We all know that engaging people with plants is about more than just knowing your oaks from your ashes. Plants are central to life on Earth and to almost every one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals—from biodiversity and climate action to health, food, and sustainable economies. Yet, frustratingly, plants often remain invisible in education and public engagement.

This “plant blindness”—recently reframed as low plant awareness—has real consequences. Reduced interest and engagement in plants at school leads to fewer students choosing plant sciences at University, a shrinking pool of experts, feelings of isolation for early-career researchers, and lower investment in plant-focused conservation programmes. In short: the very systems that sustain us are undervalued. But there are ways to shift the narrative.

In my role as Annals of Botany Handling Editor, I recently had the pleasure of supporting the publication of a study by Silva and colleagues (2025). They tried something bold and used clips from Taylor Swift’s music videos as a teaching tool. Plant symbolism and imagery in the videos were aligned with lesson content to create a bridge into botany.

And it worked. Even students who didn’t like Swift or plants reported increased interest in plant science by the end of the intervention. The real lesson wasn’t that everyone suddenly became a Swiftie—it was that cultural hooks can create powerful entry points into unfamiliar subjects.

This approach opens up exciting possibilities for all of us working in botanic gardens, science centres, and classrooms. Could a superhero film provide a springboard for talking about invasive species? Could gaming references help explain ecosystem services? Could chart-topping music videos become a gateway to plant morphology?

As educators, we’re perfectly placed to test this out. I imagine some of us already are! We don’t need blockbuster budgets—just a willingness to experiment, listen, and share what works. Imagine what we could achieve if, as a community, we built up a bank of tried-and-tested pop culture “hooks” for different audiences.

So here’s the call to arms: try it. Next time you’re planning a session, think about the cultural touchpoints your audience cares about—whether that’s Marvel, Minecraft, or music videos—and see how you can weave plants into that world. Then share your results here through Bgen and boost the impact we collectively have. Together, we can test new ways of engaging our audiences with plants.

Because if we want to shake off plant blindness, we might just need to meet people where they are. And to borrow a phrase from Taylor Swift: maybe it’s time for botany to come out of the woods.

P.S. Did anyone notice how many plants she managed to squeeze into her engagement announcement photos.

You can read my full perspective on this research here.

Or read the full research article by Glaucia Silva and colleagues here.