Have heated greenhouses had their day?
Home to more than 58,000 plants from around the globe,Kew Gardens boasts the most diverse living plant collection in the world. Kew’s heated glasshouses, including the iconic Palm House, are examples of beautiful architecture and cutting-edge Victorian technology that have made it possible for a rich variety of plants to survive Britain’s variable climate.
The Palm House opened its doors in 1848, and this remarkable indoor rainforest houses plants from some of the most threatened environments in the world. Many of the plants within are endangered, and some are on the brink of extinction in the wild.
The adjacent Waterlily House was purpose-built to display the natural wonder of the age, the giant Victoria amazonica. Today, it is home to Victoria boliviana, the largest waterlily species in the world, which, through the combined work of Kew horticulturists, scientists, botanical illustrators and experts from across the globe, was named as a new species in 2022, having previously been mistaken for the Victoria amazonica.
Both glasshouses rely on gas boilers that circulate hot water through pipes within the structures. However, a major project is being planned which aims to transition to more sustainable heat sources, while also restoring these iconic structures.
Rainforest plants may cover only two per cent of the world’s surface but they make up 50 per cent of species, and they’re vital to sustaining life on Earth. Kew scientists rely on the Palm House for DNA research, finding new medicines and conducting studies into future foods. As well as being educational and inspirational places to visit, these glasshouses therefore act as living laboratories, and play a crucial role in Kew’s mission to understand and protect plants and fungi for the future of all life on Earth. However, working sustainably is crucial in tackling the climate emergency, and we are therefore excited to be embarking on an ambitious project to create a net-zero Palm House.
We are living through such stressful times, withincreasing extremes of weather now an on-the-ground reality. There’s no ignoring that our planet is seriously struggling with climate change, as are we. Therefore, the provision of winter heating for plants has to be seriously questioned, especially when you consider that there are many low-cost, more resourceful ways to afford plants
