Plant hunters and their sketchbooks
For centuries, plant hunters have ventured far and wide to collect new and exciting species of plants for gardens and greenhouses. These intrepid explorers have kept detailed accounts of their journeys, often in the form of sketchbooks, journals and diaries. In this essay, I will explore the history of plant hunters and the ways in which their sketchbooks, journals and diaries have helped to document their discoveries and advance our understanding of botany.
Plant hunting dates back to the 16th century, when European explorers began travelling to distant lands in search of exotic plants and flowers. The first of these explorers were botanists such as Carl Linnaeus, who studied plants in his native Sweden and then travelled to other countries to collect new species. He was followed by many others, including Joseph Banks, who sailed with Captain Cook on his voyage around the world in 1768. The growing popularity of gardens and competition for exotic plants to fill them yielded gardeners and others exploring various areas of Europe and elsewhere searching for plants satisfying these needs. So, the first “professional” plant hunters; the seventeenth-century Tradescants lead the way. Yielding notable early plant collectors such as Banks, Bonpland, Masson, Cunningham, Drummond, Douglas, Hooker, Wilson and Dampier.
The plant hunters kept detailed accounts of their journeys in the form of sketchbooks, journals and diaries. These documents often contained sketches of the plants they encountered, as well as notes on the climate and geography of different regions. By studying these sketchbooks, journals and diaries, we can gain an insight into the lives of these intrepid explorers and the plants they encountered.
The sketchbooks, journals and diaries of plant hunters have also helped to advance our understanding of botany. By documenting their discoveries in detail, these explorers have enabled us to study the effects of climate and geography on plant growth and diversity. They have also helped to identify and classify new species of plants, which has been invaluable for the conservation of rare and endangered species.
In conclusion, the sketchbooks, journals and diaries of plant hunters have helped to document their discoveries and advance our understanding of botany. These documents provide a fascinating insight into the lives of these intrepid explorers and the plants they encountered. They have also enabled us to study the effects of climate and geography on plant growth and diversity, and to identify and classify new species of plants. I hope thinking about the explorers of the past inspires you to study some of the native plants in your area. Maybe even some of the invasive species deserve a study.
