Make your own herbarium specimens
A herbarium is a collection of preserved plant specimens used for scientific study. Pressing plants and flowers is a common preservation method and is useful to botanists for conducting research.
Learning objectives:
- To create pressed plant and flower specimens
- Identify and record the different parts of the plant
- Explore plant classification and how plants are named (nomenclature)
Curriculum links:
- Science: Understand plant classification and nomenclature
- Art & Design: Develop skills in creating botanical artwork and preserving specimens
- Geography: Study plant habitats and their connection to geography
- History: Explore the role of plant hunters and historical uses of plants
Key vocabulary
Herbarium | Specimen | Press | Collect | Leaf | Flower | Label | Dry
Preparation and equipment
Preparation
- Study your local environment or school garden for plants which may be native or cultivated. Discuss the connection to history and geography by introducing topics around plant hunters and plant names
- Use plant keys to identify and sort the plants that have been picked, and help decide the habitat in which the plants are found, i.e marsh marigold, field clover
Equipment
- A plant press
- Access to plants and flowers, these can be wild from your local area or from your school garden
- A spotter guide, plant key or flower book
- Newspaper, blotting paper and cardboard for layering plants
- Thick, white card or good quality stiff paper for displaying the plants (A4 for herbarium specimens)
- PVA glue and paddles, items to decorate (optional)
Step by step
- Choose the individual plant to be pressed. Pick plant parts or the whole plant if it is small enough to fit on an A4 sheet of paper so you have examples of all the plant, flowers, stem, leaves and root
- Make a label for the plant, stating where and when you found it. Also write the common or Latin name clearly and place it with the plant
- Make a sandwich of cardboard, folded blotting paper and newspaper. Lay the plant specimens flat, separate them out and place them between each folder of blotting paper
- Add several sheets of newspaper or a single piece of corrugated card between each folder of blotting paper. Continue to make sandwiches of paper, material and plants
- Place the final piece of cardboard or wood on top and secure with wing nuts, string or straps and store in a warm place for two to four weeks
- Use the PVA glue to mount your plants with their labels or use them to make and decorate objects
Hints and tips
- Ensure all plant materials used to make the herbarium speciman are completely clean and dry before use
- Store your plant press in a warm place like an airing cupboard or near a radiator for the best pressed plants
- An alternative to using a plant press is to use heavy books or an iron. Read our resource on plant pressing for more information