Herbarium

plants · science · preservation · discovery

Pressed plant treasures. A herbarium is like a museum of plants where scientists carefully dry and press flowers, leaves, and stems on special paper, then store them in labeled folders. Each specimen is kept safe so scientists can study it for years.

Scientific detective work. When botanists find a plant they've never seen before, they can compare it to thousands of specimens in a herbarium to figure out what species it is and where it belongs in the plant family tree.

Plant passport system. Every plant in a herbarium has information attached to it, like where it was found, when it was collected, and who discovered it, which helps scientists understand how different plants live across the world.

Oldest plant library. Some herbariums have been collecting plants for hundreds of years, with specimens so old they've become valuable records of plants that don't even exist anymore in nature.

Organized by families. Plants in a herbarium are arranged by their scientific families and names, making it easy for researchers to find related species and discover patterns about how plants evolved.