KEW ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS

Welcome to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Get swept up in the wonder of nature

as you explore the largest and most diverse collection of living plants in the world.

Let our stunning landscapes, iconic buildings, and glasshouses,

and inspirational art galleries take you on a journey

from our royal past to our global future. 

Source: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Winter brochure

Website: kew.org

DISCOVER INDONESIA’S NATURAL BEAUTY

ORCHID FESTIVAL 2020

8 February- 8 March

Join us for the 25th orchid festival which, this year,

celebrates the remarkable biodiversity and beauty of Indonesia.

Admire the breathtaking displays of orchids

that represent some of Indonesia’s most remarkable environments and animals. 

Included with entry to the Gardens.

Book your timeslot when you buy your tickets online.

A limited number of timeslots will be available

from the Princess of Wales Conservatory during the festival. 

Source: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Winter brochure

Gardening on the wing

Endemic to Indonesia and only found

on the Australasian side of the Wallace Line,

white cockatoos play an important role

in the rainforests they inhabit.

The white cockatoo (Cacatua alba)

endemic to the tropical forests of Indonesia.

They live on large seeds,

which they carry back to their perches to store.

White cockatoos drop around 30 percent of these seeds along the way,

dispersing them across the forest.

The CITES-listed white cockatoo

can only be captively bred or traded in limited numbers.

Habitat loss and illegal capture for the pet trade

are causing their numbers in the wild to decline.

Conservationists are collaborating with local communities

to conserve sites where this endangered bird lives.

The nipah palm grows in swamps in enormous colonies at the waterline,

protecting the forests behind. 

CARNIVOROUS PLANTS 

Passive flypaper traps

These passive carnivorous plants

can trap and digest insects without moving.

Their secret?

The leaves use a glue-like liquid

to stick insects directly to the plant’s digestive glands.

Fast food 

Similar to Drosera, plants of the Drosophyllum genus

secrete a sticky goo from tentacles on their leaves.

As soon as they land,

insects are soaked in this sticky liquid.

There is little chance of escape as drop by drop

the insect is overwhelmed and stuck to the plant’s leaves.

The digestive glands secrete enzymes that digest the prey,

often within 24 hours – a relatively quick ‘meal’ for a carnivorous plant!

BACK TO TROPICAL PARADISE 

Mangroves

INDONESIA represents nearly a quarter

of all global ecosystems – the largest in the world.

Around 30 species of mangrove are found in Indonesia.

Most of these species belong to the genus Rhizophora.

Mangroves have evolved to adapt to challenging conditions,

including high salt levels and low oxygen in waterlogged mud.

Roots exposed to the air can absorb atmospheric oxygen

through pores called lenticels.

Mangrove areas are the most carbon-rich of the tropical forests.

They play a significant role in stabilising the coastline against erosion

and tropical storms,

acting as a buffer that protects valuable land and houses.

INDONESIA’S ORANGUTANS 

Orange Orangutans are known as the ‘gardeners of the forest’, dispersing seed and playing a vital role in the health of their habitat. 

There are only three species of Orangutan (Pongo spp.) worldwide.

They live on the Islands of Borneo and Sumatra.

These semi-solitary, tree dwelling creatures sleep in nests of vegetation,

rarely climbing down to the ground.

Their slow reproductive rate makes them vulnerable to population decline.

However, the main threat to Indonesia’s orangutan population is habitat loss.

Their natural rainforests are being cleared and degraded by development,

commercial logging, agriculture and oil palm plantations.

Orangutans are also under threat from illegal poaching.

Cocos nucifera Coconut

Nearly all parts of this palm, a native of Wallacea, have practical and economic value.

Coconut oil has been used for centuries to moisturise, heal and protect the skin.

The milk, husk and roots are also eaten

to treat conditions including fever, infections and asthma.

Institution  of Mechanical Engineers

 Engineering Heritage Hallmark

 PRINCESS OF WALES CONSERVATORY

Designed by PSA Projects and opened on 28 July 1987

as the world’s most advanced energy efficient conservatory.

It incorporates 10 different climactic zones,

created and maintained by a fully integrated computer controlled system.

Conservation in TIPAS

Kew’s Asia team are collaborating with local partners including Universitas Papua,

to assess conservation priorities here as part

of a Tropical Important Plant Areas (TIPAs) project.

Nepenthes tobaica

The pitcher plant Nepenthes tobaica

is endemic to Indonesia and takes its name from Lake Toba in Sumatra,

where this species grows abundantly.

Nepenthes are often found growing in volcanic soils

where nutrients are scarce.

To supplement their food supply,

these evergreen predators entice insects

to drink nectar from their spoon-like lids,

where the prey then slips and becomes trapped in the pitcher below.

Larger species are even able to trap and digest small mammals and birds.

Indonesia’s threatened tiger

The Sumatran tiger is the last surviving tiger in Indonesia,

with less than 400 remaining today.

The greatest threats to the survival of the

Sumatran tiger, Panthera tigris subsp. sumatrae, are poaching,

illegal trade and the destruction of their natural habitat.

Tigers prefer uncultivated forests with a thick understorey.

Deforestation and settlement disrupts their natural habitat and harbour.

To search for food, they are forced further into settled areas,

putting tigers in conflict with humans.

Conservationists are seeking to reverse this trend.

Corpse lily flower

The Indonesian corpse lily, Rafflesia arnoldii, is the largest in the world.

Rafflesia arnoldii is one of Indonesia’s three national flowers,

along with the moon orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis) and jasmine.

Our installation has been created using hundreds of Fittonia sibivenis plants,

representing the shape and pattern of the corpse lily.

The name, corpse lily, refers to the flower’s oppressive stench which attracts

pollinating flies.

The corpse lily is thought to treat multiple ailments.

This can lead to illegal collection,

though the flower’s chief threat is from deforestation.