The colonial roots of botany – legacies of empire in the botanic gardens of Oxford and Kew

Abstract

Although the involvement of botanic gardens in the colonial expansion of the British Empire is well documented, the public communication of this part of the history of the gardens is not as visible as it has increasingly become in many ethnographic museums, where the topic has been dealt with more actively within recent years. In this article, presenting findings from ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the botanic gardens of Oxford and Kew in 2022 and 2023,Footnote1 I show how colonial-era scientific practices are still used in the namegiving of plants, although scientists within the field have become increasingly aware of the importance of recognising Indigenous people and places.Footnote2 Through an analysis of the wording applied in signs and guided tours, I furthermore demonstrate how the colonial legacies of the plant collections of the two gardens are only superficially communicated to their visitors, despite numerous initiatives taking place behind the scenes.Footnote3