Marc Finnell

Everywhere.

China, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Japan.

And people just lost their minds over this stuff.

When a humble English primrose arrived in Melbourne in the 1850s inside a Wardian case, 3,000 people turned up to see it.

But of course, these boxes weren't just carrying ornamental plants.

They were carrying plantation crops.

Tea, quinine, rubber, plants that would generate enormous wealth for the British Empire.

And maybe the biggest story of them all

Robert Fortune was a gardener, a plant hunter, and frankly, a spy.

So in 1848, the East India Company sent him on an undercover mission deep into the interior of China, which at the time was forbidden to foreigners.

And the goal was to get tea plants and learn the secrets of tea production.

fortune went like full undercover like he shaved his head he dressed in chinese clothing he disguised himself which i think we can all agree is extremely normal and definitely not suspicious behavior anyways guess how robert fortune managed to get those tea plants from china to their eventual destination of india instructions were given to robert fortune to use these wardian cases to move plants

Fortune's mission was a massive success.

By 1890, India was supplying around 90% of Britain's tea.

But of course, India paid a huge price for that success.

Vast areas of forest were cleared for plantations, and really only a tiny fraction of the profits stayed in India itself.

And tea was just the beginning.

Wardian cases also helped move another incredibly valuable resource.

This one from Brazil.

Today, around 80 to 90% of the world's natural rubber comes from Southeast Asia.