Chelsea Physic Garden

Set on the banks of the Thames, Chelsea Physic Garden was established by The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1673 for research into medicinal plants.

The garden’s location was originally selected for proximity to the river and its warm air currents. The resulting microclimate means it can cultivate plants that rarely thrive outdoors in the UK, such as the UK’s largest fruiting olive tree. During the long hot summer of 1976, it yielded a record-breaking 7lb crop!

Take a look inside the beautiful glasshouses for exotic species including cacao, coffee and cotton plants. The glasshouses have a long tradition in the gardens, having been used to cultivate warm-climate plants here for over 300 years. The current hothouses are over a century old.

At the center of the garden, bustling with Mediterranean, alpine and aquatic plants, the tranquil Pond Rockery is a Grade II-listed structure that – at 250 years old – is thought to be the oldest rock garden in Europe.

Find out about the types of plants you can eat (and the ones that might kill you!) in the gardens of edible, useful and medicinal plants and enjoy a peaceful stroll through the wonderful World Woodland Garden. This enchanted forest focuses on medicinal and useful plants from North America, Europe and East Asia.