James Wong
The ethnobotanist, writer, broadcaster and obsessive collector of houseplants calls for a greater understanding of plant science
I’m frequently asked how my passion for botany began, but, to be honest, I can’t imagine how anyone could be obsessed by plants! I was 13 or 14 when David Attenborough’s documentary, was on TV, and that blew my mind. I studied at RBG Kew and the University of Kent for my MSc in Ethnobotany, and after graduating I started work in field research in Java, China and Ecuador. Plants offer us a unique insight into culture, climate and how people live their lives that we don’t get if we see them only as a generic green backdrop in nature.
