Root Systems

Botanical illustrations often include the root system of a plant. Botanical illustration was birthed as a means of recording plants for identification purposes. Historically, an expedition would travel to a foreign land with the express purpose of bringing back as many specimens of plants and animals as possible. Plants perish quickly, so they were drawn as quickly as possible. Many plants were too large to fit on a single piece of paper, so individual parts of the plant were drawn separately. The root system was just as important to a plant’s identification as the rest of it!

There are two basic categories of root systems: taproots and fibrous roots. Taproots consist of one main root, which is elongated in shape and grows deep into the ground. Secondary root hairs grow off the main root. Fibrous roots consist of a fine web of hairlike roots that spread from the base of the plant, close to the soil surface.

• Gently remove the plant from the ground by digging around it until the soil is loose enough to remove the plant. Roots can be fragile; to avoid breakage, don’t pull too hard. If damage occurs, you can reconstruct the root system in the drawing.

• Clean the plant and remove as much dirt as possible. The roots will usually droop and sag, clinging to one another at this point.

• Prune back as much of the plant as you want.

• Place the plant and root system in a clear container of water that has enough room for the roots to spread easily. If it’s too small, the roots will clump on the bottom or cling to the sides. You want them to be able to float and have as much room as possible so that they appear as they did underground.

At first glance, roots appear tangled and intimidating and too many to count! Don’t try to count the number of roots—just like you wouldn’t count the leaves on an entire tree or the strands of hair on a person’s head. The key is to accurately assimilate what the root system looks like, not replicate every single root.