Ginkgo tree - Ginkgo biloba | Plants - Kew
WEBThe ginkgo tree is a large, deciduous tree with an irregular, spreading crown and deeply cracked, brown bark. It has fan-shaped, greenish-yellow leaves that have two or more distinct lobes. In autumn, the leaves of the ginkgo tree turn golden and fall to the ground. Whilst male trees have pollen-producing floral spikes, fertilised female trees ...
Kew Gardens
WEBKew Gardens. Discover the world of science behind our botanical collections, with over 50,000 living plants to be found across our UNESCO World Heritage site. The Temperate House will be closed between 30 September and 4 October 2024 and partially closed between 7 to 18 October 2024 to install a new exhibition.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | Kew
WEBDiscover a world of science hiding behind our beautiful botanical collections filled with over 40,000 living plants
Visit Kew | Kew
WEBOur incredible living plant collections are among the largest and most diverse in the world. Plants at Kew Gardens. We have a few dos and don'ts in place to keep everyone happy. Please also check our planned closures before your visit to avoid disappointment. Look out for our reusable cup scheme at Victoria Plaza Café – through this pilot ...
10 golden rules for restoring forests - Kew
WEBJan 26, 2021 — A recent review led by Kew scientists and Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) proposes ‘ten golden rules for reforestation’ to boost benefits for people and the planet. 1. Protect existing forest first. Millions of hectares of forests are destroyed every year, leading to huge carbon dioxide emissions that are not easily offset ...
Giant waterlily - Victoria amazonica | Plants - Kew
WEBThe giant waterlily (Victoria 'Longwood Hybrid') we grew in our Princess of Wales Conservatory in 1995 got a Guinness World Record when its leaves reached a then record-breaking dimension of 2.5m in diameter.One of Kew’s giant waterlilies was sent to the architect Joseph Paxton in the mid-19 th century. Its leaves are said to have inspired his design for the Crystal Palace which was built to ...
Biomimicry: Inspiration from nature - Kew
WEBNov 24, 2021 — Probably the best-known example of biomimicry, Velcro was created in the 1940s by George de Mestral, a Swiss electrical engineer. He was inspired after a hunting trip in 1941 when burrs (hooked seed pods) from burdock plants (Arctium) repeatedly became stuck to his clothes, as well as the fur of his dog. Examining them under a microscope, he ...
Ginkgo biloba: The tree that outlived the dinosaurs | Kew
WEBMay 5, 2020 — The Ginkgo biloba is one of the oldest living tree species in the world. It's the sole survivor of an ancient group of trees that date back to before dinosaurs roamed the Earth – creatures that lived between 245 and 66 million years ago. It’s so ancient, the species is known as a ' living fossil '. Fossils of Ginkgo leaves have been ...
Cacao tree - Theobroma cacao | Plants - Kew
WEBPlant description. An evergreen tree with shiny, leathery, egg-shaped leaves that start red and turn green. The young leaves are red and droop to deter herbivores. It is cauliflorous, meaning the tiny, yellowish-white to pale pink flowers grow in clusters directly from the trunk and large branches. The oval fruit are yellow to orange when ripe.
Striking seasonal wonders of the Lesser Sundas | Kew
WEBDec 18, 2020 — By Dr Liam Trethowan , Laura V S Jennings and Helen Chadburn. Stretching from Bali to Timor, the Lesser Sunda islands are covered in seasonal tropical forests that are home to unique flora and fauna, including the world’s largest lizard the Komodo dragon and 74 bird species found nowhere else. Fires, agriculture, and even volcanoes, are some ...