What Is Plant Awareness?
- The Economic Botanist
- 30 minutes ago
- 6 min read
This article is about how bridging science and culture can change how we see plants—and why that matters for our future.
"When you stop to notice the plants around you, you don’t just see green—you start to see connection, culture, and survival." — The Economic Botanist
Plants aren’t just the green stuff in the background of your nature walks. They’re the foundation of your meals, your medicines, your clothes—and your economy. But here’s the weird part: most of us barely notice them.
You probably know what a giraffe eats or how a cheetah runs. But could you name five wild plants growing near your home? If not, you’re not alone. There’s a scientific reason for that—something called plant awareness disparity (formerly "plant blindness"). And it has big implications for how we treat our environment, preserve biodiversity, and even shape our economies.
In this article, we’re diving into the roots (yes, pun intended) of why so many people overlook plants—and how two powerful fields, ethnobotany and economic botany, are working to change that. Whether you’re a science educator, a plant nerd, or just someone who’s ever walked past a patch of weeds without a second thought, this story is for you. Let’s re-learn how to see the plants that keep us alive.
Plant Awareness: Why It Matters
Let’s be honest—when most people walk through a forest or a park, they notice the animals first. Birds singing, squirrels darting around, maybe even a deer. But the plants? They kind of fade into the background.
This tendency has a name: plant awareness disparity (formerly known as "plant blindness"). It’s the idea that people often don’t notice, understand, or value plants as much as animals, even though plants make life on Earth possible.
And it’s a problem—not just for conservation, but for culture, climate, education, and our future economies. That’s where economic botany comes in.
What is Economic Botany?
Economic botany is the study of how people use plants—across food, medicine, clothing, shelter, tools, fuel, and more. It’s about understanding the real, everyday ways plants shape our lives, jobs, traditions, and economies.
Think about it:
The coffee in your cup? A plant.
The aspirin in your medicine cabinet? Made from willow bark.
The wood in your home? Comes from trees people have relied on for centuries.
Economic botany helps us see these connections—and value them. It asks, how do human societies depend on plants, and what can we learn from that?
At The Economic Botanist, this is our core belief: that understanding the plant–people connection helps build a better world!
How Did We Become “Plant Blind”?
Back in the early 2000s, scientists noticed a strange pattern in schools: students could name tons of animals, but when it came to plants, they drew blanks.
This gap became known as plant blindness, a term first coined by Wandersee and Schussler in 2001.
Later renamed plant awareness disparity to avoid ableist language, the concept describes:
A lack of attention to plants in everyday life
Less emotional connection to plants
Limited understanding of how plants support ecosystems
Why does this happen? A few reasons:
Plants don’t move like animals, so they seem “boring” to some
School curricula often prioritize animals
Media rarely shows the importance of plants
But here’s the kicker: humans need plants. They feed us, heal us, house us, and fuel us. That’s where ethnobotany and economic botany can change the story.
Ethnobotany: The Missing Piece in Plant Education
Ethnobotany is the study of how different cultures use, manage, and understand plants. It’s been around for over 150 years and overlaps deeply with economic botany.
Where botany education tends to focus on scientific facts, ethnobotany brings in stories, traditions, and local knowledge. Think of it like this:
Botany Education | Ethnobotany |
What is this plant? | What does this plant mean? |
What are its functions? | How is it used in culture? |
How do we teach it? | How is it passed down? |
While botany education focuses on how students learn about plants, ethnobotany focuses on how communities live with them. Bringing these two together is key to creating real plant awareness—and respecting how humans have interacted with plants for generations.
Why Place and Culture Matter
Here’s something that surprises many people: not everyone learns about plants in the same way. In fact, where you grow up and the culture you’re part of has a massive impact on how you see and understand plants.
Research shows:
Students from rural areas often know more about plant identification than those from cities.
People in Indigenous and local communities often have deep, place-based plant knowledge—even without formal schooling.
Climbers in Brazil cared deeply about native plants but couldn't name them—showing how interest and identification don’t always match.
Yet, most studies on plant awareness have focused on urban youth in wealthy countries—mainly in the Global North. That leaves out the vast majority of the world’s plant-people relationships.
Why it matters for economic botany: If we want to protect plant biodiversity and make smart economic choices, we have to understand local and cultural plant knowledge. This includes how communities use plants for food, medicine, or income—and how that knowledge is passed down.
How We Learn About Plants—Inside and Outside Classrooms
Most people think learning about plants happens in school. But research shows the most meaningful plant learning happens outside the classroom.
Informal learning—nature walks, family traditions, farming, foraging—is where plant awareness grows.
In rural Switzerland, kids who helped on farms knew more about local plants than their classmates, regardless of school level.
In Vienna, kids who foraged wild plants with their families were more likely to continue foraging as adults.
In Mexico, 12-year-old Tzeltal Maya children had the same plant ID skills as adults—just from growing up immersed in their environment.
Meanwhile, most botany education research takes place in structured settings—classrooms, labs, and gardens. Valuable? Sure. But it often misses the rich, real-world ways people interact with plants.
Joining Forces: Botany Education + Ethnobotany = A New Way Forward
So here’s the big idea: What if botany education researchers and ethnobotanists worked together?
Right now, these two groups often operate separately. But combining their strengths could transform how we teach, learn about, and value plants. And it could deepen our understanding of economic botany, too.
Here's how the partnership could work:
1. Mixed research methods
Ethnobotanists use creative, people-centered methods like:
Walks in the woods: Letting people choose the route and share plant stories
Participant observation: Learning by joining in gardening, foraging, or cooking
Cultural mapping: Exploring how people connect places with plants
Botany educators use more structured tools—quizzes, surveys, classroom trials. Together, they could design richer, more accurate studies on how people understand and value plants.
2. New populations and places
Botany research tends to focus on kids in cities. Ethnobotany usually focuses on adults in rural areas. Teaming up expands the map—and the people involved.
3. Better plant education
Imagine a science class that includes not just photosynthesis, but also traditional plant uses, stories, and hands-on experiences. This could help students connect personally and culturally with plants.
4. Supporting plant-based economies
By including Indigenous and local plant knowledge in education, we support sustainable livelihoods—especially in regions where traditional plant uses still fuel economies.
The Bottom Line
Plants are everywhere—but often invisible in our minds. Fixing that starts with understanding how people see, learn about, and use plants.
This is more than a science problem—it’s a cultural and economic one. And solving it takes teamwork.
Botany education teaches plant facts. Ethnobotany teaches plant meaning. Economic botany connects it all to human survival and growth.
By combining these, we can grow a world where people don’t just notice plants—they value them, protect them, and depend on them, with eyes wide open.
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If this topic sparked something in you, don’t let it fade like a forgotten houseplant.
Here’s what you can do:
Observe the plants around you—what are they? What do they do? Who might use them?
Talk to your elders or neighbors—ask how they use plants, past or present.
Follow The Economic Botanist for more real stories and deep dives into plant–human relationships.
Support plant-rich education—volunteer at a garden, support local herbalists, or donate to community greening projects.
Read labels, ask questions—where do your foods, fibers, and medicines come from?
Let’s bring plants back into the spotlight—where they’ve always belonged.
Science Reading
Harnessing synergies between botany education research and ethnobotany to improve understanding of plant awareness: This article explores the similarities and differences between the two disciplines and highlight cooperation potential to seize synergies for better understanding plant awareness. Access this article here
Rooting students in their botanical history: A method to engage students in botany and herbaria: This study looks at the effectiveness of educational modules designed for high school students to engage them in botany and the importance of herbaria. Students explore the importance of plants to their ancestors and learn to identify, collect, press, mount, and digitize their chosen herbarium specimen. Explore this article here
Unveiling the roots of botanical literacy: A systematic literature review on its concepts and domains: This study emphasizes the importance of botanical literacy in holistically supporting botanical learning in higher education. Read this paper here |
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