Kew Gardens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kew Gardens |
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A view across the gardens to the Palm House in Kew Gardens, in London, England
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| Type | Botanical |
| Location | London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England |
| Area | 121 hectares (300 acres) |
| Visitors | more than 1.35 million per year |
| Species | > 50,000 |
| Public transit access |   Kew Gardens |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Official name | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iii), (iv) |
| Inscription | 2003 (27th Session) |
| Area | 132 ha (330 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 350 ha (860 acres) |
Kew Gardens is a famous plant garden in southwest London. It holds the world's largest and most varied collections of plants and fungi. The garden started in 1759. It grew from an exotic garden at Kew Park.
Kew Gardens has over 27,000 types of living plants. Its herbarium (a collection of dried plants) is one of the biggest in the world. It has more than 8.5 million preserved plant and fungus samples. The library at Kew has over 750,000 books. It also has more than 175,000 plant drawings and prints. Kew Gardens is a top tourist spot in London. It is also a World Heritage Site.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew manages Kew Gardens. This group also manages the botanic gardens at Wakehurst in Sussex. It is a very important place for plant research and education. Over 1,100 people work there. Kew Gardens has its own police force, called Kew Constabulary. They have been working there since 1845.
Contents
History of Kew Gardens
The area of Kew has a long royal history. In 1299, King Edward I moved his court nearby. Later, King Henry VII built a palace in 1501. Around the 16th century, royal staff settled in Kew. They built large houses there.
The gardens officially began in 1759. But their roots go back to an exotic garden. This garden was started by Henry, Lord Capell. Later, Princess Augusta, the mother of King George III, made the garden bigger. In 1772, the royal estates of Richmond and Kew joined. This is when Kew Gardens truly began.
William Chambers designed several buildings for the gardens. One of these is the tall Great Pagoda. It was built in 1761 and is still there today. King George III helped the gardens grow even more. He had help from William Aiton and Sir Joseph Banks.
In 1840, Kew Gardens became a national botanical garden. This happened thanks to the Royal Horticultural Society. Under its director, William Hooker, the gardens grew much larger. They expanded to their current size of 121 hectares (300 acres).
The Palm House was built between 1844 and 1848. It was designed by Decimus Burton and Richard Turner. It was the first large building to use wrought iron. It is seen as a very important Victorian glass and iron structure. The Temperate House is even bigger than the Palm House. It was built later in the 19th century. It is the largest Victorian glasshouse still standing.
Kew was also important for growing rubber trees. In the 19th century, they successfully grew these trees. This allowed rubber to be grown outside South America.
In July 2003, UNESCO added the gardens to its list of World Heritage Sites. The Temperate House had a big renovation. It was completed in May 2018. In 2025, Kew Gardens announced that the Palm House would close for a five-year renovation in 2027.
Five special trees still survive from 1762. They are called the 'Five Lions'. These include a ginkgo, a pagoda tree, an oriental plane, a black locust, and a Caucasian elm.
Exciting Features to Explore
Treetop Walkway
A canopy walkway opened in 2008. It lets visitors walk 18 metres (59 ft) (about 60 feet) above the ground. The walkway is 200 metres (660 ft) long. It goes through the tops of trees in a forest clearing. You can go up and down using stairs or a lift. The walkway is made of metal. It can sway a little in the wind. This makes it feel like you are really in the trees.
Lake Crossing Bridge
The Lake Crossing bridge opened in May 2006. It is made of granite and bronze. The bridge crosses a lake in the gardens. It was designed by Buro Happold and John Pawson. The bridge has a simple, curved design. Its sides are made of bronze posts. From some angles, they look like a solid wall. But from others, you can see through them. This bridge helps visitors explore more of the gardens.
The Hive Experience
The Hive opened in 2016. It is a special experience that shows the amazing life of bees. It is 17 metres (56 ft) (56 feet) tall. The Hive is in a field of wildflowers. Wolfgang Buttress, an English artist, designed it. It is made from thousands of aluminum pieces. These pieces are shaped like a honeycomb. The Hive was so popular that it became a permanent part of Kew Gardens.
Exploring by Vehicle
Kew Explorer is a fun way to see the gardens. It is a service with two electric road trains. Each train can hold 72 people. They go in a circle around the gardens. The driver gives a commentary. There are several stops where you can get off and explore.
Giant Compost Heap
Kew Gardens has one of the biggest compost heaps in Europe. It is made from garden waste. It also uses manure from the stables of the Household Cavalry. This compost is used to help plants grow in the gardens. There is a special viewing platform. It lets visitors see the compost heap.
Guided Walks
You can take a guided tour of the gardens. Trained volunteers lead these tours every day. They share interesting facts about the plants and history.
Amazing Plant Houses
Alpine House
The Davies Alpine House opened in March 2006. It is the third alpine house since 1887. It is 16 metres (52 ft) long. The roof is 10 metres (33 ft) high. This design helps air flow naturally. This is important for the alpine plants inside. Alpine plants grow high up in mountains.
The house has automatic blinds. These stop it from getting too hot. A system also blows cool air over the plants. The glass lets in a lot of light. It even lets in 90 percent of ultraviolet light. To save energy, the cooling air is not refrigerated. It is cooled by pipes buried underground. The house is designed to stay below 20 °C (68 °F). Kew has over 7,000 alpine plants. About 200 are shown at a time. They are rotated regularly.
Nash Conservatory
This building was first made for Buckingham Palace. It was moved to Kew in 1836 by King William IV. It was once called the Aroid House. It showed plants from the Araceae family. Now, it is used for exhibitions and events. It has lots of natural light. It also displays winning photos from competitions.
Orangery
The Orangery was finished in 1761. Sir William Chambers designed it. It is 28 by 10 metres (92 by 33 ft) in size. It was too dark for growing citrus plants. So, the citrus plants were moved out in 1841. Today, it is a restaurant.
Palm House
The Palm House was built from 1844 to 1848. It was a team effort by Decimus Burton and Richard Turner. It uses a frame of wrought iron arches. These arches hold up the glass panes. The glass was once tinted green. This helped reduce the heat inside. The main area is 19 metres (62 ft) high. There is a walkway at 9 metres (30 ft) high. This lets you see the tops of the palm trees. In front of the Palm House are the Queen's Beasts. These are ten animal statues with shields.
The Palm House was first heated by coal. A tall chimney, called the Campanile, helped with this. Coal was brought in by a small railway in a tunnel. Now, hot water pipes heat the Palm House.
Princess of Wales Conservatory
This conservatory opened in 1987. Diana, Princess of Wales opened it. It replaced 26 smaller buildings. It has ten different climate zones. These zones are controlled by computers. They house plants from dry and wet tropical areas. You can see many orchids, water lilies, cacti, and carnivorous plants here.
The conservatory is 4,499 square metres (48,430 sq ft; 0.4499 ha; 1.112 acres) big. It is designed to use less energy. Cooler zones are on the outside. Tropical zones are in the middle to keep heat. The glass roof goes all the way to the ground. This helps use the sun's energy. A time capsule was buried during its building. It holds seeds of important crops and endangered plants.
The Temperate House
The Temperate House reopened in May 2018. It was closed for restoration. It is twice the size of the Palm House. It is the world's largest surviving Victorian glass building. It has plants and trees from all over the world's temperate regions. Some of these plants are very rare. Decimus Burton and Richard Turner designed it. It covers 4880 square metres. It is 19 metres (62 ft) high. It took 40 years to build. There is a viewing gallery inside. You can look down on the plant collection from there.
Waterlily House
The Waterlily House is the hottest and most humid house at Kew. It has a large pond with many kinds of water lilies. It also shows other heat-loving plants. It closes in winter. This is because water lilies need a lot of daylight. It also allows for cleaning to reduce pests.
It was built for Victoria amazonica. This was the largest known water lily at the time. The ironwork for the house was done by Richard Turner. It was finished in 1852.
Evolution House
This house was a gift from the Australian Government. It opened in 1952. It was once called the Australian House. From 1995, it became known as the Evolution House. It is a building of special architectural interest.
Bonsai House
The Bonsai House used to be called Alpine House No. 24. Kew has about sixty bonsai trees. They are shown in the house at different times of the year. The collection includes a 100-year-old Japanese maple. There is also a 200-year-old temple maple.
Beautiful Buildings and Structures
Great Pagoda
In the southeast of Kew Gardens is the Great Pagoda. Sir William Chambers built it in 1762. It looks like a Chinese Ta (tower). It has ten octagonal floors. The lowest floor is 15 m (49 ft) wide. The Pagoda is 50 m (164 ft) tall.
Each floor has a roof like Chinese buildings. They used to have ceramic tiles and dragons. The dragons were made of wood painted gold. They wore away over time. The Pagoda was closed for many years. It reopened in 2006 for the summer. It had a big restoration and reopened in 2018. Now, 80 new dragons are on each floor.
Japanese Gateway (Chokushi-Mon)
This gateway was built for the Japan-British Exhibition in 1910. It moved to Kew in 1911. The Chokushi-Mon means "Imperial Envoy's Gateway." It is a smaller copy of a temple gateway in Kyoto, Japan. It is about 140 m north of the Pagoda. A traditional Japanese garden surrounds it.
Minka House
After a festival in 2001, Kew got a Japanese wooden house. It is called a minka. It was built around 1900 in Japan. Now, it is in the bamboo collection at Kew Gardens. Japanese builders put the wooden frame back together. British builders added the mud walls. Work on the house finished in November 2001.
Queen Charlotte's Cottage
This cottage was built before 1771. It was for Queen Charlotte. Her husband, King George III, had it built. It has been restored. It is open to the public on weekends and holidays in summer.
King William's Temple
This stone temple has two porches. It has panels inside that remember British military victories. These include battles from 1759 to 1815. Sir Jeffery Wyatville built it in 1837. It was first called The Pantheon. It is named after King William IV.
Temple of Aeolus
This temple has a dome and eight columns. Sir William Chambers built the first one in 1763. The current temple was built in 1845 by Decimus Burton. It is named after HMS Aeolus, a ship that won a battle.
Temple of Arethusa
This is a small Greek temple. It has two columns and a triangular roof. Sir William Chambers built it in 1758. It is named after HMS Arethusa, another warship.
Temple of Bellona
This temple is made of whitewashed stucco. It has a porch with columns. Inside, there is a room with a domed center. The walls have decorations with names of British and Hanovarian military units. Sir William Chambers built it in 1760. It is named after HMS Bellona.
The Ruined Arch
This is a brick arch that looks old and ruined. It has three openings. Sir William Chambers built it in 1759–60.
Ice House
The Ice House is thought to be from the early 1700s. It has a brick dome. It is covered by a mound of earth. People used it to store ice.
Kew Palace
Kew Palace is the smallest British royal palace. Samuel Fortrey, a Dutch merchant, built it around 1631. George III later bought it. Its brickwork gives it a Dutch look.
Behind the palace is the "Queen's Garden." It has plants that were used for medicine. Only plants found in England by the 17th century grow there. The palace was restored and reopened in 2006. It is managed separately from Kew Gardens. A sundial is in front of the palace. It was given to Kew in 1959.
Galleries and Museums
Entry to the galleries and museum is free once you pay to enter the gardens. The International Garden Photographer of the Year Exhibition is held every year. It shows photos indoors during the summer.
Shirley Sherwood Gallery
The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanic Art opened in April 2008. It shows paintings from Kew's collection and Dr Shirley Sherwood's collection. Many of these paintings had never been seen by the public. The paintings are changed every six months. This gallery is connected to the Marianne North Gallery.
Museum No. 1
Near the Palm House is Museum No. 1. Decimus Burton designed it. It opened in 1857. It used to show how people depend on plants. It had tools, clothes, food, and medicines. The building was updated in 1998. The top floors are now an education center. The ground floor has a restaurant.
Marianne North Gallery
The Marianne North Gallery was built in the 1880s. It holds paintings by Marianne North. She was a woman who traveled alone to paint plants. This was unusual for women at that time. The gallery has 832 of her paintings. She wanted the paintings to stay in their original layout.
The gallery was restored from 2008 to 2009. The paintings were also cleaned. The gallery reopened in October 2009. It is the only permanent exhibition in Great Britain dedicated to one woman's work.
Science at Kew Gardens
Plant Collections
Kew Gardens has many living plant collections. These include:
- Alpine and Rock Garden
- Aquatic Garden
- Arboretum (tree collection)
- Arid (dry climate plants)
- Bonsai
- Carnivorous Plants
- Orchids
- Palm trees
- Temperate plants
- Tropical plants
The Aquatic Garden is near the Jodrell laboratory. It has water lilies and other water plants. The Bonsai Collection is in its own greenhouse. The Carnivorous Plant collection is in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. The Grass Garden has over 580 types of grasses. The Orchid Collection is in two climate zones in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. The Rock Garden has plants from six different parts of the world. The Arboretum covers two-thirds of the gardens. It has over 11,000 trees.
Herbarium
The Kew Herbarium is one of the world's largest. It has about 7 million dried plant samples. These are used to study plant classification. The herbarium gets 30,000 new samples each year. Many samples have been made digital. You can see them online.
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Kew Herbarium old wing
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Kew Herbarium, storage in the old wing
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Solanum cheesmaniae Kew herbarium sheet prepared by Charles Darwin, Chatham Island, Galapagos, September 1835
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Kew Herbarium pressed and boxed specimens of Raphia australis
Kew Gardens also has a Fungarium (for fungi). It has about 1.25 million dried fungi samples. There is also a plant DNA bank and a seed bank.
Library and Archives
The Library & Archives at Kew are huge. They have over half a million items. These include books, plant drawings, photos, letters, and maps. They are one of the world's largest plant collections.
Jodrell Laboratory
The Jodrell Laboratory started in 1876. It is named after Thomas Jodrell Phillips Jodrell. It was a place for scientists to study plants. They looked at plant parts, how they grow, and fossils. It was one of the first labs not linked to a university. The original building was replaced in 1965. It was made bigger in 2006.
Achievements in Plant Science
In 2009, the world's smallest water-lily, Nymphaea thermarum, was saved from dying out. It was grown from seed at Kew. In 2022, scientists at Kew Gardens found a new species of Victoria waterlily. It was named Victoria boliviana. This plant had been growing at the Gardens for over 170 years.
Other Interesting Features
Kew Constabulary
The gardens have their own police force. It is called Kew Constabulary. It has two sergeants and 12 officers. They patrol the grounds in a marked car. They have the same powers as the Metropolitan Police within the gardens.
Places to Eat and Drink
Kew has many places to get food and drinks. These include The Orangery, the Pavilion Bar and Grill, and the Botanical Brasserie. There is also a Café by the Victoria Gate. A Family Kitchen is near the Children's Garden.
Irrigation Pump House
In 2024, a new Irrigation Pump House was built at Kew. It is part of bigger improvements. This building helps water the gardens. It looks like a fallen leaf from above. Its wooden structure looks like palm fronds.
Kew Gardens in Media
Many films and shows have been made about Kew Gardens:
- World Garden (1942) – a short film.
- A Year at Kew (2005, 2007) – a documentary series.
- Cruickshank on Kew: The Garden That Changed the World (2009) – a BBC documentary.
- David Attenborough's 2012 Kingdom of Plants 3D.
- The 2014 video game Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments has an episode set there.
In 1921, Virginia Woolf wrote a short story called "Kew Gardens". It describes different people walking through the garden.
Getting to Kew Gardens
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You can enter Kew Gardens through four gates:
- The Elizabeth Gate: At the west end of Kew Green. It was renamed in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth II.
- The Brentford Gate: Faces the River Thames.
- The Victoria Gate: On Kew Road, where the Visitors' Centre is.
- The Lion Gate: Also on Kew Road.
Kew Gardens station is the closest train station. It is about 400 metres (1,300 ft) from the Victoria Gate. It has London Underground (District line) and London Overground services. Kew Bridge station is also nearby. It is 800 metres (2,600 ft) from the Elizabeth Gate.
London Buses also stop near the gates. London River Services run boats from Westminster in summer. They stop at Kew Pier. You can find bike racks at the Victoria, Elizabeth, and Brentford Gates. There is also a car park near Brentford Gate.
See also
In Spanish: Real Jardín Botánico de Kew para niños
- List of World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
- Wakehurst Place
- The Great Plant Hunt
- Index Kewensis
- Kew Bulletin
