Transporting Plants

A challenge for botanists and plant collectors was getting plant specimens to their destinations. Most of the collectors we have studied so far, transported their collections by ship. Besides the ultimate threat of running aground or sinking, their were other challenges – ships were small and crowded; resources like fresh water were limited; and salt air and water could easily claim the specimens. How did these botanists transport their collections? Penelope Hobhouse sheds some light on the question in her book, The Story of Gardening.

• Seeds – this may have been the easiest way to transport plants, in their seed form. Seeds are small and compact, and contain everything needed to germinate the plant. They can be dried, and can last a long time. According to Hobhouse, seeds were sometimes coated in beeswax and wrapped in waxed cotton and paper, or bottled and packed in boxes of salt to keep them fresh and protected.

• Live plants – sometimes living plants were transported. Many containers were devised for the purpose, including woven baskets, and wooden crates. The plants required constant care on the journey to ensure their survival, and many plants died. In 1833, Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward developed miniature greenhouses for transporting live plants. These “Wardian cases” provided a sealed ecosystem for the plants during their voyage, and reduced loss.

Banksia serrata specimen collected from Botany Bay, Australia by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander
(the plastic bag is obviously modern)

• Dried specimens – botanists collected plant parts, including seeds, leaves, and stems. Each specimen was dried thoroughly, and then pressed between sheets of paper for preservation. Stacks of pressed specimens were clamped together between wood planks, to protect them from damp conditions on their way to the herbariums of Europe.

In these ways, plants traveled the world to new destinations for study, commerce, and enjoyment.