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Exploring the Palm House at Kew Gardens

The Palm House is a remarkable, historic masterpiece, and also home to a living, tropical rainforest. First opened in 1848, this glasshouse stands as an icon of Kew Gardens. The Palm House’s enormous steel frame holds 16,000 panes of glass. Along with tropical palms, it features many more exotic plants, too.

Palm House, glasshouse, Kew Gardens, London, UKPalm House with Rose Garden in foreground, glasshouse, Kew Gardens, London, UKPalm House side door, side view of glasshouse, Kew Gardens, London, UK

Orchids hang throughout the Palm House, but only a couple were in bloom during our visit at the beginning of summer. The Cymbidium species in the next photo was one of the orchids enjoying the warmth and humidity. At the end of the next row of photos, a bizarre bloom from a small, tropical tree resembles a jellyfish more than a flower.

Cymbidium finlaysonianum, orchid species, Palm House, Kew Gardens, London, UKPalm House, view of large tropical plants inside glasshouse, Kew Gardens, London, UKNapoleonaea vogelii, common name: Wallia, strange jellyfish-shaped flower of tree species, Palm House, Kew Gardens, London, UK

The Palm House is a multi-level experience. Staircases lead to an upper walkway with spectacular views of the jungle canopy. The basement level contains aquariums with plants and fish from several marine ecosystems.

Palm House view of large tropical plants from upper walkway, glasshouse, Kew Gardens, London, UKPalm House view of large tropical plants from upper walkway, glasshouse, Kew Gardens, London, UKPalm House, view of hanging staghorn fern and other tropical plants inside glasshouse, Kew Gardens, London, UK

Among its lush beauty, the Palm House is home to the world’s oldest potted plant, shown in the final photo below. This cycad palm was originally sent by ship from South Africa in 1773, over 240 years ago. It arrived at Kew in 1775, and was one of the first plants moved into the Palm House when it opened. It’s another one of Kew’s remarkable, historic treasures.

Hibiscus storckii pink form, plant species flower, Palm House, glasshouse, Kew Gardens, London, UKLight-blue bananas growing in the Palm House, glasshouse, Kew Gardens, London, UKEncephalartos altensteinii, cycad species, maybe the oldest potted plant in the world at the Palm House, arrived at Kew Gardens in 1775, London, UK

Explore posts in the same categories: Botanical Gardens, Photos, Warm Growers

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 13th, 2015 at 8:15 pm and is filed under Botanical Gardens, Photos, Warm Growers.

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2 Comments on “Exploring the Palm House at Kew Gardens”

  1. zza1 Says:
    August 13th, 2015 at 9:47 pm

    Awesome post. I am a regular visitor to your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain a nice site.

  2. AboutOrchids » Blog Archive » The Princess of Wales Conservatory Says:
    August 24th, 2015 at 8:04 pm

    […] The building itself is a modern counterpoint to the historic Victorian style of the Palm House, located a short walk away. […]