Kew Gardens' Orchid Festival

Beautiful biodiversity in West London

Brighten up winter days with a voyage through Peru’s magically diverse landscape, home to over 3,000 species of orchid. Transforming the Princess of Wales Conservatory into an extraordinary tapestry of colour, the festival features the world’s largest bromeliad, a living sculpture of Machu Picchu, an orchid aviary and a starry night sky of iridescent Allium flowers.

Weird and wonderful nature

Delicate and otherworldly looking, this exhibition shows that orchids are surprisingly adaptable, exploring how they thrive across Peru’s beaches, mountains, deserts and forests. Discover endangered species Puya Raimondii, known as the ‘Queen of the Andes’, with a flower stalk that can reach 10 metres long, and the enticingly named Blood Red Feather, with frond-like petals that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Winter warmers

Beyond orchids, Kew is home to a treasure trove of exotic blooms growing in a series of magnificent Victorian glasshouses. Blending striking architecture, fascinating horticulture and tropical temperatures, these vast greenhouses are a welcome escape from cold days and frosty weather.

From the towering peaks of the Andes to precious fog oases and beyond, the rich tapestry of Peru’s flora and fauna provides an endless source of inspiration.

Solene Dequiret, Supervisor of the Princess of Wales Conservatory, Kew

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