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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10th September 2017
Botanical Wonders in Warrington
Tracking Kew’s Victorian networks leads to exciting discoveries
7th September 2017
Revealing the treasures of Kew’s Herbarium to a digital world
Kew's Herbarium has around 7 million preserved plants from around the globe - you can help us reveal them to the world.
4th September 2017
The SPARC Project – safeguarding our protected areas and rare species from climate change
Sarah Veniard explores the collaboration between Kew, Conservation International and six leading universities who are investigating how climate change will affect protected areas and rare species in them.
29th August 2017
Ain’t no mountain high enough
Decoding the unique chromosomal complexities of alpine daisies, dandelions and thistles
21st August 2017
Take a look at the science in Kew’s Herbarium and Library
Why opening Kew’s buildings and rare plant and botanical art collections to the public is an important part of our work
14th August 2017
Searching for rare plants in the Julian Alps of Slovenia
From dense forests to exposed mountain peaks, a Kew MSc student shares his experience of searching Slovenia for rare saxifrages.
7th August 2017
Discovering botanical treasures in Guinea
In this blog post, Xander van der Burgt of Kew reveals some of the discoveries Kew scientists have made since they started working in Guinea, West Africa.
1st August 2017
Scanning trees with laser beams
The Science Festival is back at Kew Gardens this weekend (4–6 August)! Science Festival intern, Mair Bosley delves into the science behind one of our fantastic festival stalls to help us see the wood for the trees.
28th July 2017
Putting bamboo and rattan on the map
This week, Kew launches a World Checklist and Atlas for Rattans and Bamboos. In this post, we explain Kew's involvement in these much needed books.
24th July 2017
Plants, drugs and rocky soil
Owen Durant, Natural Product Researcher at Kew, explains how scientists are using plant science in the quest to discover life-saving drugs.
17th July 2017
Enset: bananas on steroids!
Mair Bosley reveals the fascinating background behind enset, featuring in this summer's Science Festival.
3rd July 2017
Andean orchids – not so ancient
Thousands of orchid species in the American tropics formed more recently than expected. Kew scientist, Oscar Alejandro Pérez-Escobar explains more.
19th June 2017
Preserving plants for the future
Three of Kew’s specimen preparation team explain the history and process of mounting plant specimens for its herbarium.
5th June 2017
Seed conservation in the remote South Atlantic
Tom Heller describes the important role of seed conservation in protecting vulnerable plants, while Kew Associate Phil Lambdon recounts the challenges involved in his visit to Gough Island.
9th May 2017
Recurating the Apocynaceae carpological collection
Clare Drinkell and Nina Davies, curators in Kew’s herbarium, describe the mammoth task of reorganising the Apocynaceae carpological collection.
2nd May 2017
Burping cows are heating up our planet but scientists can stop them
New research led by scientists at Kew has revealed a ‘vicious cycle’ of warmer temperatures, tougher plants and increasing emissions of greenhouse gases from livestock; but changing livestock diets may be the solution.
24th April 2017
Conservation and sustainable use of native trees in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
Kew scientists Efisio Mattana and Tiziana Ulian discuss how Kew’s Global Tree Seed Bank project aims to preserve seeds from tree species across the world, including Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
13th April 2017
Putting Tropical Important Plant Areas on the map
Kew scientist Colin Clubbe reveals the first area to formally qualify as a Tropical Important Plant Area (TIPA), which was identified during a workshop held in the British Virgin Islands.
11th April 2017
POWO puts botanical knowledge online
Kew has launched Plants of the World Online (POWO), a website that’s open to all, with information on Kew’s vast botanical collections and floras.
3rd April 2017
Revisiting the Madagascan suicide palm: a spectacular discovery
In a surprise final part of the Tahina spectabilis story, Lauren Gardiner reveals a stunning discovery the team made in Madagascar last year after their return to the original site at Antsingilava, which they can only now reveal and which has just been published in the international conservation journal, Oryx.