Wild About Plants is a botanical adventure that engages children and families in an explorations of plants that are a part of everyday life. Wild about Plants lets families touch, smell, magnify, build, rebuild, watch, and listen to plants—uncovering what they do for people and what people can do for them.

Visitors are invited to explore the home of a fictional character, science enthusiast Flora Wild. In her kitchen, children answer the question “What’s for dinner?” by transforming raw plants into finished meals. Ms. Wild’s pantry includes a wide range of plants used to make medicines, toiletries, and first-aid products, while her workroom reveals how plants become household items. In the living room, visitors can watch videos in which her neighbors talk about their plant-related hobbies.

In the “outdoor” garden, families learn about the complex relationships between urban organisms, plants, and animals. An “empathy tree” invites families to listen to children talk about what it would be like to be a tree and share their memories of plants. Kids see the underground root system of trees and then an aerial view of plants in the city. Together, as part of a game, families plan a plant-friendly city. A puppet theater invites them to put on a play to explore how we are all part of a community of living things. Plant Discovery Modules provide a place for hands-on experiences with plants and people.

Click here to explore Wild About Plants!

Major funding for Wild About Plants was provided by the National Science Foundation. The exhibition was developed in collaboration with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.