Kew Science blog
Explore some of the research and activities of our global science and conservation programmes. Keep up to date with current developments in Kew science and science policy.
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14th February 2018
Guinea: The Campaign for a National Flower
The Republic of Guinea is on a mission; to boost awareness of their incredible biodiversity through a new National Flower Campaign. Kew scientist Charlotte Couch, working on the Tropical Important Plant Area’s of the Republic of Guinea project, gives us an insight into the work so far.
29th January 2018
Opening the Boyacá Seed Bank in Colombia
After a Seed Conservation Techniques Training Course by Kew Scientists, the first native seed bank of Colombia was opened in a historic building at the Humboldt Institute, Villa de Leyva.
24th January 2018
Contribute to Kew’s scientific work – we need your help!
Kew needs your help – join us on a digital adventure to Singapore, retracing the collection of plants first found over 100 years ago.
15th January 2018
Cattle in the Amazon: A hidden opportunity?
Kew scientists describe an experiment in the Amazon which they hope will revolutionise cattle farming.
9th January 2018
Climbing Madagascar’s highest mountain
Kew Scientist, Maria Vorontsova, joins a team of botanists from Madagascar and China on a challenging expedition to find rare species of bamboo.
21st December 2017
Sacred trees under threat
As Christmas approaches, crimson flowers of Pōhutukawa trees line the streets of Aotearoa (the Māori name for New Zealand). Widely regarded as the national Christmas tree and deeply associated with Māori culture, this species and its relatives are under threat.
18th December 2017
Is mistletoe more than just an excuse for a kiss?
Mike Fay explores our long relationship with mistletoe, and delves into its biological peculiarities.
11th December 2017
Probably the world's heaviest living organism described in 2017?
Kew scientist Gwilym Lewis describes his involvement in and the process of discovering a new tree species in Brazil, as tall as a 12 storey building and as heavy as a sperm whale!
5th December 2017
Tubers in Trouble
Serene Hargreaves and Paul Wilkin report on the risk of extinction in Dioscorea, revealing how threatened they are, and why it matters.
27th November 2017
Species discovery and seed banking in New Guinea, Indonesia
Martin Cheek describes a recent research trip to New Guinea, where a team of Kew scientists stumbled upon a new species on the roadside.
17th November 2017
Could fungi determine which plants survive, and which don’t?
Relationships between plants and fungi are important and more complex than previously thought, influencing the ability of ecosystems to adapt to impacts such as climate change.
9th November 2017
Colombia: megadiverse and still to be discovered
Mauricio Diazgranados reveals how Kew is contributing to the ‘green’ development of this country through capacity building and scientific research on its natural resources.
7th November 2017
Six continents, five years: one big plant book
Plants of the World – An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Vascular Plants, the first to describe all 451 families of flowering plants, ferns, lycopods and gymnosperms, has been published.
30th October 2017
The Empty Quarter: Arabia’s disappearing plant life
Emma Seal introduces a new Kew project in Oman, set to safeguard the unique Arabian flora of the region.
23rd October 2017
Plant colours are not all about pigments
Kew Scientist Paula Rudall reflects on a long-term Cambridge-Kew collaboration on why structural colour in plants is so important in the natural world, including helping birds and bees to find food and pollinate flowers.
16th October 2017
Kew journeys into the wilds of Indonesia
Kew scientist and Head of the Identification and Naming Department, Tim Utteridge, describes a recent trip to Indonesia and work that Kew is doing with the country to record and protect its incredibly rich plant diversity.
9th October 2017
Amor-phew-phallus
Kew Scientist Geoffrey Kite and Amorphophallus expert Wilbert Hetterscheid explain why they spent their evenings trying to capture the odours of some of the world's weirdest and smelliest 'flowers'.
27th September 2017
Do lime trees kill bees?
Hauke Koch and Phil Stevenson investigate the theories behind the mysterious mass deaths of bees on lime trees, and other effects of pollen and nectar chemicals on pollinators.
18th September 2017
Treating tropical ulcers: the quest for a plant-based cure
Kew scientist Tom Prescott describes his search for a plant medicine to treat tropical ulcers in remote areas of Papua New Guinea.
12th September 2017
Madagascar’s wildlife – a President’s vision
The President of Madagascar visits Kew and discusses critical wildlife conservation in the country with our scientists and members of Kew’s Madagascar Conservation Centre. Kew has strong links to Madagascar, employing a team of Malagasy botanists who implement a range of projects focused on plant diversity, research and conservation.