Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit: An Ethnobotanical Perspective

Abstract

The Tale of Peter Rabbit has been extensively studied as a work of children's literature, but its ethnobotanical content has received little attention. Using the first commercial edition (1902), we identified plants mentioned in the text, represented in the illustrations, and present as plant-derived products. Twenty-four botanical taxa were identified and analyzed according to their botanical characteristics, horticultural context, ecological significance, and narrative function. The results show that plants are neither incidental nor purely decorative. Cultivated vegetables, fruit crops, medicinal plants, ornamentals, trees and cereals create a realistic representation of a late Victorian British kitchen garden, while contributing to the narrative and reinforcing the realism of the setting. Our study demonstrates that cultural uses of plants are an integral component of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and highlights how combining botanical and literary analysis can deepen our understanding of both literature and the cultural uses of plants. The tale may also provide an engaging resource for botanical education, encouraging children to observe and recognize plants and helping them to address plant awareness disparity.

Keywords: Beatrix Potter; children’s literature and ethnobotany; plant awareness; The Tale of Peter Rabbit; Victorian horticulture.