Chicago Botanic Garden
Mayan Shaman
Mayan Shaman in Ek Balam, Mexico

Plant Biology

Economic Botany

Economic botany is the study of how humans use indigenous plants for their day-to-day survival and well-being. Plants are used not only for food and shelter, but also for medicine, tools, clothing and religious ceremonies.

Chicago Botanic Garden work in this field documents plant use by various world cultures, aiming to discover new substances that may be beneficial to humans. This work helps preserve traditional knowledge and may also result in new medicines to treat disease and to promote well-being. The loss of biodiversity due to overharvest, habitat loss, global warming and other factors is of grave concern to our scientists, and the Garden is actively researching how we can minimize species loss and promote revitalization.

Photo: Marcello Pennacchio