London | November 2026
Autumn has turned Kew Gardens into a landscape of reds and golds, but this year the colour comes with a story. Experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew say climate change is altering autumn across the south of England, and their research is pointing to the trees most likely to keep the seasonal splash alive in years to come. Add in £10 Tuesdays, Christmas at Kew and Henry Moore: Monumental Nature, and there are plenty of reasons to head to south-west London. Here are five.
1. The autumn colour is still putting on a show
Despite a record-breaking hot summer and drought, plenty of Kew’s trees have burst into colour. Common red oaks and the Golden Honey Locust are blazing away, while the Maidenhair trees (ginkgoes) have turned the lawns outside the Orangery into a sea of yellow. Several Japanese maples have gone a deep crimson, and the Winter Garden glows with dogwoods showing off their red and orange stems. Head deeper into the Arboretum to the Waterlily Pond for purple smoke bush, golden ginkgoes, rusty golden larches and a swamp cypress turning orange. It is a wonderful walk on a crisp day.
2. Discover the trees of the future
Not every tree has coped so well, and many have turned early or lost their leaves altogether, a phenomenon known as ‘False Autumn’. Kew’s research is helping to work out which species are best suited to a warmer, drier future. Its experts have highlighted trees such as Farges’ fir, Iberian alder, cherry hackberry, Montezuma pine and spoon oak as well adapted to the conditions ahead. Many feature in Kew’s 2024 Landscape Succession Plan, which used climate modelling to assess how the Gardens’ trees might fare by 2090. With 11,000 trees on site, Kew is, as Head of Tree Collections Kevin Martin puts it, a living laboratory.
3. Warm up in the glasshouses
When the chill sets in, Kew’s famous glasshouses offer a welcome dose of tropical warmth. The Princess of Wales Conservatory is your last chance to see the giant Victoria waterlilies before they are removed for winter at the end of the month. In the Temperate House, tea plants are still flowering and you might spot a large imperial lemon peeking through the foliage. The central block is framed by trumpet-flowered Brugmansia, along with abutilons, pelargoniums, young palms and passionflowers. Outside, the hollies along Holly Walk are looking exceptional, with bright red berries on a collection dating back to 1874.
4. Henry Moore, fungi and the colonial archive
Henry Moore: Monumental Nature, the largest-ever outdoor exhibition of the sculptor’s work, runs until 31 January 2027, with 30 monumental sculptures set against the autumn colour. More than 90 works on paper, models and smaller pieces are on show in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. Adults can book the Fascinating World of Fungi workshop on 27 November to learn to grow mushrooms and tour Kew’s Fungarium. Archives Revealed, a free community co-created exhibition about Kew’s role in empire, is open at the Herbarium and Library until 14 January 2027. It is an impressively varied line-up for one day out.
5. Christmas at Kew, plus £10 Tuesdays
London’s enchanting festive light trail returns from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with 30 immersive installations, large-scale artworks and atmospheric soundscapes. For the first time, there are adult-only evenings on 3 and 9 December for visitors aged 18 and over. That makes it a lovely option for a night out with friends, colleagues or a partner. If you would rather visit by day, Kew Gardens is offering £10 Tuesdays until 29 December. It is a great-value way to see the autumn colour before it fades.
Visit
Where: Kew Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London
Offer: £10 Tuesdays until 29 December
Christmas at Kew: 13 November 2026 – 3 January 2027, 4.20pm–10pm (adult-only evenings 3 and 9 December)
Henry Moore: Monumental Nature: until 31 January 2027
Archives Revealed: until 14 January 2027, 10am–4pm, free, no booking required