Seeds of Change — Polemobotany in the Study of War and Culture

Abstract

Throughout history, plants and plant science have been intimately associated with military activities, forging inexorable connections to sociocultural evolution. However, this is frequently neglected in war and culture research, despite a pivotal relationship existing both during conflicts and peacetime. This network of botanical connections spans physical and psychological realms — from war materiel to strategies for coping with conflict traumas. Wars have accelerated scientific research, frequently leading to post-war societal benefit. A cyclical process exists whereby military activities shape landscapes and floras, which in turn impact upon the perceptions and activities of those who live and fight within them. Botanic gardens and natural history museums are widely perceived as unconnected to war, yet there resides within these organizations an ‘alternative’ legacy of war. Future research should include polemobotany for a truly multidisciplinary approach, permitting deeper understanding of the relationships among plants, war and culture, as well as facilitating novel mechanisms for public engagement.

KEYWORDS:

• botany
• cultural history
• landscapes
• plant science
• polemobotany
• psychology
• war materiel

Notes on contributor

Dr James Wearn is a business analyst, ecologist, and military historian. He is the First World Centenary programme manager at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He has 15 years of research and fieldwork experience in Europe, Asia, and East Africa.