Plant Magic Talk

The Caged Bird’s Song tapestry evokes the myths and magic of tropical plant life. Join Greg Kenicer, botanist and lecturer at the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, to explore how and why plants have been used in magic over centuries.

Combining botanical insight with historical examples and anecdote, Dr Kenicer explores patterns of plant use across a wide array of west-Eurasian magical traditions. We’ll look at the many cultural roles plants have played in explaining the unexplained, and in gaining power over fate, the elements and indeed other people through supernatural folk-botany. We’ll also consider the botanical rationale behind these uses – how the evolution and chemistry of these incredible organisms can become magical.