The Barbican is giving away free plant cuttings from its famous Conservatory ahead of its temporary closure

Inside the Barbican Centre conservatory in September — (Image credit: Sam Mellish / In Pictures via Getty Images)

The Barbican’s Conservatory greenhouse jungle often feels like a bit of surprise given the building's steely, brutalist exterior. It’s sort of like when you find out that a mild mannered accountant who dresses exclusively in grey suits is a drag queen on a Saturday Night with a penchant for rock music. It’s one of the city’s most distinctive green spaces, spanning over over 2,000 square metres and houses around 2,000 different plant species. Ahead of its closure at the end of 2026 (as part of a major renovation rather than a complete shut down) it will be handing out more than 2,000 free plant cuttings to the public.

The Conservatory’s horticulture partner, Wayward Plants, has already started taking cuttings from the whopping collection and has been propagating them into small, healthy plantlings to give them new life. These newly-burgeoning plants will be given away to the public at official “plant adoption” events which will be taking place inside the glasshouse. You don’t need any credentials to be an adoptive parent as far as we can tell – no need to bring evidence of having kept previous houseplant alive in order to get one. Although you may want to make sure you own some kind of watering can before taking it home – consider it the carseat equivalent for the horticulture world. The adoption evenings also include a short tour and talks about the Conservatory and its future.

The Barbican Conservatory in the City of London, on 27th January 2019, in London, England. The conservatory houses more than 2000 species of plants and trees, as well as terrapins and koi carp. Admission to the conservatory is free but public opening times are very limited; currently only afternoons on Sundays and some Bank holiday Mondays. Opening days and times are given on the Barbican website. (Photo by Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)

If you want to get your green fingers on a cutting, you’ll want to mark out the 19th August on your calendar as that’s when the first session is running. Further sessions will be taking place on September 13th and 2nd December, running from 12pm until 5pm. You will need to book a ticket to secure your spot (and your plant) but they are free to book. August's slot will see 40 people per session, whilst the other two dates are capped at around 125 – plants that is, rather than people.

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It’s all part of a big restoration that the Conservatory is undergoing, spanning three years from 2027 until 2030.

Conservatory improvements as part of the refurbishment include:

100% step‑free access, up from 30%, by reconfiguring planters, beds and walkways.
A new lift and stair to open up the fly‑tower balconies, adding new viewpoints and increasing public space by around 25%.
Upgraded mechanical, electrical and horticultural systems, plus more sustainable environmental controls to protect the collection long‑term.
A shift to free, near‑daily public access when it reopens in 2030, rather than limited weekend openings.

You can find out more information about the plant cuttings and how to get one via the Barbican's website.

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Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.