Located in southwest London along the banks of the Thames, Kew Gardens originated in the 18th century from the private botanical interests of Princess Augusta, the mother of King George III. In 1759, she established a nine-acre botanical garden on the grounds of Kew Palace. The gardens expanded under the direction of Sir Joseph Banks, who served as unofficial director from 1773 to 1820. Banks, who had sailed with Captain James Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific, transformed Kew into a global center for botanical exploration and scientific research.

The appointment of Sir William Jackson Hooker as the first official director in 1841 marked a pivotal moment in Kew’s medical and scientific evolution. Under Hooker’s leadership, Kew became a repository for medicinal plants from across the British Empire. His son, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, succeeded him and continued this medical focus, making Kew the center of colonial botanical medicine.

Kew Gardens played a fundamental role in the development of modern pharmacology and medical botany. Its  institution’s systematic approach to cataloging and studying plants led to many numerous medical breakthroughs. One of Kew’s early contributions was the study of cinchona bark, the source of quinine. During the 19th century, Kew scientists worked extensively with cinchona specimens, helping to establish sustainable plantations in British colonies and ensuring a reliable supply of this  antimalarial compound. Kew’s most celebrated medical contributions were the comprehensive and systematic study of Digitalis purpurea (foxglove) and of salicin, the precursor to aspirin found in willow bark (Salix species). During the height of the British Empire, Kew Gardens served as the central hub for medical botany across the colonies. The institution coordinated the transfer of medicinal plants between different colonial territories, often with profound economic and medical implications. The transportation of rubber trees from Brazil to Southeast Asia also had medical significance as rubber became essential for medical equipment manufacturing.

Today, Kew Gardens continues to play a vital role in pharmaceutical research and drug discovery. The institution’s scientists work with pharmaceutical companies to identify promising compounds from plants, using advanced techniques such as mass spectrometry and molecular biology to analyze plant chemistry. Approximately 25% of modern pharmaceuticals are derived from plants, and Kew’s research continues to expand this percentage.