Each of the issues contains a description, in formal yet accessible language, and is renowned for featuring the work of two centuries of botanical illustrators.

The first issue, published on 1 February 1787,[2] was begun by William Curtis, as both an illustrated gardening and botanical journal.

Curtis was an apothecary and botanist who held the position of Praefectus Horti (Director) and demonstrator of plants at the Chelsea Physic Garden, who had published the highly praised (but poorly sold) Flora Londinensis a few years before.

Artists who had previously given over their flower paintings to an affluent audience, now saw their work published in a format accessible by a wider one.

This was accompanied by a page or two of text describing the plants properties, history, growth characteristics, and some common names for the species.

William Hooker was the editor from 1827,[3] bringing to it his experience as a botanist, and as author of the rival magazine, Exotic Botany.

The magazine is the greatest serial of botanical illustration yet produced, the consistent quality of the journal's plates and authority make this the most widely cited work of its kind.

Other 19th century artists who contributed largely to the magazine include Augusta Innes Withers and Anne Henslow Barnard, Joseph Dalton Hooker's sister-in-law, who was active in the period 1879–1894.