Rare Plants - The world's unusual and endangered plants

Some of the most beautiful, useful and fascinating plants in the world are also the most uncommon – this rarity has drawn the fascination of plant hunters, botanists, scientists and gardeners for centuries, and has also brought many of these species to the point of crisis.

Rare Plants unearths the extraordinary plant-life there is to be discovered in the gardens, jungles, plains and highlands of our planet. Vulnerable in a world in danger of losing its biodiversity, organizations like Kew are needed by these fragile species now more than ever before.

Through an evocative blend of artwork sourced from the Kew archives and  authoritative and illuminating text, Rare Plants highlights 40 unusual species, shedding new light on their fascinating singularities. Accompanied by 40 frameable prints and encased in a collector’s box, Rare Plants offers a vital glimpse of these unique specimens.

Ed Ikin is Deputy Director of Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden, and was previously General Manager of Mordern Hall Park and Rainham Hall for the National Trust. He is the author of Thoughtful Gardening and Garden Friends.