The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has announced a landmark £5 million donation from The Julia Rausing Trust towards the Palm House renovation project.

This grant is the single largest philanthropic gift yet for the scheme and one of the most significant donations in Kew's history.

The major contribution will fund the renovation of the historic Waterlily House, including transforming its heating system to help realise Kew's ambition of creating the first heritage net-zero glasshouses of their kind.

The donation will also support the wider £60 million Palm House renovation project, aimed at safeguarding two of the UK's most iconic Victorian buildings.

Richard Deverell, Director of RBG Kew, said: "We are incredibly grateful to The Julia Rausing Trust for this visionary gift.

"It will not only help us protect the extraordinary heritage of the Waterlily House but might inspire others to consider donating to help us renovate these iconic buildings."

Kew's Waterlily House in the summer (credit: RBG Kew).

So far, Kew has raised almost one third of the £60 million needed.

Simon Fourmy, Chief Executive of The Julia Rausing Trust, added: "The renovation of the Waterlily House, together with the wider Palm House project, is an important initiative that will preserve these iconic structures and their world-famous ecosystems.

"We hope others will join us in supporting Kew with this important fundraising campaign."

Both the Palm House and Waterlily House last underwent major work in the 1980s and are now showing serious signs of deterioration.

Kew say that without urgent renovation, both the listed buildings and the rare tropical plants they house could be lost.

Built in the 1840s using shipbuilding techniques, the Palm House was a feat of engineering at its time, while the Waterlily House (1852) was purpose-built to showcase giant waterlilies, some with pads over 3m in diameter.

The grant is the single largest philanthropic gift for the project (credit: Sebastian Kettley/ RBG Kew).

The new project aims not only to conserve their heritage but to transform them into carbon-neutral glasshouses, powered by renewable energy – a major step for Kew's ambition to protect biodiversity and tackle climate change.

The £60 million scheme has already attracted support from Defra, the World Monuments Fund, and a number of anonymous donors, alongside The Julia Rausing Trust's record-breaking contribution.

RBG Kew is continuing to fundraise for the project. More information, including ways to donate, is available at support.kew.org/donate/palmhouse.

READ MORE: Kew Gardens submits world-first plan to make Palm House net zero

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