How did Alexander von Humboldt become interested in botany?

Alexander von Humboldt’s interest in botany emerged suddenly during a year he spent in Berlin following unsuccessful studies in economics at the University of Frankfurt an der Oder. During this time, he received training in engineering and began collecting and classifying plant specimens in the surrounding Brandenburg region.1

While the local flora provided limited stimulation for his growing curiosity, his passion for the subject persisted. Even later, while undergoing intensive training in mineralogy and geology at the School of Mines in Freiberg, he continued to spend his evenings scouring the countryside for plants. This early fascination eventually evolved into his pioneering scientific work on the relationship between a region's geography and its flora and fauna.12