The Wardian Case: Environmental Histories of a Box for Moving Plant

Abstract

The Wardian case was a simple box that had major ecological impacts. It was invented in 1829 and allowed for the successful shipping of live plants between many countries and continents. In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, humans using Wardian cases facilitated major plant migrations across the globe. As a result humans have overtaken earth processes as the largest mover of vascular plants on the planet. Boxes and cases have largely been neglected as important movers of species and ecologies; with a focus on the Wardian case this essay offers a unique contribution to the field of environmental history. It also positions the importance of the case in contemporary discussions about the movement of plants in the Anthropocene.