Kew

Kew is the official magazine of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — the world-famous botanic gardens in Richmond, south-west London, and one of the world's leading institutions for plant science and conservation. Published three times a year, it goes behind the scenes of Kew's work at home and abroad, covering horticulture, plant science, conservation, art and history through beautifully photographed features. Delivered to some 80,000 member households, it is both a membership benefit and, in the organisation's own words, a well-respected ambassador for Kew around the world.

The official magazine of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew magazine exists to tell the stories of one of the world's great scientific and cultural institutions. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — houses the largest and most diverse botanical collections on Earth, including living collections of tens of thousands of plant taxa, a herbarium of nearly seven million dried specimens, and the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership at Wakehurst, the organisation's second garden in Sussex, which works to safeguard wild plant species against extinction.

The magazine's brief is to make this immense range of work accessible and engaging. As the Kew Shop's description puts it, each issue pulls together a fascinating mix of articles that go behind the scenes to explain what Kew does, from horticulture, education, conservation and the environment to art and history — all features focusing on plants and the people who work with them.

Publishing history

The magazine has been produced under contract publishing arrangements for many years. For a long period it was published by Cultureshock Media, during which time trade data recorded it as a quarterly title with a circulation of around 52,000. In 2025 a new chapter began when Cabbells — the sister company of the membership publishing specialist CPL One — was awarded the publishing contract for what was described as Kew's flagship publication, taking over editorial, design, production and distribution.

Cabbells said it had been selected for its creative vision, editorial excellence and track record in producing publications for membership and cultural organisations, and set out its ambition to expand the magazine's reach, enhance its visual appeal and bring fresh storytelling to the urgency of biodiversity conservation. The first issue under Cabbells' direction was published in early June 2025, and the contract — reported as being worth the best part of a million pounds — underlined the magazine's importance to Kew's communications.

Frequency and distribution

Kew magazine is issued three times a year, in spring, summer and autumn, with publication weeks falling around late March, late June and early October. It forms part of the package of benefits for those who join Kew's membership scheme, of which there are approximately 80,000 memberships representing around 110,000 members, and it is delivered as a print product to approximately 80,000 households.

The organisation views the magazine as an important communication tool: a way of informing members about the Gardens themselves — including the Wakehurst site in Sussex — about Kew's scientific purpose, and about what is on for members to enjoy through the seasons. Non-members can subscribe through the Kew Shop, with UK subscriptions handled online.

Editorial content

The content mix reflects the extraordinary breadth of Kew's work. Features cover plant-hunting expeditions to remote corners of the world, plant conservation projects in many countries, profiles of Kew's scientists, horticulturists and experts, the discovery of new species, and the ways in which people can use the world's plants to improve their lives. Horticultural features explore the seasonal highlights of the Gardens, from the glasshouses to the arboretum, while history and art features draw on Kew's rich archives and collections.

Each issue also carries the latest news from Kew and the wider world of plant science, plus a diary of events for members. The overall effect is a magazine that is simultaneously a members' newsletter, a popular science journal and a celebration of botanical beauty.

Science coverage

Plant science is at the heart of the magazine's mission. Kew's scientists work on some of the most pressing questions in biology: documenting and classifying the world's plant and fungal diversity, understanding how plants adapt to climate change, developing sustainable uses for plants, and banking seeds against extinction. Kew magazine translates this research for a general audience, explaining why taxonomy matters, how new species are discovered and described, and what the science means for conservation on the ground.

The magazine thus serves as a bridge between Kew's research community and its public. In an era when biodiversity loss and climate change dominate environmental debate, its role in communicating the science of plants — in the organisation's phrase, increasing understanding of plants and fungi and promoting the sustainable management of the environment — has never been more important.

Design and production values

Kew is produced to high editorial and design standards, with contributions from top writers and photographers. The Kew Shop describes the combination of outstanding design, high production values and editorial quality as making it "a beautiful magazine and a well-respected ambassador for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" — a publication designed to be kept and treasured rather than discarded.

Under Cabbells' stewardship the publishers have promised innovations in content and visual appeal aimed at attracting a wider, more diverse readership, while keeping the magazine's authoritative voice on botany, conservation, horticulture and plant science. The emphasis on photography and illustration reflects Kew's own visual riches, from historic botanical art to contemporary scientific imaging.

Digital editions

Alongside the print magazine, Kew is available as a digital edition, with sample content viewable online. The digital version extends the magazine's reach to members and subscribers who prefer to read on screens, and to an international audience interested in Kew's work.

The magazine's parent organisation maintains a substantial digital presence of its own, and the magazine's stories feed into Kew's wider communications — though the print edition remains the primary membership benefit, valued precisely because it is a tangible, beautifully produced object arriving through the letterbox three times a year.

Subscriptions and availability

Subscriptions to Kew magazine are sold through the Kew Shop, with a dedicated UK subscription product. Online subscription is currently offered for UK addresses only, and the magazine no longer ships to the EU — a practical consequence of post-Brexit trading arrangements. For most readers, however, the magazine arrives as part of Kew membership, which remains the principal route to receiving it.

Back issues and related Kew publications are also available through the Kew Shop, which stocks the organisation's books and botanical titles alongside the magazine.

Kew's wider publishing tradition

Kew magazine stands within a long publishing tradition at the Royal Botanic Gardens. The organisation's scientific journals include the Kew Bulletin, published since 1887, and it is the publisher of Curtis's Botanical Magazine, the world's longest-running botanical periodical. Where those titles serve researchers and specialists, Kew magazine serves the wider public — members, visitors and plant lovers — bringing the institution's science and collections to life.

In that role it is more than a magazine: it is the printed voice of an institution whose mission is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the wellbeing of people and the future of the planet. Three times a year, in spring, summer and autumn, it reminds its 80,000 households why that mission matters.