Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew stands on 326 acres in Richmond upon Thames, south-west London. Its 40 historically important buildings sit among lawns, glasshouses and wide tree-lined paths. The site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 for its role in botanic science and landscape design. Kew also manages Wakehurst Place in Sussex and Bedgebury National Pinetum in Kent. The Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst holds over 2.4 billion seeds from nearly 40,000 species. More than 470 scientists work at Kew, led by executive director of science Alexandre Antonelli. Kew’s collections include over 27,000 types of living plants and 8.3 million herbarium specimens. The Gardens host databases such as Plants of the World Online and the International Plant Names Index. These resources link taxonomic data with images and distribution maps for global use. The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families and the World Checklist of Vascular Plants provide authoritative naming standards. Kew collaborates with partners in over 95 countries on conservation and research. Visitors find glasshouses like the Palm House and Temperate House, each housing thousands of plants. The Treetop Walkway rises 18 metres above the ground for views across the gardens. Seasonal displays highlight orchids, lilies and autumn colour. Guided walks and family trails explore plant uses and habitats. The Marianne North Gallery displays 832 paintings of plants from around the world.