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Plants: From Roots to Riches: A History of Our Changing Relationship with Plants
An illuminating journey through the past, present and future of the botanical world
How did plants shape the modern world? And what can they tell us about our future?
Our peculiarly British obsession with gardens goes back a long way and From Roots to Riches takes us back to where it all began. Across 25 fascinating episodes, Professor Kathy Willis, former Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, explores our changing relationship with plants over the past 250 years.
Drawing on the extraordinary collections, archives and expertise of Kew Gardens, she traces the scientific discoveries, cultural obsessions and global challenges that have transformed the way we understand the botanical world.
From the discovery of Botany Bay to the horrors of the potato famine, from orchid hunters to quinine smugglers, from Darwin's experiments to the unexpected knowledge unlocked by the 1987 hurricane, understanding how plants work has changed our history and could safeguard our future.
Rich in insight, history and scientific discovery, this compelling BBC series offers a fresh perspective on the plants that surround us and the vital role they continue to play in our lives.
In the style of A History of the World in 100 Objects, each chapter tells a separate story, but, gathered together, a great picture unfolds, of our most remarkable botany.
Presented by Professor Kathy Willis
Produced by Adrian Washbourne
2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
How did plants shape the modern world? And what can they tell us about our future?
Our peculiarly British obsession with gardens goes back a long way and From Roots to Riches takes us back to where it all began. Across 25 fascinating episodes, Professor Kathy Willis, former Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, explores our changing relationship with plants over the past 250 years.
Drawing on the extraordinary collections, archives and expertise of Kew Gardens, she traces the scientific discoveries, cultural obsessions and global challenges that have transformed the way we understand the botanical world.
From the discovery of Botany Bay to the horrors of the potato famine, from orchid hunters to quinine smugglers, from Darwin's experiments to the unexpected knowledge unlocked by the 1987 hurricane, understanding how plants work has changed our history and could safeguard our future.
Rich in insight, history and scientific discovery, this compelling BBC series offers a fresh perspective on the plants that surround us and the vital role they continue to play in our lives.
In the style of A History of the World in 100 Objects, each chapter tells a separate story, but, gathered together, a great picture unfolds, of our most remarkable botany.
Presented by Professor Kathy Willis
Produced by Adrian Washbourne
2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Audible Audio
Published September 17, 2026
About the author
Kathy Willis
15 books18 followersKathy Willis is the director of science at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England. She is also a professor of biodiversity in the zoology department at the University of Oxford and an adjunct biology professor at the University of Bergen. She has authored or co-authored more than one hundred scientific publications, including the landmark book The Evolution of Plants. This is her first book for younger readers.
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