The abundance of plants and flowers in the Unicorn Tapestries express the artist's delight in nature. They brought the enchantment of springtime into the bleak castles in which the tapestries originally hung. But to the medieval viewer, these plants would have been meaningful, as well as beautiful. They were used for all kinds of cures, from stomachache to baldness. In the Unicorn Tapestries, however, most of the plants are included for their symbolism.

Each plant is shown in its prime, although they actually blossom in different seasons. Nevertheless, they are depicted with such accuracy that nearly all of them have been identified.

Explore the tapestries' flora by selecting an image above, or return to The Unicorn Tapestries main page.