The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew has launched a £1 million public fundraising appeal to save its historic Palm House.
Kew aims to raise £1m towards the renovation of the Victorian glasshouse, which has stood at the heart of the botanical garden in London since 1848.
In a press release, Kew said the glasshouse is in need of urgent and major renovations, with the project expected to cost £66m in total.
Kew has secured around half of the funds, and is now is calling on the public to help raise £1m towards securing the Palm House's future.
As well as serving as a Victorian landmark, the glasshouse is home to a living collection of tropical plants from across the world, including those that are rare, threatened and even extinct in the wild.
"For generations, the Palm House has been a place where people encounter the extraordinary diversity of life on Earth," said Richard Deverell, director of Kew.
"It is a building that has inspired wonder for almost 180 years, but its future cannot be taken for granted."
He added: "We have reached an important milestone, with half of the funding already secured thanks to generous philanthropists, grants and individuals. Now we are asking the public to help us raise the next £1m.
"Every donation, however large or small, will help protect this extraordinary building and the collection within it for generations to come."
Palm House renovation work
Improvements to the glasshouse will include new glazing, a move to renewable heating systems, and the integration of rainwater harvesting tanks, with Kew hoping to develop the first carbon neutral glasshouse of its kind.
Kew is home to 50,000 living plants across 132 hectares of landscaped gardens.
Last year, it opened the new Carbon Garden, which tells the story of carbon and explores the scale of the climate crisis.
