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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Botanical illustrator Stella Ross Craig is known for her skilled line drawings such as this Rosa tomentosa from her magnum opus 'Drawings of British Plants' - a series to which she dedicated 25 years. See other examples of her work in Kew's Library display, open Tues-Wed 10.00-4.00, until 21st May.

Photograph of a black and white line drawing depicting two flowers, leaves and the stem of a rose plant. Illustrations of plant parts (labelled with a letter relating to a key, and their magnification) are drawn around the outer edge of the plate. In the lower left corner can be seen two drawings of the magnified leaf surface while a cross section of the flower is shown in the lower right corner. Despite being rendered in monochrome the drawing is skillfully shaded to show the shape of the plant.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Flora, Dissected: The Botanical Illustrations of Stella Ross-Craig, from Britain and Beyond Visit our display showcasing original material from Kew’s Library and Archives: 10 February – 21 May 2026 Library & Archives Reading Room Tuesday & Wednesday 10am – 4pm No booking required. library@kew.org

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

🎨Stella Ross-Craig (1906-2006) is known for her skilled line drawings such as this Rosa tomentosa from her work 'Drawings of British Plants' - a series to which she dedicated 25 years! Keen to see other examples of her drawings in Kew's Library display? Details on the display below 👇 #KewLA

Black and white line drawing depicting two flowers, leaves and the stem of a rose plant. Illustrations of plant parts (labelled with a letter relating to a key, and their magnification) are drawn around the outer edge of the plate. In the lower left corner can be seen two drawings of the magnified leaf surface while a cross section of the flower is shown in the lower right corner. Despite being rendered in monochrome the drawing is skillfully shaded to show the shape of the plant.

Poster for the exhibition 'Flora, Dissected: The Botanical Illustrations of Stella Ross-Craig, from Britain and Beyond' at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The main focal illustration is a coloured illustration of Banksia. Below the title of the exhibition is: "Visit our display showcasing original material from Kew's Library & Archives.". The date and location info is included on the bottom right under a small map detailing the entrance: "10th February to 21st May 2026. Library & Archives Reading Room. Tuesday and Wednesday (10am-4pm). No booking required. library@kew.org."

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Orchids are still being discovered 🌸 A newly described miniature species, Telipogon choquequiraoense, shows why taxonomy matters: you can’t protect what you can’t properly document 🧪 🌎 Dig into the details: diagnostic features, comparisons & figures are in the paper here: ow.ly/loZl50Y9qOL

Close-up of orchid (Telipogon choquequiraoense) with translucent yellow-green petals and a dark, fuzzy central lip against a black background. Picture by Jhon Yuca.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Mycologists have been expressing their love for fungi in publications for centuries! Here is a compilation of just a few of the fantastic descriptors the Fungarium Sequencing Project Team have found mycologists using when describing species for the first time.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

💘 Love at first Type Over the past two years, the Fungarium Sequencing Project team have analysed thousands of beautiful fungal Type specimens - the original references used to describe a species. This #ValentinesDay, we’re sharing one very special Type, from us to you 🍄💖

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

🎉 Today is Darwin’s birthday! This is an actual wild tomato plant that he collected, over 180 years ago! 🍅 We have millions of specimens like these in our collection, but did you know you can now see them on our new Data Portal, for free!? 👇 👉 ow.ly/2ZuW50YcG4Z #DarwinDay

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

This 19th Century watercolour of the Chinese orchid Vanda concolor from Kew's Library is thought to have been illustrated by an unrecorded Chinese artist. See spectacular examples of live orchids on show as part of our Orchid Festival at Kew: 7 February - 8 March 2026 👉 www.kew.org/kew-gardens/...

Image showing a watercolour of the orchid Vanda concolor depicting the roots, leaves and purple brown flowers of the plant. A flower dissection is shown in the lower right hand corner of the image with its five petals spread out like an exploding star. Text along the upper left of the image reads 'Chinese Plants from the Collection of Sir W.J. Hooker' with text in Chinese characters to the lower right of the image.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Last week, their contribution was recognised with the Marsh Volunteer Award 🏆 – a well-deserved thank you celebrating the difference they’ve made. We’re incredibly grateful for everything they do. Our mass digitisation project simply wouldn’t be what it is without them 💚

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Their enthusiasm, teamwork and curiosity have enriched the project! And several of our dedicated volunteers have even gone on to become staff members 🎉

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

But it’s not just about outputs. Our volunteers support online crowdsourcing, engage the public at events, research specimen stories, share discoveries, and help each other tackle tricky handwriting and data challenges.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Thanks to them, Kew’s Herbarium & Fungarium collections are more accessible for global research – helping scientists, students and communities worldwide.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Their achievements are remarkable: 📸 56,000+ herbarium specimens imaged 🧬 22,000+ plant & fungal records quality-checked ⏱️ ~7,500 volunteer hours contributed

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

We’re celebrating our Science Collections Digitisation Project volunteers – an incredible team whose work has powered this project forward over the last four years 🌿

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

🌎 Applications are now open for the Emily Holmes Memorial Scholarships! 🎓 These scholarships provide funding towards plant and fungal postgraduate research projects 🧪 Apply now 👇 ow.ly/Xir050Y9r2A

Four scientists in white lab coats conducting experiments with petri dishes and beakers in a laboratory.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Join governments and businesses at Chatham House Events' Climate and Energy Summit to explore strategies for a resilient future. 🗓️ 10-11 March 2026 📍Chatham House & online Book here 👉 ow.ly/yFk350Y0NSV

Wind turbines and solar panels at sunset illustrating renewable energy for the Climate and Energy Summit 2026.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Here are some books we came across during a project in the mycology library last week. Our Library and Archives collections do not only cover plants, but also fungi and lichens. Some have very beautiful illustrations. Others (like the cordyceps) are rather gruesome... 🍄🍄‍🟫🍄‍🟫 #KewLA

Open book with a colour illustration of a bolete on the right-hand page. The description is in Polish.

Black and white illustration of various fungi

Detail of a colour illustration of various insects and cordyceps fungi growing out of them.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Amongst the notes of 19th century horticulturalist & botanist John Fraser, we spotted this list of unwelcome visitors to a property in Kew! John's ‘uninvited guests’ were botanical rather than human, including species such as thornapple and gallant soldier. How many can you recognise? #KewLA

A section of a notebook, rest on foam supports. The page is titled ‘7. Uninvited guests at 4 Willow Cottages, Kew, 1892-1915’. Beneath this are two columns, listing the names of plants found at the property: datura stramonium; Amaranthus retroflexus; Oxalis corniculata rubia; Oenothera lamarckiana; [?] roseum; Lychnis alba; Silene latifolia; Chenopodium rubrum; Senebiera didyma; Senebiera coronopus; Melilotus indicus (1917); Euphorbia virgata; Sisyrinchium angustifolium; Papaver somniferum; Galinsoga parviflora; Epilobium hirsutum; Ornithopus perpusillus; S.noctiflora; Althaca rosea

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

MPNS v15 is now live! 🌿 A free, authoritative reference for 41,878 medicinal plants - now with images added for the first time, more global sources, stronger data links and updated taxonomy. Plant names are messy. Clear data matters for global health. Explore 👉 ow.ly/Ktzt50Y0wv1

Close-up images of vibrant purple saffron crocus flowers and harvested red saffron threads in jars and bowls on Kew's MPNS database

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

A ‘zombie’ fungus. A ‘bloodstained’ orchid. A plant name straight out of Studio Ghibli 🧪 They’re all in the next issue of Kew Science - plus a few sharp takes on what’s changing in plant science right now 🌍 Want the full story? Get it in your inbox: ow.ly/vGPT50Y1Iz2

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Traditional medicine is moving centre stage at WHO 🌍🌿 But safe, effective use depends on knowing which plants are being used. MPNS v15 helps cut through confusing names - now covering ~42,000 medicinal plants, with images added for the first time. Explore 👉 ow.ly/ui9N50Y0wNq

Person wearing a straw hat and gray shirt crouches while spreading goji berries on a large drying surface outdoors.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

On his famous H.M.S. Beagle voyage, Charles Darwin collected this fungal specimen, which would later be used to describe the new species Daedalea erubescens. It was on this same voyage that Darwin began developing his emerging hypotheses on the theory of evolution and natural selection.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Spot the difference! This Gymnopus foetidus specimen from Madingley Wood is impressively well-preserved and closey resembles its original illustration. It is also one of Kew’s oldest sampled fungal holotypes, having been collected in 1795. That makes this mushroom 230 years old!

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Did you know that Kew has the first ever scientifically described shiitake mushroom? Author of the species, the Reverend Berkeley’s 1875 notes on the specimen, show the Japanese name “Shi-taki” and highlight it being “commonly eaten in Japan and exposed for sale in large quantities in shops”.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

This year, the taxonomists on the Fungarium Sequencing Project had a goal to review 10,000 specimens. They hit their target an impressive three months ahead of schedule, so to celebrate their hard work, here are some of the stories they’ve uncovered!

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

🗺️What a multi-lingual collection: Jacques Gay was a botanist and collector from Switzerland and our Archives hold over 35 volumes of his manuscripts. He wrote mainly in French, although Latin and even Greek found its way into his writing as well. Any polyglots able to translate? #KewLA

Four sheets of paper, roughly A6-sized, pasted onto a larger page. The individual smaller pages are handwritten and contain notes in French, Greek, and Latin. They are presumably notes or correspondence on specific specimens and plants collected by or for Gay.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Millions of records, centuries of discovery, all in one place 🌿 From specimens gathered on 18th-century voyages to Kew’s living collections of today, our data reveals the diversity of plant & fungal life — now accessible wherever you are 👇 ow.ly/OJLY50XZzOX

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

We're joining the Heritage Fund UK in celebrating #HeritageTreasures! Kew's Marianne North Gallery was completed in 1882, with much needed restoration work done on the Gallery and its paintings in 2008. The restoration was made possible in part with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund 🎨🖌️

A colour photograph showing the restored interior of the Marianne North Gallery at Kew. The photograph shows the view from inside the rear gallery looking ahead towards the entrance doors through which streams light which reflects on the brown, black and orange tiles of the Gallery floor. Different woods can be seen set running around the lower panels of the Gallery walls above which runs a wooden rail set with intermittent labels describing the woods and paintings which are set in a colourful jigsaw fashion from mid height to high up on the wall.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

It’s official, 125 plants and 65 fungi were named NEW to science in 2025! Every year, our botanists & mycologists work with partners across the world to officially name & describe new species to science 🧪 See our list of the top ten! 👉 ow.ly/J7LY50XT51M

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

We've all mislaid our keys, but this one made it to the other side of the world! The Library and Archives were delighted when Adelaide Botanic Garden recently arranged for donation of a key that was previously owned by Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck - granddaughter of King George III #KewLA

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

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 👇

Coloured illustration of Ilex aquifolium (Holly). Small red berries are at the bottom of a stem with long green leaves with ragged and sharp edges pointing outwards from the stem. A smaller illustration in the bottom right corner shows the plant in pink, in its flowering stage.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

🌺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: ow.ly/x0cl50XMcGy Afternoon slot: ow.ly/IvwE50XMcGz

Coloured illustration of a Rosa persica (Persian rose). The slightly yellowed page shows stem, leaves, two yellow flowers and one in the process of flowering. Two yellow petals are shown dropping at the bottom.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Together with Benjamin Underwood & David Satori of the mycorrhizal ecology lab, they took root samples to understand more about the process of colonisation by mycorrhizal fungi in these successional areas where grazing prevention is allowing young trees to grow More on these fungi ow.ly/IqV650XMcxp

Benjamin Underwood taking samples from Dartmoor site

A little fruitbody which is ectomycorrhizal

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

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

Mycorrhizal fungi pulled from the ground

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Hi Peter, thanks for getting in touch. We are sorry to hear about your advent calendar! Would you mind sharing your experience with info@kew.org? Our Customer Care team will be best placed take it forward from there 💚

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Through the power of digitisation, this work can be carried out at an unprecedented level. Over 7 million of Kew's plant and fungal specimens have now stepped out of the archives and into the hands of the world 🌿 Dive into our datal, and tell us what you find! www.kew.org/read-and-wat...

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How herbarium specimens hold the key to combating climate change

Many see them as dried, perhaps useless plant specimens of little purpose - but did you know that our specimens are actively being used to combat climate change?

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Scientists use these botanical time capsules to compare today's flora with plants from the past, tracking changes in geographic ranges to flowering times & genetic traits. 📊 Seeing these shifts helps us predict future responses & design better conservation strategies for vulnerable species.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

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

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Part of our Guinea Tropical Important Plant Areas (TIPAs) programme, this paper is a collaborative effort between Guinean institutions and Kew, led by Guinean botanist Denise Molmou. Read the full paper 👇 ow.ly/3wu450XJL60 Learn more about our TIPAs programme: ow.ly/CLAY50XJKYj

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Frontiers | The useful wild plants of Guinea: an analysis of socio-economically important species and implications for conservation

IntroductionGuinea is one of the most biologically and culturally diverse countries in West Africa, home to over 3,500 native plant species and 20 ethnolingu...

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Many of these plants are key to local health care, economies and traditions, yet 28 are already globally threatened. This research helps safeguard knowledge passed through generations - and guide efforts to protect it.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

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🧵👇

Three people examining plants closely near a riverbank surrounded by dense greenery and tall grasses.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

They collected a wide range of specimens - including a few new to the UK - to add to our collections & support the work of our Fungarium 🍄 It’s all part of our ongoing mission to document fungal diversity & better understand the ecosystems these species help sustain 💚 [2/2] More👉 ow.ly/j2ks50XImF4

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

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]

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

🎶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

Two lines of musical notation written vertically down a page in a bound manuscript volume. On either side of the notation are handwritten notes referencing plants, their uses and publications relating to them. As the photo is taken at an angle, some of the writing is cropped.

Trippasia R 15.
Citrus parva
Guin I 63

Balsamita vulgar...
Willd Tom III Pars III ...
Tanacetum Balsamita ...
Lin

Ulva diaphana makes an excellent pickle. Mr J D Downes.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

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 👉 ow.ly/CuNg50XFOH1

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

In January, we're running 2 public workshops. If you're interested, please email archives@kew.org. They are funded by the fabulous British Institute of Persian Studies. #PersianHistory #Archives #KewLA

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

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

Photo of a woman in a yellow top, with dark hair, drawing sitting at a desk, with other opposite. Colouring pencils and textile are visible on the table. 2) Sketch of a maintain range, mostly in pencil, but with some colour (green) indicating the plants and trees on the mountain range. Some place names are indicated with arrows in manuscript.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

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

Poster for an exhibition at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, titled 'Persia Reimagined: From Herbarium to Heritage'. The exhibition dates 30 September 2025 to 21 January 2026. The text is laid over a collage of archive materials: a coloured illustration of a yellow-flowered Rosa persica, yellow and orange Persian lime and typewritten text.

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

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

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Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

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

Photograph over the shoulder of a woman with long dark hair, sitting at a table drawing. In front of her on the table are papers of different sizes and drawing materials, such as coloured pencils.

A dark wooden table with fixed lamps. Across the table, papers of different sizes are strewn, showing photographs of pomegranates, exhibition flyers for 'Persia Reimagined', copies of archive materials, drawing mats and coloured pencils, as well as patterned shawls. Two people's hands can be seen at the top of the picture, in the middle of drawing.

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