a park in west London, England, which contains a large collection of plants, trees, etc. from all over the world and is a major centre for the study of plants. Its official name is the Royal Botanic Gardens and it was opened to the public in 1840 by Queen Victoria . It is very popular with tourists and local people, and among its famous buildings are the Chinese Pagoda (= a tall tower) and several very large greenhouses, including the Palm House (opened in 1848). Kew Gardens became a World Heritage Site in 2003.
See also Banks .