From plant blindness to plant awareness: a narrative and visual framework for botanical literacy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Plants underpin terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, yet they often remain unnoticed in public consciousness, reflecting what is increasingly described as plant awareness disparity. This perceptual and emotional bias limits botanical understanding, weakens conservation engagement, and contributes to broader ecological disconnection. In this Perspective, I argue that narrative and visual storytelling can help shift attention from plant invisibility to plant awareness. SCOPE: Drawing on cognitive psychology, narrative theory, and environmental education, I propose a conceptual framework linking storytelling inputs (plot, characters, and visual design) to cognitive and emotional mechanisms such as empathy, narrative transportation, and memory consolidation. The framework is illustrated through The Rockbreaker and the Biologist Family, an illustrated story that combines scientific accuracy with artistic expression to communicate the ecology and conservation challenges of the rupicolous genus Petrocoptis. By integrating narrative structure, emotional color transitions, and character-driven engagement, this approach is intended to translate botanical information into accessible and emotionally resonant experiences. Although rooted in an Iberian case study, the framework is designed to be transferable across educational, cultural, and ecological contexts. CONCLUSIONS: Embedding storytelling and visual design into botanical communication may strengthen plant awareness, support conservation-oriented attitudes, and help bridge the emotional and intellectual gap between people and plants.