OV’s 5,000-Mile Mission to Save a Palm from Extinction

When Kew Gardens announced plans to renovate its iconic Victorian Palm House, a major challenge emerged: the glasshouse has sheltered a 46ft Ravenea moorei palm for over 60 years; the only known specimen in the world. Moving it was impossible, and without a way to propagate the single male tree, botanists feared the species could vanish during the 2027 restoration.

Determined to prevent extinction, OV Professor Bill Baker (W 85-90) and two colleagues embarked on a 5,000-mile expedition to the Comoro Islands, the palm’s last known habitat. For 13 days, they trekked through Karthala National Park’s degraded forest, battling heat and invasive weeds. “We simply didn’t know if Ravenea moorei still survived,” said Bill.

Against the odds, the team discovered around 50 palms, including 12 mature specimens: the last wild population. Seeds were scarce, but they collected a few young plants and other endemic palms to grow at Kew. “To find it clinging to survival was extraordinary and sobering,” Bill added.

Preserving the Palm House will cost £60 million, with £40 million still to raise. The rescued palms will feature when the glasshouse reopens in 2032. Bill explained that the original Ravenea moorei was “very sadly” unlikely to survive the renovation, but that he would keep specimens from it “in perpetuity”. He also hopes that he might be able to sequence its genome.

Bill hopes this dramatic rescue will inspire visitors and highlight urgent conservation needs in the Comoros.

You can watch the full story in Kew Gardens’ new documentary on YouTube HERE.