In Bloom Catalogue

This catalogue brings together Oxford's most interesting floral objects with the works of art that speaks to them. See rare pieces, usually unseen, from the museum's collection alongside contemporary works that explore the same themes. Beautifully illustrated throughout, it shows how art, history and science of plants and flora connect across time.

This book accompanies the upcoming special exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum, In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World on display from 19 March - 16 August 2026. To find out more information about this special exhibition and to book tickets, please click here.

What do we really know about the plants and flowers in our gardens and window boxes? Beyond their beauty, many have hidden histories – tales of exploration, obsession, and knowledge. Featuring over 100 artworks and objects, including drawings, paintings, rare prints, and ceramics, In Bloom explores our changing relationship with the natural world. From the fascinating stories of curiosity and ingenuity of early plant explorers to the networks that shaped global trade, this exhibition reveals how the pursuit of exotic plants transformed landscapes, economies, and cultures, leaving a legacy that still shapes our world today.

Flowers and plants are a staple of British life. Nearly 40% of our population considers themselves to be gardeners, making this and associated activities a national pursuit. And yet, while we hold endless discussions over how to seed, grow, and disseminate our cherished plants, we still known relatively little about how they were collected, exchanged, circulated, identified, and modified, and how much art has shaped our understanding and appreciation of them.

This publication explores some of these plant stories through highlights from Oxford’s collections. Bringing together historical and scientific expertise, art and material culture, traditional and contemporary artworks, this book ultimately reflects on the long-lasting impact of flora on our society – and of us on it.

This catalogue features 120 colour and 25 black and white illustrations in exquisite detail.

Francesca Leoni has been curator of Islamic art at the Ashmolean Museum since 2011 (Yousef Jameel Curator, 2011–16). 

Shailendra Bhandare is Assistant Keeper, South Asian and Far-eastern Numismatics and Paper Money Collections, a Fellow of St Cross College and a member of Faculty of Oriental Studies. 

Professor Stephen Harris is an expert on the use of molecular markers in evolutionary and conservation biology, especially hybridisation, polyploidy, the evolutionary consequences of human-mediated plant movement and conservation genetics.