Making is knowing: How can artwork be science?

Making botanical art can involve doing the science of taxonomy, or plant identification. We show you how.

The art of doing science

“Pressing plants is an artisan skill - but also a scientific practice.”

Botanical décor is enjoying a renaissance; pressing plants is almost as popular as it was during the mid-nineteenth century. But there is one difference: the Victorians used pressed plants in order to learn how to identify the plant species and families. So knowing some science was part of the aesthetic appreciation of botanical artwork.

Pressing plants is also a central practice of modern botanical science. Molecular laboratory techniques have not replaced the need to know what plants we have growing in Britain, and where. Herbaria are an important scientific tool in documenting plant distribution.

How does a pressed plant become a scientific specimen?

Simply by having a label recording what species it is (the internationally-recognised scientific name, derived from Latin or Greek), who collected the plant, when it was collected, and the locality. The person is as important as the plant.

Join our pressing community for botanical creatives

“Every pressed plant tells a story.”

Herbarium Box is creating more than attractive artwork; we are also providing a way in for you to learn about the plants, to pass their stories on to your children, grandchildren, friends and neighbours, clients and customers.

Every pressed plant artwork comes with its full scientific record card and shares unique identification tips unavailable in any books.

Many plant identification courses are quite academic, are designed for professional scientists and ecologists, and often get fully booked up fast, so we wanted to offer flexible support for any botanical creative who would like to improve their botanical identification skills.

Coming soon:

A quarterly subscription box and herbarium-making kit , and plant-themed creative activities - all designed to develop your plant pressing and identification skills through the year!