The Economic Botany Collection at Kew illustrates the extent of human use of plants around the world. The huge variety of objects ranges from artefacts made from plants, to raw plant materials, including a large collection of wood samples. Uses range from food, medicine and utensils, to social activities and clothing.
The collections build an important bridge between biological and cultural diversity, and are a valuable resource for the study of plant uses past,
present and future. They are managed by the Biodiversity Department of the Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives Directorate, in close collaboration with the Sustainable Uses Department of the Jodrell Laboratory.
Museum No. 1 indigo factory & collection cases
Sir William Hooker, the first official Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, opened the Museum of Economic Botany in 1847. While the majority of the objects were acquired during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Collection continues to grow today and now holds over 85,000 specimens. These include present-day material as well as archaeological specimens and nineteenth century curiosities. Please explore some of our holdings.
The Plants+People exhibition in the renovated Museum No. 1 displays over 450 of these plant-based treasures.
Economic Botany Collection blog launched
Online now at the Kew Blogs page
17-18 September 2011. London Open House: Re-opening of Museum No. 2 for the first time since 1960.
11 October 2011. Annual Ethnobotany Lecture: Prof. Will McClatchey on "Ethnobotany of the Home and Hearth". Will McClatchey is a leading ethnobotanist with special expertise in methodology, the evolution of patterns of human interactions with plants and ecosystems, and the ethnobotany of Pacific islands. He is a renown speaker. His talk is at 5pm, Tuesday 11 October 2011, in the Jodrell Lecture Theatre at Kew (map PDF). There is no need to book in advance. The lecture will be followed by discussions in the Botanist pub on Kew Green. This event also marks the first visit to Kew of the 2011/12 group of Ethnobotany MSc students on the Kent/Kew programme.
26 October 2011. Out of the Archives - Researching Herbal Medicine Then and Now Mark Nesbitt will be speaking at this meeting, to be held at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution.
9 December 2011. Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker - a centenary celebration. The Economic Botany collection is participating in this conference with displays of Hooker artefacts.
New reading list on Kew, economic botany and empire. Kew, economic botany and empire (PDF).
