Plants walked so your local pharmacy could run. Before prescriptions, there was the healing power of plants. Celebrating 20 years of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s modernised herbology course by herbologist and course director Catherine Conway-Paye. The exhibition highlights the work of the programme through a variety of engaging mixed media by students and illustrators and dives into the long history of medicinal plants. Open daily with free admission the Herbology exhibition runs at the John Hope Gateway until Sunday, June 28.
Remedies, recipes and rituals
This exhibition explores a variety of medicinal plants, remedy-making methods and recipes giving you an insight into the Garden’s green pharmacy and showing the important role it played in traditional healing practices. The Herbology exhibit captivates visitors, drawing them into the rich history of medicinal plants. Through its displays, it highlights how plants have been around for centuries helping illnesses and demonstrates how long before the existence of pharmacies, communities world-wide relied on herbs, roots and flowers as the only source of medicine.
The exhibition showcases the connection between traditional herbal knowledge and modern science. Many of the medicines used today derive from compounds found first in plants. By showcasing them both, the exhibit illustrates plant knowledge’s influence on the development of modern medicine.
Besides highlighting medical uses, the exhibit also invites its visitors to reflect on the importance of plant conservation. While researchers continue studying plants for future medical applications, the importance of protecting biodiversity increases.
Find out more about Herbology at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
