The White Horse Press Full citation: Beinart, William, and Karen Middleton. "Plant Transfers in Historical Perspective: A Review Article." Environment and History 10, no. 1 (February 2004): 3–29. http://www.environmentandsociety.org/node/3183. Rights: All rights reserved. © The White Horse Press 2004. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism or review, no part of this article may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, including photocopying or recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission from the publishers. For further information please see http://www.whpress.co.uk. Plant Transfers in Historical Perspective: A Review Article WILLIAM BEINART St Antony's College, University of Oxford, UK Email:
[email protected] KAREN MIDDLETON Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford, UK Email:
[email protected] ABSTRACT This paper explores some routes into the history of plant transfers, especially during the period of European imperialism. It attempts to draw on different bodies of research, which are not usually juxtaposed, and weave together per- spectives from contrasting disciplines. It does not pretend to offer a history, which is a much more complex task. We have deliberately tried to include cultivated crops, garden plants, weeds and plant invaders within the same frame of analysis, because it is so difficult to define some species within any one of these culturally constructed categories. The paper develops three main points. Firstly, it raises questions about the asymmetrical pattern of plant transfers dur- ing imperialism, thus challenging some of the propositions offered in Crosbyʼs Ecological Imperialism.