Half of Kew tree species at risk of death owing to climate crisis, study finds

A Hungarian oak tree at Kew Gardens. Oak trees sourced from hotter European climates may be more resilient than English oaks. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

More than half of the tree species at Kew’s Royal Botanical Gardens are at risk of death because of climate breakdown, a study by the public body has found.

Founded in 1840, Kew Gardens says it houses the largest botanical collection in the world. During the drought of 2022, the botanical gardens in south-west London lost 400 of its trees. Scientists at Kew decided they should map and chronicle the climate risk to the trees to see how many could feasibly be lost to the changing weather in the coming decades.