By the 17th century, a predominantly floral decorative vocabulary had established itself as the mainstream ornament in the arts of the three great empires of the Muslim world: the Ottomans, the Safavids and the Mughals; it took precedence over the previously favoured geometrical patterns. This essay explores the Mughal fascination with botanical study and art, focusing in particular on Shah Jahan’s patronage and the new floral aesthetic that affected all art forms and objects and buildings during his reign.