Wakehurst: Kew's wild botanic garden
Spanning 500 acres in the heart of Sussex, Wakehurst is a living laboratory and home to the Millennium Seed Bank and an incredible living collection.
Flowers at Wakehurst: magnolias by RBG KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Wild and wonderful
Located on the High Weald of West Sussex, Wakehurst is our wild botanic garden. Conservation and science are at the heart of everything we do here. Discover our woodlands of the world, National Plant Collections, Millennium Seed Bank and amazing conservation landscapes.
Coates Wood at Wakehurst by RBG KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Woodlands of the world
You can travel the globe at Wakehurst through our botanic collection. Our gardens are designed phytogeographically which means our plants are grouped together by their native country. Journey from Australia to Asia, North to South America, to see trees from across the world.
The Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst by RBG KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Millennium Seed Bank
It's the largest and most diverse wild plant species genetic resource in the world. 2.4 billion seeds from all over the globe are stored here in secure underground vaults at sub-zero temperatures. The aim: to safeguard the planet's plant diversity.
Flowers at Wakehurst: bluebells by RBG KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
National Plant Collections
At Wakehurst, we have National Collections of birch (Betula) and southern beeches (Nothofagus).
Our living collections at Kew and Wakehurst are the most diverse of any botanic garden in the world. The plants are grown for research, conservation, education or ornamental purposes.
Loder Valley Nature Reserve by RBG KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Conservation landscapes
There are many different conservation landscapes at Wakehurst. The Loder Valley Nature Reserve is our 150-acre wildlife haven. Its role is to conserve native flora and fauna. Among its 300 plant species live dormice, kingfishers, butterflies, badgers and many more local species.
Wakehurst gardens by RBG KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Magnificent meadows
Brimming with native flowers and grasses, Coronation Meadow is part of a research project to study grassland restoration and help protect British meadows.
We use brush harvesting, an eco-friendly conservation method, to collect seed from our wildflower meadow in Bloomers Valley.
Sowing the American Prairie at Wakehurst by RBG KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
American Prairie
The North American prairies are one of the most endangered habitats in the world. We are helping to research this iconic ecosystem through the creation of our new six-acre American Prairie. This will allow us to share important knowledge to boost understanding of this landscape.
