This October, Kew Gardens invites visitors to explore Rare and Extinct, a month-long celebration of the world's most threatened plants. 

Visitors will have the opportunity to see rare species from Kew's Living Collections in the iconic Temperate House, some of which are never publicly displayed, offering a rare glimpse behind- the-scenes at Kew from From 19 October – 17 November 2024. 

A "Room of Rarity" and "Room of Extinction" will display approximately twenty plants that are either rare (classified as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable) or Extinct in the Wild, as classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species is the world's most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and plant species, and classifies species into one of nine categories.

All plants displayed in Rare and Extinct are usually grown away from public view in Kew's state-of-the-art Tropical Nursery.

Cracking the puzzle of how to cultivate and care for rare plants sits at the heart of conservation efforts – it takes our very best horticultural knowledge and skills to ensure the survival of these species.

The quest to care for and propagate these rare plants is a vocation, and this exhibition will be a celebration of the work of our dedicated horticulturists who care for these specimens.

Visitors will learn how Kew's experts use their knowledge and skills to cultivate and care for rare plants and halt biodiversity loss.

Kew Gardens say: "The full story of each plant will be told through a curated selection of artefacts from Kew's Herbarium, Economic Botany Collection and archives, alongside bespoke films featuring Kew horticulturists that will offer a closer look at these important plants and the extraordinary people who care for them."