Flora Celtica is an international initiative that aims to document, present and promote the rich plant culture of the people of the Celtic regions of Europe.  Flora Celtica will create a renewed awareness of the importance of native plants in the lives of the people of these regions, provide support for small and medium sized enterprises relying on these plants, and make a positive contribution towards conservation. By emphasizing shared heritage and by maximizing international collaboration at every stage of the project, it will also help to forge closer cultural, scientific and economic links between the participating countries.

A project for the people

Flora Celtica, while based on a foundation of solid scientific research, is essentially  a project for the people. Its primary (multilingual) outputs, tailored towards providing direct benefits for education and small businesses, are presented in a format that is both accessible and attractive to the public.

Background - a cultural flora

The history, ecology and taxonomy of the plants of Western Europe are well known. However, their roles in the everyday lives of its people have remained relatively obscure. Much of the traditional information on which these uses are based is now disappearing, as the natural landscape is lost and the links between rural communities and the land are altered or broken. From an economic, cultural and academic perspective, therefore, the conservation, re-evaluation and dissemination of this information are priorities.

A focus on the contemporary

Most contemporary uses of native plants have their roots deep in the past. Whilst not ignoring the historical aspects of plant use, Flora Celtica   focuses on the ways in which plants are currently used, and on the promotion of these activities as a living and evolving part of our heritage.