Glasshouses at Kew
From the steamy tropics of our Palm House to the alpine treasures of the Davies Alpine House, there are many extraordinary glasshouses in our Gardens to explore.
Palm House
This magnificent glasshouse was built between 1844 and 1848. Its design mirrors the upturned hull of a ship as the architects borrowed techniques from the shipbuilding industry.
An indoor rainforest, the hot and humid Palm House is home to many unique tropical plants.
Inside the Palm House by RBG KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Inside you'll find the oldest pot plant in the world (Encephalartos altensteinii), pink bananas, rare palms, giant bamboo and critically endangered species.
Important scientific work takes place here too, from DNA research to finding new medicines.
Temperate House
It's the world's largest Victorian glasshouse.
And home to 10,000 individual plants and 1,500 different species from Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific Islands.
All our temperate species here need to live in conditions above 10°C to survive.
Some of the Temperate House treasures
Temperate House maintenance by RBG KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
This iconic glasshouse's vast collection may help our scientists find solutions to some of the world's biggest challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss and food security.
Look out for Wood's cycad, the loneliest plant at Kew, and enset, 'the tree against hunger'.
Princess of Wales Conservatory
With a whopping 10 climatic zones, the Princess of Wales Conservatory is our most complex glasshouse.
You can journey from the cool desert to the tropical rainforest. Here, you'll discover cacti, carnivorous plants, orchids, bromeliads and many more fascinating species.
Waterlily House
Meet the hottest and most humid glasshouse at Kew: the Waterlily House.
At the time of its opening in 1852, it was the widest single-span glasshouse in the world.
Its original job was to house the natural wonder of the Victorian age, the giant waterlily (Victoria amazonica).
Nymphaea waterlily hybrid by RBG KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Today, the glasshouse displays stunning waterlilies, ferns, papyrus and hanging gourds.
Spot the unique ‘Kew-made’ waterlily hybrids, Nymphaea ‘Kew’s Stowaway Blues’ and ‘Kew’s Kabuki’.
Did you know, we empty and deep clean the Waterlily House each year for a winter shutdown?
Davies Alpine House
Our RIBA-award-winning glasshouse is home to some of the most resilient plants on the planet.
Alpine plants.
They have adapted to survive at high altitudes and in severe conditions, from the Arctic to the Alps.
Inside the Davies Alpine House by RBG KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Dry, cool and windy conditions are recreated inside for the alpines to thrive.
First nurtured in our Alpine Nursery, the plants on display here range from beautiful Campanula and bright tulips to small ferns and aromatic herbs.
All our glasshouses have an amazing story to tell.
Interested in Natural history?
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