Kew Gardens asks public for £1m for Palm House

The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew has started a public fundraising appeal to save the historic Palm House and its tropical plant collection.

The Victorian glasshouse, which has stood at the heart of the west London gardens since the 1840s, is considered to be one of the world's most important of its kind.

Now showing signs of deterioration, it needs a £66m renovation project.

So far, about half the funds have been secured from philanthropists, grants and individuals. The gardens now hope to raise a further £1m from the public.

The Victorian landmark is home to an internationally significant collection of plants from around the world, enabling visitors to experience parts of a tropical rainforest in London.

Rare, threatened and even extinct in the wild plants live at the site, as well as species that are important to human life, such as coffee, rattan palm and banana.

The collection supports Kew's research into preventing biodiversity loss, conservation and food security as well as novel ways to protect the planet's future.

Richard Deverell, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens said: "For generations, the Palm House has been a place where people encounter the extraordinary diversity of life on Earth.

"It is a building that has inspired wonder for almost 180 years, but its future cannot be taken for granted."

People can can help to support the renovation by making a direct donation, sponsoring a pane of glass or sponsoring a tropical plant species.

The Palm House will close in February as teams carry out the final phase of removing plants before reopening in summer to allow visitors to see it empty.

The building will then shut its doors for the renovation in autumn 2027, with works estimated to take between three to four years.

Improvements will include new glazing, a move to renewable heating systems and the integration of rainwater harvesting tanks, with Kew aiming to create the first carbon neutral glasshouse of its kind.

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