In collaboration with Dr Emma Gleadhill. The trade in botanical specimens in the eighteenth century was not solely about science. Before the transfer of Napoleon I’s remains to Paris in 1840, it was common for sailors to take willow clippings from his grave on St. Helena when they stopped for mid-Atlantic provisions. Since then, stories have emerged about willow trees in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, claiming lineage from 'Napoleon’s willows.' We will explore the circulation and transformation of these narratives and what they reveal about the people who crafted them and their connections to the French and British Empires.