Cultivating Victorian Womanhood: Botany, Domesticity and Healthy Households

The Victorian plant craze was about more than decor—it was also part of the “cult of domesticity,” which dictated that a woman’s place was in the home. This “separate spheres” ideology placed expectations on women to keep the members of her household healthy and guide them morally, and houseplants helped her accomplish both. Additionally, social reformers used the concept of “moral botany” during outreach to working class families. Beyond that, botany also provided an acceptable entry point for women to the sciences.

Host or Publisher Lloyd Library & Museum