Camberwell Talks Autumn 2025

Back to our Roots: Roy Vickery

GROVE HOUSE TAVERN, 26 CAMBERWELL GROVE, SE5 8RE

MONDAY 6 SEPTEMBER, 7PM

Legendary botanist Roy Vickery of Plant-Lore reveals the fascinating history of plants, from folklore and medicine to the weeds of Camberwell streets

Roy shares his 40 years of botanical expertise and his encyclopaedic knowledge of plants and their place in folklore and medicine! He will have us looking again at the weeds on Camberwell’s streets, enriching our understanding of the vegetation around us.

Roy spent 42 years at the Natural History Museum and has served as President of the South London Botanical Institute and vice-president of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland.

He has a passionate interest in plant folklore and has written extensively about the natural world, from the mighty oak to the humble nettle. Roy is a true expert in what plants mean to people - the stories and the superstitions! His extensive Plant-Lore Archive covers all aspects of the folklore and traditional uses of plants.