When its doors were first opened to the public, in 1858, records show early visitors to the magnificent Victorian Temperate Palm House of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh were greeted ‘by a gentleman of African origin’. One hundred and fifty years on, when citizens of the capital are long accustomed to a multicultural society, there is no need to try and enhance the richly exotic character of this remarkable building.

It is an iconic landmark in the city. At a height of 21.95 metres (72ft) this, the tallest glasshouse of its kind in the United Kingdom and one of the tallest in the world, was designed by Robert Matheson with a Parliamentary grant of £6,000 and conceived as an imposing welcome to the world of plant diversity. Since its earliest days the Palm House has been admired for the grandeur of its exterior and the elegance of its interior. However, in the latter part of the 20th century, it was recognised that the building had become something of a repository for species which, while important for research or conservation purposes, were not necessarily displayed in a meaningful way.

Following major refurbishment in 2004-2005, visitors today are inspired by a redesigned interior of stone and metal work, celebrating Scottish horticulture and craftsmanship, beds accommodating more sensitive planting and benches providing the opportunity for temporary displays of flowering plants which are usually kept out of public view in the research and support areas. Exotic flora, from palms – arguably the most useful group of plants as they provide a vast range of products from foods such as dates and coconuts to oils used in cosmetics and cooking – to primitive organisms including mosses and complex flowering plants such as daisies, are displayed in a new context.

One highlight of the Palm House’s 150th anniversary saw staff spend eight hours chopping down a palm which was bursting through the roof. Scaffolding was erected around the 61ft, 48-yearold Livistona australis as it was cut branch by branch. While this may have appeared extreme to bystanders, there was no alternative. As palms have their growing tip at the top, pruning it was not an option.

The tree was planted in September 1960 after the UK’s tallest palm was cut down when it reached 72ft. A replacement for the livistona was planted in 2005 and has the potential of reaching the top dome in another 80 years. But because the Garden is not only about plants and buildings – it’s about the people who work in and visit it – the refurbished Palm House now provides an exclusive space for social and cultural events. In February 2008 it spectacularly launched China Now in Scotland, a Government-led year long cultural celebration, in the form of Spirit, a magnificent lantern festival.

When it first opened to the public in 1858 the building provided visitors with their first, perhaps only, experience of palms and other wonderful exotics from far away places. While in this age of international travel people are less easily amazed, the plants displayed in it are more precious and important than ever.

The period during which the elegant Palm House has graced the Botanics has witnessed the disappearance of almost half of the world’s forests at the hands of mankind. Plants are the base of our food chain and, as well as providing the recycling services of the planet, they are the source of medicines, fragrances, fabrics, fuels and other materials. The challenge is to find sustainable ways of using our planet’s resources. The Palm House plays an integral role in communicating the international research and conservation initiatives undertaken by the Garden. Having passed the milestone of its 150th anniversary it will continue in its evolution as a focal point for an ever-expanding audience.