Can plants be queer? Somehow, this phrase seems riddled with controversy, but should it be? I actually turned down commenting for a popular daily newspaper on a recent queer plants event at Chelsea Physic Garden, because I could sniff out that they were going to make a drama out of it. Creating division, as media often does.
So, I left their WhatsApp on 2 blue ticks, and indeed headed to the queer ecology tour by the wonderful Connor Butler at Chelsea Physic Garden last week to educate myself on all things queer plants, and had a brilliantttttt time!
The big reveal is, plants don’t always follow the expected sexual rules or genders, and it’s not a big deal for them, yet why is it for us? What can we learn from plants?
I was enthralled by Connor’s enthusiastic tour, and really respected the way he spoke about occasionally controversial subjects with such ease and decisiveness. I took so many notes that my finger went numb (I need a stylus), and I’d like to report them knowledge nuggets back to you right here… enjoy!
