Science and conservation news
Keep up to date with the latest science and conservation news and blogs from Kew. Here you will find all the latest articles about our work in the UK and around the world. Research news of interest to specialists is reported in our specialist science news page and our newsletter Kew Scientist.
Specialist science news | Go behind the scenes with Kew blogs
The maidenhair tree from Princess Augusta’s original botanic garden is still thriving at Kew
14 Sep 2009
Ginkgo biloba is one of the few trees that survive from Princess Augusta’s original 1762 botanic garden.
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Chamomile considered a 'secret weapon' during the Second World War
14 Sep 2009
The camouflage properties of the chamomile plant were secretly investigated at Kew for use in concealing grass airstrips from enemy planes.
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Research from the USA reveals that smog destroys the scent that attracts bees and other pollinators to flowers
14 Sep 2009
Bees must spend more time searching for food while plants have a lower chance of being pollinated, reveals air pollution research.
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A study by a 19th-century American naturalist offers clues on current climate change in the USA
14 Sep 2009
Over 150 years since Henry David Thoreau conducted a life-long study of the plant species in the Massachusetts countryside, scientists have re-surveyed the area to discover adverse effects of climate change.
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Scientific survey reveals the future of British bluebell woods is under threat
14 Sep 2009
A comprehensive survey reveals the future of British bluebell woods is at risk of cross-fertilisation with increasing non-native varieties that are spreading from gardens to the countryside.
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Kew Foundation appeal update - Documenting plant diversity at Kew's Herbarium
09 Sep 2009
Through our own 250 years of evolution, Kew has become a global centre of plant science tackling urgent environmental challenges. Kew has described, identified and catalogued plants around the world, building the greatest concentration of botanical knowledge on the planet.
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Using native plants from Asia in medicines and health products
07 Sep 2009
Extracts from the wild ginkgo plant are used to treat asthma and digestive and circulatory problems for centuries.
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Kew research is unearthing answers to Darwin's 'abominable mystery' of the origin of flowering plants
07 Sep 2009
Kew's research is revealing answers to how and why flowering plants evolve and spread so rapidly.
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Kew scientists lead a horticultural breakthrough and cultivate café marron to bear fruit
05 Sep 2009
Kew scientists have performed a horticultural breakthrough by not only cultivating the small tree to flower regularly but for it to successfully pollinate and bear fruit.
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In harmony with nature
23 Aug 2009
A Kew magazine reader has drummed up the innovative idea of using music to promote conservation and reach young people, producing a CD in collaboration with Kew's Millennium Seed Bank.
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Specialist science news
A new typology of seed development in late winter-flowering temperate woodland plants
23 May 2013
Research at the Millennium Seed Bank (RBG Kew) and the University of Reading has identified a new typology of seed development.
What are hard seeds for?
14 May 2013
A new hypothesis has been proposed on why some seeds are hard.
Is our daily cup of coffee under threat?
08 Nov 2012
A new study from Kew suggests that Arabica coffee could be extinct in the wild within 70 years.
Director (CEO and Chief Scientist) of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to return to Australia
14 Sep 2011
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew announced today that Director (CEO and Chief Scientist), Professor Stephen Hopper FLS will step down in autumn 2012 after six years in the job.
