Temperate House

Travel the world in this glittering cathedral – home to 1,500 species of plants from Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Following a major five-year renovation process, the Temperate House re-opened in 2018 to showcase the splendour of the world’s temperate zones.  

As temperate plants, all the species contained within its walls need to live in conditions above 10^oC to survive. Despite being the foundation of much life on Earth, many of these plants are under threat.   

The Temperate House tells the story of how Kew and partners all around the world are working to rescue plants that are rare or already extinct in the wild.  

Filled with 10,000 individual plants, this vast collection may help us find solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues, from climate change to loss of biodiversity or food security.  

Enriched by over 250 years of plant expertise, the Temperate House is the beating heart of Kew – an iconic landmark and a beacon of the future for plant science.  

The Temperate House was voted 'Best UK National Treasure' at the 2018 National Geographic Traveller Magazine Reader Awards. 

Acknowledgements  

We would like to thank the Heritage Lottery Fund, Defra, Eddie and Sue Davies, The Garfield Weston Foundation, The Wolfson Foundation, The Linbury Trust, The Hartnett Conservation Trust, and other supporters. 

Thanks also to donors supporting the Horticultural and Construction Apprenticeships, including the J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust, the Buffini Chao Foundation, Make My Day Better, The Ingram Trust, the Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation, the Finnis Scott Foundation, the Ernest Cook Trust, CHK Charities Limited, the Sandra Charitable Trust, the Vandervell Foundation, the Radcliffe Trust, the Eranda Foundation, the Worshipful Company of Gardeners, the Lake House Charitable Foundation, the Helen Hamlyn Trust, the February Foundation, and other donors.