Step inside a living laboratory of the world's most threatened tropical species
Experience the immersive rainforest soundscape of Kew Gardens' Palm House. This Slow TV episode invites you to wander through a lush, dense environment containing ancient prehistoric plants, critical global crops, and species once thought to be lost to extinction.
The Palm House, the first glasshouse of its scale built in 1844, functions as a vital research hub for Kew scientists studying sustainable cropping and medicine. The collection features plants from Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the cocoa tree and the rubber tree. It even houses the world's oldest pot plant, which has been growing for over 250 years.
The video explores the delicate ecosystems required for survival, highlighting species like the café marron, which was rediscovered in 1979 after a 12-year-old boy identified it in the wild. You will also encounter prehistoric cycads that predated dinosaurs, and the Madagascan suicide palm, a tree that flowers only once in its 50-year lifespan. As the structure prepares for a planned 2027 renovation, the footage captures the immense botanical value of these species, which represent 50% of all species despite rainforests covering only 2% of Earth's surface.
Source: Slow TV: Palm House | Kew Gardens
