1758)|HMS ''Aeolus'']].<ref name="Mcewen">{{cite journal |last=Mcewen |first=Ron |title=Solving the Mysteries of Kew's Extant Garden Temples |date=2018 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26589606 |journal=Garden History |volume=46 |issue=2 |pages=196–216 |jstor=26589606 |access-date=11 February 2022}}</ref>

==== Temple of Arethusa ==== [[File:Temple of Arethusa Kew Gardens.jpg|thumb|The Temple of Arethusa]] A small Greek temple portico with two [[Ionic order|Ionic columns]] and two outer Ionic pillars; it is pedimented with a cornice and key pattern frieze. It was built in 1758 by Sir William Chambers. It is Grade II listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1251777|desc=Temple of Arethusa |access-date=27 November 2017}}</ref> Similar to the temple of Aeolus and Bellona, she was later named to commemorate the warship [[HMS Arethusa (1759)|HMS ''Arethusa'']].<ref name="Mcewen"/>

==== Temple of Bellona ==== [[File:Temple of Bellona Kew Gardens.jpg|thumb|left|The Temple of Bellona]] A whitewashed [[stucco]] temple. The façade has a portico of two pairs of Doric columns with a [[metope]] frieze pediment and an oval dome behind. Inside is a room with an oval domed center. On the walls garlands and medallions with the names and numbers of British and [[Hanoverian Army|Hanoverian]] units connected with the [[Seven Years' War]]. It was built in 1760 by Sir William Chambers and eventually named after [[HMS Bellona (1760)|HMS ''Bellona'']].<ref name="Mcewen"/> It is Grade II listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1262581|desc=Temple of Bellona |access-date=27 November 2017}}</ref>

==== The Ruined Arch ==== [[File:Ruined Arch Kew Gardens.jpg|thumb|The Ruined Arch]] A brick arch with rustication in stucco. A triple-arched opening with oculi above lower side arches, it has a stone band course and a fragmented blocked cornice and brick offering, and a corniced doorway. It was built in 1759–60 by Sir William Chambers. It is Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1251956|desc=Ruined Arch |access-date=27 November 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Kew Gardens Ice House.jpg|thumb|left|The entrance to the Ice House]]

==== Ice House ==== The Ice House is believed to be early 18th-century, it has a brick dome with an access arch and barrel-vaulted passageway, covered by a mound of earth. It is Grade II listed.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1251799|desc=Ice House |access-date=29 November 2017}}</ref>

==== Temple of the Sun ==== Formerly located 90 metres southeast of the Orangery.<ref name=":2" /> Designed by Sir William Chambers in 1761, it was inspired by Baalbek's [[Temple of Bacchus]] in Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Folly trail, Kew |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/trails/folly-trail |access-date=7 December 2024}}</ref> It was a glazed building surrounded by eight classical columns. The temple was destroyed by a falling tree in the storm of 27 March 1916, some sources say 28 May 1916.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kew Gardens Temple of the Sun |url=https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/M615202/Kew-Gardens-Temple-of-the-Sun |access-date=7 December 2024}}</ref>

===Kew Palace=== {{Main|Kew Palace}} [[File:The Dutch House at Kew Palace.jpg|thumb|[[Kew Palace|The Palace at Kew]], with the sundial in the foreground]]

Kew Palace is the smallest of the British royal palaces. It was built by [[Samuel Fortrey]], a Dutch merchant in around 1631. It was later purchased by [[George III]]. The construction method is known as [[Flemish bond]] and involves laying the bricks with long and short sides alternating. This and the gabled front give the construction a Dutch appearance.

To the rear of the building is the "Queen's Garden" which includes a collection of plants believed to have medicinal qualities. Only plants that were extant in England by the 17th century are grown in the garden.

The building underwent significant restoration, with leading conservation architects [[Donald Insall Associates]], before being reopened to the public in 2006.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk/projects/project/kew-palace | title=Kew Palace | publisher=[[Donald Insall Associates]] | access-date=2 October 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009031946/http://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk/projects/project/kew-palace | archive-date=9 October 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> It is administered separately from Kew Gardens, by [[Historic Royal Palaces]].

In front of the palace is a [[sundial]], which was given to Kew Gardens in 1959 to commemorate a royal visit. It was sculpted by Martin Holden and is a replica of one by [[Thomas Tompion]], a celebrated 17th-century clockmaker, which had been sited near the surviving palace building since 1832 to mark the site of [[James Bradley]]'s observations leading to his discovery of the [[aberration of light]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pmsa.org.uk/pmsa-database/3931/|title=Kew Gardens Sundial|work=Public Monuments and Sculpture Association|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129173109/http://pmsa.org.uk/pmsa-database/3931/|archive-date=29 January 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=13 July 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/11959/sundial|title=Thomas Tompion (bapt.1639 d. 1713) – Sundial|website=www.royalcollection.org.uk|access-date=15 October 2017}}</ref>

===Galleries and museums=== Admission to the galleries and museum is free after paying admission to the gardens. The International Garden Photographer of the Year Exhibition is an annual event with an indoor display of entries during the summer months.

====Shirley Sherwood Gallery==== [[File:Kew Gardens Sherwood Gallery.jpg|thumb|left|The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanic Art]]

The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanic Art opened in April 2008, and holds paintings from Kew's and Dr [[Shirley Sherwood]]'s collections, many of which had never been displayed to the public before. It features paintings by artists such as [[Georg Dionysius Ehret|Georg D. Ehret]], the [[Franz Bauer|Bauer brothers]], [[Pierre-Joseph Redouté]] and [[Walter Hood Fitch]]. The paintings and drawings are cycled on a six-monthly basis. The gallery is linked to the Marianne North Gallery (see below).

====Museum No. 1==== Near the Palm House is a building known as the General Museum or "Museum No. 1" (even though it is now the only museum on the site), which was designed by [[Decimus Burton]] and opened in 1857. Housing Kew's economic botany collections including tools, ornaments, clothing, food and medicines, its aim was to illustrate human dependence on plants. The building was refurbished in 1998. The upper two floors are now an education center and the ground floor houses The Botanical restaurant. Due to its historical holdings, Kew is a member of the [[London Museums of Health & Medicine]] group.<ref>{{cite web|title=Medical Museums|url=http://medicalmuseums.org/|website=medicalmuseums.org|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref>

====Marianne North Gallery==== [[File:Kew Gardens Marian North Gallery.jpg|right|thumb|The Marianne North Gallery of Botanic Art]]

The Marianne North Gallery was built in the 1880s to house the paintings of [[Marianne North]], an MP's daughter who travelled alone to North and South America, South Africa, and many parts of Asia, at a time when women rarely did so, to paint plants. The gallery has 832 of her paintings. She left the paintings to Kew on condition that the layout of the paintings in the gallery would not be altered.

The gallery had suffered considerable structural degradation since its creation and during a period from 2008 to 2009 major restoration and refurbishment took place, with works led by leading conservation architects [[Donald Insall Associates]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk/projects/project/marianne-north-gallery-royal-botanic-gardens-kew | title=Marianne North Gallery, Royal Botanic Gardens | publisher=[[Donald Insall Associates]] | access-date=2 October 2015 | archive-date=9 October 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009030954/http://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk/projects/project/marianne-north-gallery-royal-botanic-gardens-kew | url-status=dead }}</ref> During the time the gallery was closed the opportunity was also taken to restore the paintings to their original condition. The gallery reopened in October 2009.

The gallery originally opened in 1882 and is still the only permanent exhibition in Great Britain dedicated to the work of one woman.

==== Museums and administration buildings ==== The '''School of Horticulture''' building was formerly known as the '''Reference Museum''' or '''Museum No. 2'''.<ref name=":0" />

'''Museum No. 3''' was originally known as the '''Timber Museum'''; it opened in 1863 and closed in 1958.<ref name=":1" />

[[Cambridge Cottage]], which is Grade II listed,<ref>{{NHLE|num=1065396|desc=Cambridge Cottage |access-date=28 November 2017}}</ref> is a former residence of the [[Duke of Cambridge]] (1819–1904).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cambridge Cottage|url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1384256&sort=4&search=all&criteria=royal%20william&rational=q&recordsperpage=10&p=11&move=p&nor=226&recfc=0&resourceID=19191|website=Heritage Gateway}}</ref> became part of the gardens in 1904, and was opened in 1910 as the '''Museum of British Forestry''' or '''Museum No. 4'''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.kew.org/science/collections/economic-botany-collection/explore-the-collection/wood-collection-xylarium|title=Wood collection at Kew}}</ref> After 1958 it was known as the '''Wood Museum''' and displayed samples of wood from around the world.<ref name=":0" /> Today it is a meeting and function venue.

Adjacent to Kew Green and running southeast from the Main Gates (now Elizabeth Gate) were a number of administrative buildings. These included, in 1894, a Curator's residence; Kew cottage; Director's residence; Director's Office; Office of Works yard; Cambridge cottage and King's cottage.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Ordnance Survey |title=Old Ordnance Survey maps: Kew, Gunnersbury and Old Brentford |date=1894 |publisher=Alan Godfrey |location=Consett}} Reprinted 1991 and later years, {{ISBN|9780850544268}}</ref> By 1974 the only identified buildings were the Director's Office and the Wood Museum formerly Cambridge cottage.<ref name=":0" />

===Exhibitions===

In 2007-08, 28 large bronzes by [[Henry Moore]] were exhibited throughout the gardens.<ref>{{cite web |title=2008, London, Kew Gardens, Moore at Kew |url=https://catalogue.henry-moore.org/exhibitions/569/2008-london-kew-gardens-moore-at-kew |publisher=Henry Moore.org |access-date=9 May 2026}}</ref>

In 2017, Rebecca Louise Law displayed some 375,000 preserved plants and flowers in the Life In Death exhibition.<ref>{{cite web |title=Autumn at Kew Gardens |url=https://www.kew.org/about-us/press-media/autumn-at-kew-2017 |access-date=9 May 2026 |date=9 June 2017}}</ref>

[[Dale Chihuly]] hosted the exhibition Reflection on Nature in 2019, with 30 sculptures displayed in the gardens, and an evening event.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coady-Stemp |first=Emily |date=24 April 2019 |title=Iconic glass sculptor Dale Chihuly returns to Kew Gardens with bold and beautiful exhibition |url=https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/news/25042019-dale-chihuly-returns-to-kew |access-date=9 May 2026 |website=South West Londoner}}</ref>

Exhibitions at the Shirley Sherwood gallery have included: Zadok Ben-David: Natural Reserve, by Jan Hendrix, 2021–22;<ref name="Shirley Sherwood Exhibitions"/> Elegant and Enchanting, the habitats and flora of Japan, China, and Thailand, 2021–22;<ref name="Shirley Sherwood Exhibitions"/> The Wonderful World of Water Plants, 2023;<ref name="Shirley Sherwood Exhibitions"/> Young Botanical Artist Competition, 2023–24;<ref name="Shirley Sherwood Exhibitions"/> Light into Life by Shirley Sherwood and [[Marc Quinn]], 2024 (both in the gallery and outside), where some of the sculptures were inspired by plants that had contributed to medicinal drug discovery;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Westall |first=Mark |date=7 May 2024 |title=Marc Quinn opens major solo exhibition at Kew Gardens inspired by nature and science |url=https://fadmagazine.com/2024/05/07/marc-quinn-opens-major-solo-exhibition-at-kew-gardens-inspired-by-nature-and-science/ |access-date=9 May 2026 |website=FAD Magazine}}</ref> Botanical Blues by Felicity Aylieff, 2025;<ref name="Shirley Sherwood Exhibitions"/> The Power of Trees, 2025;<ref name="Shirley Sherwood Exhibitions"/> A Celebration of India's Rich Biodiversity, 2025–26.<ref name="Shirley Sherwood Exhibitions">{{cite web |title=Exhibitions |url=https://shirleysherwood.com/exhibition |publisher=The Shirley Sherwood Collection |access-date=9 May 2026}}</ref>

The largest ever exhibition of Henry Moore sculptures, paintings and prints is being displayed at Kew Gardens between 2026 and the end of January 2027. The exhibition is called Monumental Nature.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Low |first=Harry |date=2026-05-09 |title=Henry Moore work to be displayed at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9v3yk7127yo |access-date=9 May 2026 |website=BBC News}}</ref>

==Science==

===Plant collections=== [[File:Orchid flowers and pitchers at Kew - geograph.org.uk - 1156285.jpg|thumb|left|Part of the "Tropical Extravaganza" for Kew's 250th anniversary in 2009]]

The living plant collections include the Alpine and Rock Garden, Aquatic, Arboretum, Arid, Aroid, Bonsai, Bromeliad, Carnivorous Plant, Cycad, Fern, Grass, Island Flora, Mediterranean Garden, Orchid, Palm, Temperate Herbaceous, Tender Temperate, Tropical Herbaceous, and Tropical Woody and Climbers Collections.<ref name="Kew Plants">{{cite web |title=Plants |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/plants |publisher=Kew Gardens |access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref>

The Aquatic Garden is near the Jodrell laboratory. The Aquatic Garden, which celebrated its centenary in 2009, provides conditions for aquatic and marginal plants. The large central pool holds a selection of summer-flowering water lilies and the corner pools contain plants such as reed mace, bulrushes, [[Phragmites]] and smaller floating aquatic species.<ref>{{cite web |title=Aquatic Collection |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/plants/aquatic-collection |publisher=Kew Gardens |access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref>

The Bonsai Collection is housed in a dedicated greenhouse near the Jodrell laboratory.<ref name=bonsai/>

The Arid Collection (including [[Cactaceae]] and many other [[succulent plants]]) is housed in the Tropical Nursery, the Princess of Wales Conservatory and the Temperate House.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arid Collection |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/plants/arid-collection |publisher=Kew Gardens |access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref>

The Carnivorous Plant collection is housed in the Princess of Wales Conservatory.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carnivorous Plant Collection |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/plants/carnivorous-plant-collection |publisher=Kew Gardens |access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref>

The Grass Garden was created on its current site in the early 1980s to display ornamental and economic grasses; it was redesigned and replanted between 1994 and 1997. Over 580 species of grasses are displayed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grass Collection |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/plants/grass-collection |publisher=Kew Gardens |access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref>

The Orchid Collection is housed in two climate zones within the Princess of Wales Conservatory. To maintain an interesting display the plants are changed regularly so that those on view are generally flowering. The Rock Garden, originally built of limestone in 1882, is now constructed of Sussex sandstone from [[West Hoathly]], [[Sussex]]. The rock garden is divided into six geographic regions: Europe, Mediterranean and Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, North America, and South America. There are currently 2,480 different "accessions" growing in the garden.<ref>{{cite web |title=Orchid Collection |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/plants/orchids-collection |publisher=Kew Gardens |access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref>

{{wide image|Kew Gardens 6262-79.jpg|800px|align-cap=center|The Palm House and lake to Victoria Gate|100%}}

The Arboretum, which covers the southern two-thirds of the site, contains over 11,000 trees of many thousands of varieties.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arboretum |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/plants/arboretum |publisher=Kew Gardens |access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Arboretum |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-in-the-gardens/arboretum |publisher=Kew Gardens |access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>

{{anchor|Herbarium}} === Herbarium === {{Main|Kew Herbarium}} The Kew [[Herbarium]] is one of the largest in the world with approximately {{Nowrap|7 million}} specimens used primarily for [[Taxonomy (biology)|taxonomic]] study. The herbarium is rich in [[Type (biology)|types]] for all regions of the world, especially the tropics, and is currently growing with 30,000 new specimen additions annually through international collaborations. The Kew Herbarium is of global importance, attracting researchers from and supporting and engaging in the science of [[botany]] all over the world, especially the field of [[biodiversity]]. A large part of the herbarium has been [[Digitization|digitised]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://apps.kew.org/herbcat/gotoHomePage.do |title=Kew Herbarium Catalogue |access-date=1 August 2020 |archive-date=31 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231130827/http://apps.kew.org/herbcat/gotoHomePage.do |url-status=live }}</ref> and is available to the general public on-line.<ref name=collections>{{cite web |url=http://www.kew.org/collections/herbcol.html |title=Kew website, Herbarium Collections |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=19 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006080340/http://www.kew.org/collections/herbcol.html |archive-date=6 October 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.kew.org/herbcat/navigator.do |title=Welcome to the Kew Herbarium Catalogue |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=19 October 2016}}</ref> The ''[[Index Herbariorum]]'' code assigned to the Kew herbarium is '''K'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/herbarium-details/?irn=125812|title=Index Herbariorum|publisher=Steere Herbarium, New York Botanical Garden|access-date=25 November 2021}}</ref> and it is used when citing housed specimens.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="175px"> File:Kew Herbarium old wing.jpg|Kew Herbarium old wing File:Kew Herbarium, storage in old wing.jpg|Kew Herbarium, storage in the old wing File:Solanum cheesmaniae herbarium sheet Charles Darwin Chatham Island Galapagos Sept 1835.jpg|''[[Solanum cheesmaniae]]'' Kew herbarium sheet prepared by [[Charles Darwin]], Chatham Island, Galapagos, September 1835 File:Kew Herbarium pressed and boxed specimens of Raphia australis.jpg|Kew Herbarium pressed and boxed specimens of ''[[Raphia australis]]'' </gallery>

Kew Gardens holds further collections of scientific importance including a [[fungarium]] (for [[fungi]]), a plant [[DNA]] bank and a [[seed bank]].<ref name=collections/> The Kew Fungarium houses approximately 1.25 million specimens of dried fungi.<ref>[https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/fungarium "The Fungarium"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810055713/https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/fungarium |date=10 August 2020 }} Retrieved March 2020</ref>

=== Library and Archives ===

The Library & Archives at Kew are one of the world's largest botanical collections,<ref name=library>{{cite web|title=The Library|publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/library|access-date=1 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Library and Archives {{!}} Kew |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-in-the-gardens/library-and-archives |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=www.kew.org |language=en}}</ref> with over half a million items, including books, botanical illustrations, photographs, letters and manuscripts, periodicals, and maps. The Archives, Illustrations, Rare Book collections, Main Library, and Economic Botany Library are housed within the Herbarium building. Owing to an agreement signed in 1962,<ref name=library/> the scope of the collection generally does not overlap that of the [[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]] in London,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Fortey|first=Richard|title=Dry Store Room No. 1|publisher=HarperCollins|year=2008|isbn=9780007209880}}</ref> which concerns itself with the flora of Europe and North America.

=== Forensic horticulture ===

Kew provides advice and guidance to police forces around the world where plant material may provide important clues or evidence in cases. In one famous case, the forensic science department at Kew was able to ascertain that the contents of the stomach of a headless corpse found in the river [[Thames]] contained a highly toxic African bean.<ref name="Jodrell">{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/explore/attractions/jodrell-laboratory |title=Jodrell Laboratory |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=17 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715003334/http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/explore/attractions/jodrell-laboratory |archive-date=15 July 2014 }}</ref>

=== Economic Botany ===

The Sustainable Uses of Plants Group (formerly the centre for [[Economic botany|Economic Botany]]), focuses on the uses of plants in the United Kingdom and the world's arid and semi-arid zones. The center is also responsible for the curation of the Economic Botany Collection, which contains more than 90,000 botanical raw materials and ethnographic artifacts, of which some were on display in the Plants + People exhibit in Museum No. 1 until 2016. The centre is now located in the Jodrell Laboratory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/collections/ecbot/ |title=Economic Botany Collection |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]]|access-date=17 June 2014}}</ref>

=== Jodrell Laboratory === [[File:JodLabKew.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|View of the Jodrell Laboratory across part of the grass collection]]

Named after a scientific benefactor, [[Thomas Jodrell Phillips Jodrell|Thomas J. Phillips Jodrell]], the Jodrell laboratory was established in 1876 by Kew's Director [[Joseph Dalton Hooker]] and his Assistant [[William Turner Thiselton-Dyer]] as a base for researchers in disciplines including plant physiology, anatomy and embryology, fossil botany and mycology.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Metcalfe |first1=C R |title=Jodrell Laboratory Centenary 1876–1976 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Kew |year=1976}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thiselton-Dyer |first1=W. T. |title=The Jodrell Laboratory at Kew |journal=Nature |date=November 1910 |volume=85 |issue=2143 |pages=103–104 |doi=10.1038/085103d0|bibcode=1910Natur..85..103T |s2cid=3974811 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rudall |first1=Paula J. |title=From "New Botany" to "New Systematics": an historical perspective on the Jodrell Laboratory |journal=Kew Bulletin |date=December 2022 |volume=77 |issue=4 |pages=807–818 |doi=10.1007/S12225-022-10061-0|doi-access=free |bibcode=2022KewBu..77..807R }}</ref> It represents one of the world's first non-university affiliated laboratories and is the location for early discoveries on living and fossil plants. Initially built as a small single-storey laboratory, the original Jodrell building was replaced by a larger building in 1965 and subsequently extended by the addition of the Wolfson Wing in 2006.

The celebrated botanist [[Dukinfield Henry Scott]] was Assistant Keeper of the Jodrell Laboratory from 1892 to 1906. Resident and visiting researchers during that time included the structural botanists [[Ethel Sargant]] and [[Wilson Crossfield Worsdell]], the cell biologist [[Walter Gardiner]], the marine biologist [[Felix Eugen Fritsch]], the physiologist [[Joseph Reynolds Green]] and the palaeobotanists [[William Henry Lang]] and [[Frederick Orpen Bower]].

Subsequently, the Jodrell Laboratory was established as a centre for systematic botany by the plant anatomist Charles Russell Metcalfe, Keeper of the Jodrell Laboratory from 1930 to 1969, and his successors, the cytogeneticists Keith Jones (1969–1987) and Michael David Bennett (1987–2006).

The Jodrell Laboratory has spawned other laboratories and institutes, including the [[Central Science Laboratory|Laboratory of Plant Pathology]] in Harpenden (1920), the [[Imperial Bureau of Mycology]] in Kew (1930) and the [[Millennium Seed Bank Partnership|Millennium Seed Bank]], which initially relocated to Kew's Wakehurst Place in 1993 as the Physiology Section.

=== Achievements === The world's smallest water-lily, ''[[Nymphaea thermarum]]'', was saved from extinction when it was grown from seed at Kew, in 2009.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10124250|title=Waterlily saved from extinction|last=Ghosh|first=Pallab|date=18 May 2010|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=19 May 2010}}</ref><ref name="WGI">{{cite journal| last=Magdalena|first=Carlos|date=November 2009|title=The world's tiniest waterlily doesn't grow in water!|journal=Water Gardeners International| volume=4|issue=4|url=http://www.watergardenersinternational.org/journal/4-4/carlos/thermarum_gallery1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091113093523/http://www.watergardenersinternational.org/journal/4-4/carlos/thermarum_gallery1.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=13 November 2009|access-date=19 May 2010}}</ref>

In 2022, Kew Gardens scientists identified a new species of ''[[Victoria (plant)|Victoria]]'' waterlily, ''[[Victoria boliviana]]'', that had been growing at the Gardens for over 170 years.<ref name = "V boliviana">Brewer, G. (2022, July 4). [https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/new-giant-waterlily-victoria-boliviana-discovered-at-kew "Uncovering the giant waterlily: A botanical wonder of the world."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704174606/https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/new-giant-waterlily-victoria-boliviana-discovered-at-kew |date=2022-07-04 }} Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Retrieved January 20, 2023</ref>

== Other features ==

=== Kew Constabulary ===

The gardens have their own police force, the Kew Constabulary, [[Police oath|attested]] under section 3 of the [[Parks Regulation Act 1872]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Parks Regulation Act 1872|url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Primary&PageNumber=94&NavFrom=2&parentActiveTextDocId=1052083&ActiveTextDocId=1052088&filesize=1764|access-date=2021-02-01|website=}}</ref> Formerly known as the Royal Botanic Gardens Constabulary, it is a small, specialised [[constabulary]] of two sergeants and 12 officers,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/how-many-policemen-does-it-take-to-guard-an-orchid-5366597.html |title=How many policemen does it take to guard an orchid? |author=McCarthy, Michael|date= 30 January 2001 |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> who patrol the grounds in a marked silver car. The Parks Regulation Act gives the constabulary the same powers as the [[Metropolitan Police]] within the land belonging to the gardens.<ref name= "Parks Regs">{{cite web | url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/35-36/15/section/3 | title=Parks Regulation Act 1872: 3 Definition of "park-keeper" Section 3| publisher=www.legislation.gov.uk | access-date=25 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/35-36/15/section/7 | title=Parks Regulation Act 1872: 7 Powers, duties, and privileges of park-keeper|publisher= www.legislation.gov.uk | access-date=25 August 2014}}</ref>

=== War memorials ===

The memorial to the several Kew gardeners killed in the [[World War I|First World War]] lies in the nearby [[St Luke's Church, Kew|St Luke's Church]] in Kew. It was designed by Sir [[Robert Lorimer]] in 1921.<ref>Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer</ref>

There are two memorial benches in the gardens. The Remembrance and Hope seat and the Verdun Bench, both containing parts of a felled oak tree whose acorn came from the [[Battle of Verdun|battlefield of Verdun]]. The oak was grown at Kew until a storm in 2013 damaged the tree and so required removal.

=== Refreshments ===

Kew provides multiple places to eat and drink, including The Orangery, the Pavilion Bar and Grill, the Botanical Brasserie, a Café by the Victoria Gate, and a Family Kitchen near the Children's Garden.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eating and drinking |website=Kew Gardens |url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/eating-and-drinking |access-date=14 May 2025}}</ref>

=== Irrigation Pump House ===

In 2024 the Irrigation Pump House at Kew was replaced as part of wider improvements. A new irrigation network, including this timber-enclosed facility, has been designed by [[Hugh Broughton (architect)|Hugh Broughton]] Architects and engineered by [[Stantec]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Last |first=Katie |date=2025-01-13 |title=Hugh Broughton designs fallen-leaf-inspired pump house at Kew Gardens |url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/hugh-broughton-designs-fallen-leaf-inspired-pump-house-at-kew-gardens |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=The Architects’ Journal |language=en}}</ref> The building, which acts as the ‘heartbeat’ of the system, rests on a grassy mound above an underground water tank that stores 280,000 litres of irrigation water. The Irrigation Pump House is situated close to Kew's Treetop Walkway and has been designed in the [[Biomorphism|bio-morphic]] architectural style with an oval form intended to mimic a fallen leaf when seen from above, while its structure of interlocking European Larch struts makes reference to palm fronds.<ref>{{cite web |date=2025-02-01 |title=Hugh Broughton Architects conceals Kew Pumping Station with larch slats |url=https://www.dezeen.com/2025/02/01/kew-pumping-station-hugh-broughton-architects/ |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=[[Dezeen]]}}</ref>

==Media==

Films, documentaries and other media made about Kew Gardens include:<ref name="Videos">{{cite web | url=http://www.kew.org/discover/videos | title=Videos | publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | access-date=24 May 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618095140/http://www.kew.org/discover/videos | archive-date=18 June 2015 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref> * A short colour film ''World Garden'' by [[cinematographer]] [[Geoffrey Unsworth]] in 1942<ref name="World Garden">{{cite web | url=http://film.britishcouncil.org/world-garden | title=World Garden | publisher=[[The British Council]] | work=British Council Film Collection | access-date=24 January 2014}}</ref> * ''A Year at Kew'' — a 2005 documentary of "behind the scenes" at Kew Gardens<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/genres/factual/homesandgardens BBC website: ''A Year at Kew''], 2005</ref> * Three series of ''A Year at Kew'' (2007), filmed for BBC television and released on DVD<ref name="Year">{{cite news | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qjcf/episodes/guide | title=A Year at Kew | work=Episode guide | publisher= [[BBC]]|year=2007 | access-date=26 January 2014}}</ref> * ''Cruickshank on Kew: The Garden That Changed the World'', a 2009 BBC documentary, presented by [[Dan Cruickshank]], exploring the history of the relationship between Kew Gardens and the [[British Empire]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00k7nww |title=BBC Two: Cruickshank on Kew: The Garden That Changed the World |publisher=[[BBC]]|date=10 December 2011 |access-date=24 April 2012}}</ref> * [[David Attenborough]]'s 2012 ''[[Kingdom of Plants 3D]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/discover/videos/kingdom-plants-david-attenborough|title=Kew: Kingdom of Plants with David Attenborough|publisher=Kew.org|access-date=14 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006113945/http://www.kew.org/discover/videos/kingdom-plants-david-attenborough|archive-date=6 October 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> * 2014 video game ''[[Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments]]'' featured an episode The Kew Gardens Drama which centers on a murder in the building.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegamer.com/sherlock-holmes-best-murder-cases-ranked/|title=Sherlock Holmes: Best Murder Cases In The Series, Ranked|website=TheGamer|date=17 January 2022|accessdate=12 February 2022|first=Charlene|last=Maria}}</ref>

In 1921 [[Virginia Woolf]] published her short story "[[Kew Gardens (short story)|Kew Gardens]]", which gives brief descriptions of four groups of people as they pass by a flowerbed.<ref name="Early fiction">{{cite encyclopedia | url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/647786/Virginia-Woolf/260662/Early-fiction#ref927535 | title=Virginia Woolf: early fiction | encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] | date=2 December 2013 | access-date=26 June 2014 | author=Reid, Panthea | pages=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/woolf/monday/monday-07.html|title=Kew Gardens|author=[[Virginia Woolf|Woolf, Virginia]]|date=1921|archive-date=20 October 2023|access-date=14 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020191859/https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/woolf/monday/monday-07.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Access and transport== [[File:Kew Gardens, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, TW9 (3039724552).jpg|thumb|Elizabeth Gate]]

Kew Gardens is accessible by four gates that are open to the public: the Elizabeth Gate, at the west end of [[Kew Green]], and was originally called the Main Gate before being renamed in 2012 to commemorate the [[Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II]];<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/9993864.Royalty_opens_Kew_Gardens__Elizabeth_Gate/|title=Royalty opens Kew Gardens' Elizabeth Gate|work=[[Richmond and Twickenham Times]]|date=21 October 2012|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> the Brentford Gate, which faces the River Thames; the Victoria Gate (named after [[Queen Victoria]]), situated in Kew Road, which is also the location of the Visitors' Centre; and the Lion Gate, also situated in Kew Road.<ref name="Gates">{{cite web | url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/plan-your-visit/which-gate-to-use | title=Which gate to use | publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] | work=Visit Kew Gardens | access-date=30 December 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211022204/http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/plan-your-visit/which-gate-to-use | archive-date=11 February 2015 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Other gates that are not open to the public include Unicorn Gate, Cumberland Gate and Jodrell Gate (all in Kew Road), Isleworth Gate (facing the Thames), and Oxenhouse Gate (south boundary with Old Deer Park).<ref name=":0" />

[[File:Victoria Gate, Kew Gardens, London.jpg|thumb|left|Victoria Gate]]

[[Kew Gardens station (London)|Kew Gardens station]], which opened in 1869 and now runs [[London Underground]] ([[District line]]) and [[London Overground]] ([[Mildmay line]]) services, is the nearest train station to the gardens: it is only {{convert|400|m}} along Lichfield Road from the Victoria Gate entrance.<ref name=transport>{{cite web|url=https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/getting-here|publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|title=Getting here|access-date= 6 December 2024}}</ref> [[Kew Bridge station]], on the other side of the Thames, 800 metres from the Elizabeth Gate entrance via [[Kew Bridge]], is served by [[South Western Railway (train operating company)|South Western Railway]] trains from [[Clapham Junction railway station|Clapham Junction]] and [[London Waterloo railway station|Waterloo]].<ref name=transport/>

[[London Buses route 65]], between Ealing Broadway and Kingston, stops near the Lion Gate and Victoria Gate entrances; [[London Buses route 110|route 110]], between Hammersmith and Hounslow, stops near Kew Gardens station; while routes [[London Buses route 237|237]] and [[London Buses route 267|267]] stop at Kew Bridge station.<ref name=transport/>

[[London River Services]] operate from Westminster during the summer, stopping at [[Kew Pier]], {{convert|500|m}} from Elizabeth Gate.<ref name=transport/> Cycle racks are located just inside the Victoria Gate, Elizabeth Gate and Brentford Gate entrances. There is a 300-space car park outside Brentford Gate, reached via Ferry Lane, as well as some free, though restricted, on-street parking on Kew Road.<ref name=transport/>

==See also==

* [[List of World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom]] * [[Royal Botanic Gardens Kew]], which manages Kew Gardens and Wakehurst Place * [[Wakehurst Place]] * [[:Category:Botanists active in Kew Gardens|Botanists active at Kew Gardens]] * [[The Great Plant Hunt]] – a primary school science initiative created by Kew Gardens, commissioned and funded by the [[Wellcome Trust]] * ''[[Index Kewensis]]'', a massive index of plant names started and maintained by Kew Gardens * ''[[Kew Bulletin]]'', a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal on plant and fungal taxonomy published by [[Springer Science+Business Media]] on behalf of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=<ref name="houses_of_glass_p300">Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. ''Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type''. The MIT Press, 1990 (p300)</ref><ref name="houses_of_glass_p140">Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. ''Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type''. The MIT Press, 1990 (p140)</ref><ref name="houses_of_glass_p296">Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. ''Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type''. The MIT Press, 1990 (p296)</ref><ref name="houses_of_glass_p299">Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. ''Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type''. The MIT Press, 1990 (p299)</ref> }}

==Further reading== * [[Wilfrid Jasper Walter Blunt|Blunt, Wilfrid]]. ''In for a Penny: A Prospect of Kew Gardens'' (Hamish Hamilton, 1978) * Desmond, Ray. ''Kew: The History of the Royal Botanical Gardens'' (Harvill Press, 1995) * {{cite book |title=The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. An illustrated guide. Third Edition. |date=1959 |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/kew-gardens-guide-hmso-images}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew}} {{Wikispecies|K}} * [https://www.kew.org/ Official website] * {{cite EB1911|wstitle= Kew | volume= 15 | page = 767 |short=x}} — The Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew originated in..... {{Kew Gardens}} {{Navboxes| state = expanded|list1= {{Parks and open spaces in London}} {{LB Richmond upon Thames}} {{World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom}} {{London landmarks}} }}

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