Kew Gardens' iconic Palm House, hailed as one of 'Britain's great wonders', is showing serious signs of deterioration and could soon 'be lost forever' without urgent work, experts have warned. The Victorian glasshouse, built almost 180 years ago, is corroding, with many cracked and weathered panes, and is not energy efficient.
The Royal Botanic Gardens is seeking the public's help to save the Grade I listed building and preserve its 'irreplaceable' plant collection, which includes more than 1,000 rare and endangered species and the world's oldest potted plant – an Eastern Cape giant cycad that arrived at Kew in 1775.
£66m renovation project
A £66 million renovation project has been planned, with around half of the funding secured from philanthropists, grants, and other individuals. A public appeal has been launched in hope of raising a further £1 million.
'Without urgent work, this Grade I listed building and the tropical plants it protects are at risk of being lost forever,' a statement on Kew's website reads.
Net-zero transformation
The renovation aims to transform the building into the first net-zero glasshouse of its kind, bringing together a 'world-class' team of conservationists, engineers, and sustainability experts to preserve the Victorian structure while making it a 'model of sustainability'.
As part of the project, the Palm House will close in February 2027 while plants are removed, then reopen in the summer for visitors to see it empty. It will close fully for renovation in Autumn 2027, with work estimated to take three to four years.
Visitor and ambassador support
Visitors have praised the 'impressive' structure and its 'extraordinary' plants. In a Google review, Mari_world called it 'beautiful, fascinating, and absolutely worth visiting.' Michael Sz said the Palm House 'captivated me with its historic structure, marked beautifully by the passage of time,' and Tim Husain declared it 'astonishingly beautiful', adding 'You literally feel like you're in a tropical rainforest'.
Actress Dame Judi Dench, a Palm House ambassador, has urged people to donate. She said: 'Kew's Palm House is one of Britain's great wonders. It is an irreplaceable symbol of beauty, discovery, and hope. Please support the renovation of this iconic glasshouse, and you will be making an investment in both our heritage and our future.'
How to donate
Donations can be made online, with options to give an amount of your choosing or sponsor a pane of glass or tropical plant species. All donations up to £300,000 will be doubled, thanks to two generous Kew supporters. More information is available on the Kew website.
