Reframing imperial botany: curating decolonial narratives at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

What role can curatorial practice play in confronting the colonial past of British Botanic Gardens? This article examines the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), an institution with deep imperial ties that remains underexplored in decolonial scholarship. Focusing on two recent exhibitions, Connecting Histories and Silent Archive, the analysis considers how intentionally decolonial curatorial strategies, exemplified by artistic collaboration and archival materials, are used to reframe dominant narratives of imperial botany and natural history. While both exhibitions succeed in recovering overlooked voices and exposing colonial entanglements, they face challenges in translating these efforts into lasting institutional change. Findings show that interpretive limitations, the reliance on temporary exhibitions, and spatial constraints hinder deeper public engagement. Yet despite these barriers, curatorial interventions at RBGE signal a growing commitment to historical accountability. By mapping how visual storytelling, exhibition design, and archival research intersect in a non-traditional museological setting, this article highlights both the potential and limits of decolonial curating within botanical institutions.