What happens when rare 16th-century botanical books meet modern technology and the tranquil beauty of nature? The answer lies in an imaginative new project bridging the gap between historical archives and living plants at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Curators from the Andersen Horticultural Library (AHL) at the Arboretum and the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine (WHL) have teamed up to launch the Mapping Plant Histories at the Arboretum project. This digital humanities initiative redefines placemaking through the lens of plant humanities. Using the ArcGIS StoryMap platform, the team created an interactive guide that pairs more than 20 historic items with 21 living plant specimens scattered throughout the Arboretum’s grounds.
A living library beneath your feet
Utilizing the interactive guide, visitors can wander through the Arboretum while accessing curated historical content directly from their mobile devices. Imagine walking past an apple tree and learning about its appearance in a centuries-old herbal or spotting a flowering plant featured in a Victorian-era seed catalog. Each plant is linked to rich stories told through text, images and videos — complete with apple seed icons and embedded clips that bring history to life.
Solving the separation challenge
One of the driving forces behind the project was to overcome the physical divide between the Libraries’ special collections and the Arboretum’s natural spaces. By harnessing digital tools, curators created a mobile-friendly bridge between archival treasures and the natural world, enriching visitors’ experiences and sparking dialogue about plants, history and the environment.
Empowering the next generation of scholars
The project also plays a role in advancing the Libraries’ strategic priorities, including student success. Undergraduate students Ellie Schaefer and Dyllon Lohmann were instrumental in designing and researching the content. Their work was showcased at the 2025 Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries Conference, highlighting how this initiative serves as a hands-on learning opportunity with real-world impact.
Undergraduate students Ellie Schaefer (left) and Dyllon Lohmann conduct research for the project at the Wangensteen Historical Library.
Connecting archives, nature and people
This creative blend of curatorial expertise, historical resources and digital storytelling does more than showcase rare books — it invites a deeper connection to the environment and highlights the Libraries’ role in public scholarship. Stop by the Andersen Horticultural Library to get a postcard and sticker featuring historical images from the project!
Ready to explore? Discover the Mapping Plant Histories at the Arboretum project and let the Libraries guide your next walk in the Arboretum.
Kristen Mastel is the Head Librarian & Curator at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Arboretum. The Library is open to the public and features a reading and reference library specializing in horticulture, plant sciences and natural history and holds rich collections that include a trove of art in the form of vintage seed catalogs, botanical wall charts, 19th-century wildflower paintings and rare books from the past 500 years.