Oxford Florilegium exhibition

The exhibition is open daily 12-6pm. Entry is free and there is no need to book.

As a technical discipline, botanical illustration depicts accurate information, documenting anatomical and functional features of a plant. Botanical illustration combines scientific accuracy with visual appeal. It must portray a plant with the precision and level of detail necessary for it to be identified accurately.

The Florilegium has been working for a decade to produce high-quality botanical illustrations that document the living collections of the Botanic Garden and Arboretum. Their illustrations focus on themes including medicinal plants, plants selected from the Garden’s 1648 border, and plants with a particular association with Oxford. Each piece typically features flowers, fruits and floral dissections. In 2013, a new category for trees was introduced, followed by plants from the Garden’s Merton Border and, this year, Mediterranean plants from the newly planted Rock Garden.

This year’s exhibition, featuring the work of 14 artists, will feature a diverse range of art from throughout the collection and was produced in celebration of the 400-year anniversary of the Botanic Garden. The work will be judged for its botanical accuracy, execution and composition by Professor Simon Hiscock, Dr Stephen Harris and Dr Chris Thorogood. Almost 80 illustrations have so far been accepted into the Herbarium archive and, following this year’s judging, more will be added to the growing collection.