Botany of Desire Reflection

Over spring break, I watched the movie Botany of Desire, which is a documentary based on the book by Michael Pollan. This documentary talks about humans’ relationships to four plants: apples, tulips, cannabis, and potatoes. Pollan focuses on the evolutionary histories of the plants that were impacted by humans’ actions. Apple trees were grafted to grow just a few types of apples that satiate humans’ desire for sweetness. The tulip was bred for specific colors and beauty. Different species of cannabis were crossed for a shorter and more potent plant that could grow indoors after the plant was banned in the United States. The potato was genetically modified to allow more efficient farming and the right size for large food companies such as McDonald’s. However, humans’ effect on the plants is just one part of the story. Plants have had just as much of an impact on humans as we have had on them.

All four of these plants have had significant impacts on human history. The apple was the main ingredient in a drink that all Americans drank when people first started arriving in the New World. Back then, water wasn’t safe to drink because there were contaminants such as bacteria in the water supply. Apple cider was a safe alternative to water because the alcohol disinfected the drink. The tulip was the cause of an extreme mania followed by an economic crash in Holland. The tulip became a symbol of wealth in Dutch society, and people paid enormous amounts of money for the flower. When the flower lost its cultural value, people realized that they had spent their entire fortunes on flowers. Cannabis spread throughout the United States and caused such drastic effects that the government banned the plant. The study of cannabis and the THC chemical that it produces furthered scientific discovery about the human body and mind. By studying marijuana, researchers might succeed in finding ways to help people overcome forgetting disorders like PTSD. The potato changed the distribution of the human population throughout Europe and allowed the industrial revolution to happen. The potato allowed northern Europe to become more populated because it is able to grow in the infertile conditions of that region. The surplus amount of food that potatoes created allowed people to transition from farming to industrial work, propelling the industrial revolution. Breakthroughs with genetically modified plants happened with the potato, also causing huge political controversies.

This only begins to cover the far-reaching effects of these plants on humans. The plants impact various aspects of humans lives, including politics, economics, geographic distribution, recreational activities, culture, and health. Michael Pollan shares a different point of view that makes the audience realize that humans are not the center of the world, but just a part of the Earth. This radical change in perspective is very refreshing and can implement positive changes if his message is shared.

Works Cited

Schwarz, Michael, director. The Botany of Desire, with Michael Pollan. PBS, 2008.