Collect as much of the plant as possible. This means roots, flowers, fruits, leaves and stems. Of course on a shrub or tree it is impossible to get the roots, but flowers and fruit are important. As you are collecting, take down basic information about the plant and its locale: identify the flower color, type of soil, slope, elevation, location, and names of surrounding plants.

Newspaper and blotting paper work well for pressing plants. Lay out the plants between pieces of newspaper as if they were on the 10" x 15" piece of poster board. In other words, make the plant fit in an area that size. For tall grasses or herbaceous-type plants, bending them several times is acceptable. Arrange the plant so both sides of the leaves can be seen. Cut open flowers to expose reproductive parts. Place the newspaper between two pieces of blotter paper and place in a plant press. Leave them in the press until the plant is very dry. If the plant contains a lot of moisture, the newspaper may need to be changed every few days (to prevent molding) until the plant is dry.

Cactus can be pressed by slicing them open and pressing between newspapers, blotter paper, and compressing. This is then placed in a dehydrator. Again, newspapers and blotter paper may need to be changed as they get wet to prevent molding.

The Herbarium attaches plants to papers which are placed in folders and kept in drawers. My collection needs to be kept in a cupboard and passed around to students. I use pieces of mat board, two-sided white board, or poster board that is stiff enough to hold its shape as it is passed around. These boards are cut to 10" x 15". (The Herbarium at the University of Arizona puts the plants on 11 1/2" x 16 1/2" pieces of herbarium paper. I use a slightly smaller 10" x 15" size because I can cut up 30" x 40" poster boards equally.)

A piece of cotton or polyester batting cut the same size as the board is place on top. The plant is placed on the batting and no other mounting material (glue, tape, etc.) is used. A piece of clear acetate, also cut to 10" x 15", is placed on the top. All layers (board, batting, plant, & acetate) are sealed with masking tape around all four edges. A picture or photo of the plant could also be placed under the acetate before the masking tape is applied. This protects the plant and the photo from damage as it passed around the room. A label with the plant identification, collecting information, and facts about the plant can be taped to the board on the back of the mount.