Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from our research & collections teams here at Kew! We're looking forward to sharing more stories and highlights with you in 2026 🎄 Beautiful illustration below from our LAA team #KewLA 👇

🌺If you're free on 15th January and would like to find out more about our Persian collections, why not sign up for one of our art workshops? More info in the booking links below 👇#KewLA Morning slot: https://ow.ly/x0cl50XMcGy Afternoon slot: https://ow.ly/IvwE50XMcGz

This #FungiFriday we are looking at the work of PhD Student Rose Gooda! Rose is studying the role of mycorrhizal fungi in the natural colonisation of forest in the UK, & recently conducted fieldwork in a temperate oak rainforest in Dartmoor where regeneration efforts are underway 👇 📸 © David Satori

Did you know that dried plant specimens, some collected hundreds of years ago, are helping us understand climate change today? 🌎

How do wild plants shape daily life in Guinea - & what’s at risk if they disappear? 🌿 A new open-access study has created the first nationwide checklist of wild useful plant species in Guinea - identifying 399 species used for medicine, materials, and food, & mapping the threats to their survival🧵👇

POV: You're scrolling through the Mycology team's camera roll after a field trip 🍄 Several members of the team recently spent time in Dumfries & Galloway, on the border of Scotland, as part of a field trip - one of which alongside the British Mycological Society @britmycolsoc.org.uk 👇 [1/2]

🎶A botanical musical? We recently stumbled across these in the 'Flora Cibaria' manuscript of botanist Lilly Wigg (1749-1828). The volumes consist of other people's writings and are full of surprises, with psalms and melodies strewn throughout, and little direct link to the botany on the page. #KewLA

Registration is NOW OPEN for our State of the World's Plants and Fungi Symposium, 29 June - 1 July 2026! 🌍 The theme will be 'Harnessing the benefits of specimen digitisation' & will follow the release of the next State of the World's Report 🌱🍄 Learn more & register here 👉 https://ow.ly/CuNg50XFOH1

Interested in Persian collections? This Wednesday, we will be hosting a talk about the Persian materials within our archive, focusing on the unexpected cultural & social histories: Learn more 👉 ow.ly/ENHb50XCLJ2 #KewLA

Do we have archives relating to your history? Probably! Our archive reflects global histories & is open to all. Conservator Shabnam Balouch has helped uncover our Persian archive, and you can find out more at an upcoming talk & our free public workshops in January! #EYAYourArchives #KewLA

For #EYAAnniversaries, we delved into collections on our Millennium Seed Bank, which opened at Wakehurst 25 years ago. Among the reports & articles on the development of one of the world’s largest seed banks, we discovered publicity materials featuring none other than Sir David Attenborough! #KewLA

Happy #EYAInclusion Day! We believe archives are for everyone, and we recently hosted workshops with Persian communities who visited our current exhibition & created beautiful booklets inspired by the items on display! It's vital that anyone who wants to use archives is able to access them. #KewLA

Our mycologists were taken by surprise this week when a visiting researcher found a curious pink truffle-like fungus under eucalyptus trees in the gardens.

For #EYADigital, we’re looking back at how Kew managed its corporate records - from filing paper documents to reviewing which should be archived or securely destroyed. While some paper files remain, we now support staff in managing records effectively in a primarily digital environment. #KewLA

Did you know botanist Sir Joseph Hooker travelled with two Bhotea mastiff dogs? Today’s featured image for #ExploreYourArchive Week #EYAPets is a playful drawing from his letters, showing Kinchin the dog being ‘taught’ to write.

For #EYASilence, we thought it fitting to look back at a time in which the Gardens had to be silent. This instruction sheet, issued during the Blitz in WWII, and an air raid logbook detail how the frequency of bombing raids led to the regular suppression of daily operations. #KewLA

Ever seen fungal illustrations? 🍄 Our Fungarium Sequencing Project Team is thrilled to show some of the original illustrations that were created when the species were first described as new to science. In some cases, this is the only visual reference material of the original fungus that we have! 🧵👇

While most of our archives are from the 19th century onwards, we do have a few older records, including this #EYAMedieval land deed from 1451! It is written in Latin and relates to Ardingly, which is near where our second site Wakehurst is located. #KewLA

Plant taxonomy is disappearing - and so is our ability to protect species 🍂 Nearly half of countries have fewer than 10 plant taxonomists. Kew is working to close the gap, but we need more experts fast. Read the study’s key findings and what we're doing about it 👇 https://ow.ly/XhJo50XyGAa

What #EYABeauty lies on the inside of this unassuming folder? We're showing off Elsie Wakefield's fungi illustrations today 🍄 Wakefield became Head of Mycology at Kew Gardens in 1915 and our Archives hold her personal papers collection, which includes letters, illustrations and photographs. #KewLA

Did you know today is #EYAConservation day? We’re celebrating with this 1734 engraved map by John Rocque, showing the gardens, park and related buildings of the Royal Family at Kew. Our conservator has mounted it on a board for support and advises Melinex sleeves and flat storage. #KewLA

For #NationalIllustrationDay, we're spoilt for choice by the illustrations we could post! We've settled on this hand-coloured lithograph of Strelitzia reginae by Francis Bauer who was employed as first resident botanical at Kew in 1790 with the grand title of ‘Botanick Painter to His Majesty’.

On #NationalTreeWeek we'd like to highlight the incredible efforts of Kew's past colleagues who were faced with the challenging task of moving trees across the Gardens. This photograph from Kew's Library and Archives depicts William Barron's ingenious horse-drawn tree transporter 🌳 #KewLA

Did you know Kew’s Library and Archives hold 7,000+ Indian illustrations? This vibrant Pajanelia longifolia piece by Vishnupersad - commissioned by Nathaniel Wallich - is now on show. Explore Flora Indica at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery through April 2026. #KewLA

Today we're celebrating the official 25th birthday of the Millennium Seed Bank - 25 years of pioneering seed-saving science and a future of restoring habitats across the globe 🌍🌱🎉 Want in? Access 25 years of research, partnerships and seed collections right here 👇 www.kew.org/wakehurst/wh...

What does it take to save Mozambique's plants? 🧑‍🔬 5 new networks of trained seed conservationists 🌱 Local community initiatives 🌍 57 new Important Plant Areas and more For 10 years we've been helping biodiversity with the Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique 👇 www.kew.org/read-and-wat...

Thousands of species, one big question: can global trade be sustainable? 🌿🌏 At #CITESCOP20 in Uzbekistan, our science policy team will be helping shape global decisions on sustainable trade. With their new blog you can learn more about what’s at stake 👇 www.kew.org/read-and-wat...

Autumn is in full swing, and so is mushroom season! This lovely engraving is from the 1675 book "Theatrum Fungorum" by Belgian priest and mycologist Franciscus van Sterbeeck. The facial expressions of the children above the doorway symbolise edible (left) versus poisonous (right) mushrooms. #KewLA

Today on #ArmisticeDay, we're remembering the Kew staff who served during both World Wars and balanced their lives in science and horticulture with duty and sacrifice 🧵👇 #KewLA

Once on the edge of extinction in England, the rare Fen Orchid is making a comeback 🎉🌸 Careful conservation has helped this delicate plant reclaim its place in wetlands - one of many hopeful stories from the new GB Red List for vascular plants 🧵👇🌿

A few generations ago, the phrase “when the eastern forest disappears” was Madagascar’s equivalent of “when pigs fly”. With the future of forests less certain, our Kew teams in Madagascar & the Millennium Seed Bank are using seeds to understand and restore them 👇 https://ow.ly/JrLK50Xl0vq #MSB25

What happens behind the vault doors of our Millennium Seed Bank? 🔍 As it turns 25, listen to our scientists on BBC Radio 4's Farming Today as they reveal how stored wild seeds can both protect endangered species, and be used in conservation & agriculture 👇🎙️ https://ow.ly/VmCZ50XnKVV

Did you know some of the world’s most threatened plants can’t be stored in our seed bank at –20° C? 🌱 This makes them highly vulnerable to extinction, but cryopreservation could be their lifeline. Go behind the scenes to learn how 👇 🎧 Learn more in our latest podcast episode: ow.ly/Q1Nl50XlYTF

Looking to do a PhD at Kew? We partner with leading universities across the UK to tackle urgent questions in plant & fungal science – from AI-driven evolution to the effects of climate change 🌍 See what opportunities we have: kew.org/phd-opportunities Some examples 🧵👇 #PlantScience #PhD

Today, our Graduate Trainees have been representing Kew Library & Archives for #HistDay25 at Senate House Library. It's been a great way to share highlights from our collections with potential students and researchers as well as discover more about other libraries and archives! #KewLA

Why did our Wollemi pines produce even more seeds this year?  It’s a mast year, when trees sync up to release more seeds after a warm spring. At Wakehurst, we collected a record 168 seeds now banked for the first time at our Millennium Seed Bank. Earlier seeds have already successfully germinated!🌱

Millions of specimens, centuries of history — all coming to life online 🌿✨ After nearly four years of dedicated work, our digitisation project is entering its final stretch — and we’re gearing up for an amazing finish by March 2026.

Happy Halloween! We’re showing off two spooky fungi from Kew. First up, found by a Fungarium Sequencing Project team member, this Cordyceps militaris is parasitising a moth larva! The beautiful jack-o-lantern orange fruiting body is visible above ground, while the larva is buried beneath the dirt 🪦

Happy Halloween! Nothing says ‘haunted house’ like Merlin’s Cave that was once in @rbgkew.bsky.social. Built by William Kent for Queen Caroline, the Gothic structure featured 6 life-sized wax figures and spooky bookcases with vellum-bound books. (Image from Edmund Curll’s ‘Rarities of Richmond’.)

Chalk grassland is an ancient ecosystem shaped by humans and our livestock, that now needs our care 🌻🐑 Our Millennium Seed Bank UK team are part of a huge collaboration - #ChangingChalk - in which we're testing the power of seeds for restoration 🌱 #MSB25 Get involved 👇 www.kew.org/read-and-wat...

An extra special seed collecting trip! 🌱 Join Cate Blanchett, Kew's Ambassador for Wakehurst, on a seed collecting mission in the latest episode of our podcast series, Unearthed: The need for seeds 🎧 👉 www.kew.org/about-us/vir...

What if one of the most biodiverse places on Earth was hidden underground… in Sussex? 🌱 Join our scientists inside the vaults of our Millennium Seed Bank in this new film to explore how 2.5 billion seeds are helping restore nature across the globe 🌍 Watch the film👉 https://ow.ly/yEcv50XiqHk #MSB25

What’s it like to care for 2.5 billion wild plant seeds? 🌱 See behind the scenes at our Millennium Seed Bank, where seeds journey from field to vault to restoration projects worldwide 🌍 Any questions? Drop them below & our team will do their best to answer them 👇 More 👉 https://ow.ly/YzUo50Xg9Ne

It's International #OpenAccessWeek! At Kew, we believe science should be shared freely to help solve the biggest challenges of our time - from biodiversity loss to climate resilience. That's why thousands of our papers & reports are openly available through our Research Repository 👉 kew.iro.bl.uk

Do you recognise any of these seeds? 🌱 To celebrate #MSB25, 7 of our partners from the global Millennium Seed Bank Partnership have shared with us their stories of saving and recovering rare plants through seed conservation! 🤝👇 https://ow.ly/WL7h50XfRn4

How did 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank and its partnership begin? 🌱 @michael-way.bsky.social shares his story from helping to create the home of 2.5 billion wild plant seeds and a conservation network spanning 100 countries & territories 👇 www.kew.org/read-and-wat... #MSB25

🎉 Our new podcast launches today with a very special episode! To mark 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank, His Majesty King Charles III joins Cate Blanchett and Dr Elinor Breman to reflect on its groundbreaking work. 🎧 Listen now: Unearthed: The need for seeds 👉 https://ow.ly/i3wZ50XeOwy

Ever wondered what stories lie behind Kew’s collections? 🌍 Today’s the day to find out – it’s #AskAnArchivist Day! Our archivists are here to answer your questions about rare books, explorers’ journals and the care of centuries-old plant records. Ask below 👇 #AskAnArchivist #KewArchives

Last week our Library & Archives team welcomed 60 students from Graphic Comms at the University of Southampton to explore themes around plant histories, challenging perspectives through engagement with the archive. We look forward to seeing their interpretations of the display we prepared! #KewLA

Could fungi help us tackle plastic pollution, protect crops, and discover life-saving medicines? 🍄🧬 New Scientist has just spotlighted Kew’s cutting-edge fungal research - from unravelling DNA in our world-leading Fungarium to finding fungi that can digest plastic and fight disease 🧵👇