Recreating Queen Mary’s Exoticks

During Mary’s reign, plants were kept over winter in three specially designed glasshouses, built by a Dutch carpenter. These were among the earliest greenhouses in England.​

During the summer months, the plants were displayed outdoors, in the warmest part of the gardens, an area that had once been Henry VIII's fish ponds. Moving the plants from the glasshouses was a huge task for the 17th Century gardens team, with no modern machinery to help.​

Since 1987, Hampton Court Palace Gardens and Estate team have been rebuilding the Exoticks collection. The gardeners researched the original specimens in Mary’s collection and started growing them through partnerships with local nurseries and British and European suppliers. Many have been grown from seed.

There are now around 256 plant species in the collection, including many types of citrus and a wide range of succulents.

Many plants in the collection were considered exotic in the 17th century, but are much more familiar today as houseplants or patio plants. Some of the plants are from the southern hemisphere and flower during the winter months in the UK.

This blood lily is native to South Africa.​

This evergreen succulent, Aloe microstigma, also comes from South Africa.

Lantanas first appeared in the Exotick collection in the 17th century. Since 2008 they have formed a National Plant Collection in their own right.

Many varieties have flowers that change colour as they mature. Lantana is used in summer bedding schemes around Hampton Court Palace gardens.​

The display of the pots is almost as important as the plants themselves. The pots are replicas of 17th-century style planters and are painted by hand. ​​

The design of these terracotta pots is based on fragments found during the restoration of Paleis Het Loo.