A glorious celebration of the beauty, diversity, importance and sheer wonder of plants, with exquisite illustrations from the collections of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Plants feed us, clothe us, shelter us, help transport us, and can both intoxicate and cure us. From food staples to exotic and enchanting flowers, plants are essential for the wellbeing of our selves and our planet. Helen and William Bynum are expert guides to the intriguing histories and uses of over 80 key plants. Rich in cultural, historical, botanical and symbolic associations, the plants, from every corner of the globe – both familiar and bizarre – have fascinating stories to tell. Starting with foods that laid the foundations for the development of civilizations, such as wheat, rice and maize, and those that enliven our diet, such as saffron and spices, sections look at plants that have helped to create our material world, including bamboo and the oak, and crops that have made people rich, such as tea, coffee and sugar cane. Many plants have been used medicinally and others, for instance eucalyptus or giant redwoods, have come to epitomize entire landscapes. Some are the objects of obsession, including the tulip, the rose and the lotus, and some are distinctly strange, such as the world’s largest flower, rafflesia, which smells of rotting flesh! For anyone interested in the extraordinary beauty and diversity of flora around us, this stunning book, illustrated with botanical drawings, paintings and artworks will be an inspiration and a delight.

'Treeture Creatures and Flowerbuds' is a delightful series of rhyming stories accompanied by fascinating facts and beautiful illustrations, carefully put together to inspire a love for trees and nature. Each story focuses on a different set of trees and flowers, taking the reader on a journey of discovery as they learn about the characteristics that make each living thing unique and special. When an unsuspecting beech leaf is whisked away on a ball, she learns a lot about the trees and flowers that surround her as she bounces, floats and squelches her way back to her beloved beech tree! The third book in this wonderful series is just as captivating as the first! Beech the Beech Leaf is both educational and enchanting, with bright, beautiful illustrations and fascinating facts to delight and inform its young audience. The story can be complimented by portable Tree and Flower Trail Swatch booklets, which encourage readers to get out and about with Beech and her friends (sold separately).

"Plants Alive" is designed to get amateurs interested in exploring the plant world around them and to give them the skill to record their observations through guided nature journaling. It then offers, to those who have been captivated by the field, advanced techniques for study. The book can be very useful in guiding science students into real science activities in rural, suburban, and urban environments. The authors questioning format will stimulate curiosity and entice readers to thing about possible answers. For a variety of reasons, educators will embrace this book. First of all, it is a course in botany without any of the stigmas attached to textbooks. Also unlike texts, "Plants Alive!" enables students to do real science, and not just read about it. Experiments and exercised pass off as hands-on science abound, but opportunities for students to do real science and report their findings to the scientific community are rare.

A 1000-PIECE JIGSAW FOR NATURE LOVERS - Piece together a living, breathing world of trees and fill the gaps in your knowledge as you go with a comprehensive poster guide BESTSELLING AUTHOR - Text by tree expert Jonathan Drori CBE, the author of the bestselling book Around the World in 80 Trees, and upcoming Around the World in 80 Plants HOURS OF COSY FUN - Learn about 50 trees from around the world - all from the comfort of home! THE PERFECT GIFT - Illustration-led, highly finished jigsaw and illustrated poster for maximum gift appeal AMAZING ARTWORK - Lucille Clerc's intricately drawn world is bursting with minute detail Finished puzzle measures 48.5 x 68 cm (19 x 27 in.) Discover the world in 50 trees! From the beech forests of southern Sweden to the North African argan trees - goats aloft in their branches - passing by India's sacred banyan, the Hawaiian koa, and right down to Australia's jarrah.

Benut ons Inheemse Bome is ongetwyfeld die nuttigste en mees praktiese boek wat oor die onderwerp in Suid-Afrika gepubliseer is.
Hierdie derde en hersiene uitgawe bevat 22 meer boomspesies. Die 163 boomsoorte is alfabeties volgens botaniese naam gerangskik, met meer as 850 volkleur foto’s geïllustreer en volledig bespreek.
Die volgende inligting is vir elke boomsoort ingesluit:
'n Inleidende afdeling oor die kweek van bome deur saad, steggies en stamsteggies.
'n Volledige spesiebeskrywing, kenmerke waaraan die boom uitgeken kan word, blom- en dratye, natuurlike verspreiding en habitat.
Die ekologiese rol en benutting deur soogdiere, voëls en insekte.
Ekonomiese waarde en gebruik deur die mens in tuine, op plase en elders as ’n bron van voedsel, vesel en medikasie.
Eienskappe van die hout en benutting daarvan deur die mens.
Duidelike riglyne oor die ent en kweek van elke boomsoort.
'n Kaart wat die natuurlike verspreiding van elke boomsoort aandui.
Meer as 850 volkleur foto’s wat met sorg uitgesoek is om die teks te komplementeer en te illustreer.
Die boek bevat ’n tabel wat boombenutting deur diere, voëls en insekte saamvat, bronverwysings en ’n indeks van algemene en botaniese name.
Hierdie waardevolle inheemse boomgids behoort die naslaan- en gebruiksbron te wees van elke tuinier, boer, natuurliefhebber, boomkweker, bosbouer en natuurbewaarder – trouens enigeen met ’n liefde en waardering vir bome.

Ook in Engels beskikbaar: Making the Most of Indigenous Trees

This easy tree guide is meant for people who would like to get to know the trees of the Garden Route, whether they are experienced botanists, or amateurs. Information about 110 trees. Listed in alphabetical order to their scientific names. Afrikaans and English common names as well as the South African tree number is listed below the scientific names. More than 1 800 photographs in full colour. A very visual, unique tree key makes identification easy. Identification aspects are all photo-illustrated. Distribution maps. Notes on usage of tree parts and interesting facts.

’n Regstreekse, voor die hand liggende en effektiewe gids tot boom-identifikasie.

Dié boek se titel sê dit alles! Hierdie bygewerkte tweede uitgawe verskaf ’n duidelike uiteensetting van hoe bome saamgestel is en waarna om op te let wanneer ’n boom geïdentifiseer word. Die boek bestaan uit twee dele:

- Deel 1 beskryf en illustreer duidelik die verskillende dele van ’n boom en hul rol in boomidentifikasie.

- Deel 2 bevat ’n sleutel tot 43 boomgroepe, gebaseer op maklik waarneembare stingel- en blaarkenmerke. Dit gee ’n duidelike oorsig van elke groep, sowel as die Suider-Afrikaanse boomfamilies wat in die onderskeie groepe verteenwoordig word. Talle kleurfoto’s en verduidelikende illustrasies ondersteun die teks wat dié handleiding toeganklik en gebruikersvriendelik maak.

Identifiseer die Bome van Suider-Afrika sal lesers toerus met ’n goeie begrip van die bou van bome en waarna hulle moet oplet om dit korrek te kan identifiseer.

Also available in English as How to Identify Trees in Southern Africa .

The unrivalled beginner's guide to identifying the most common species of tree in northern Europe. This is the perfect pocket guide for anyone who wants to identify those deciduous or evergreen species they may come across on hill or in dale, in the town or in the countryside. For each tree included in the book, there is a wealth of both textual and visual identification information. Remarkably detailed illustrations show not only the overall shape of the tree but also details of leaf shape, flowers, fruits, and bark. There's also information on the origin of each species, its height, preferred habitat, and growing conditions. Illustrations of cones, catkins, nuts, and fruits allow you to distinguish between similar species at a glance. The introduction covers the life cycle of trees, the establishment of woodland, people's relationship with forests, and how to go about identifying trees, plus the all-important question--what exactly is a tree?

"One tribe's traditional knowledge of plants, presented for the first time"

Residents of the Great Plains since the early 1500s, the Apache people were well acquainted with the native flora of the region. In "Plains Apache Ethnobotany," Julia A. Jordan documents more than 110 plant species valued by the Plains Apache and preserves a wealth of detail concerning traditional Apache collection, preparation, and use of these plant species for food, medicine, ritual, and material culture.

The traditional Apache economy centered on hunting, gathering, and trading with other tribes. Throughout their long history the Apache lived in or traveled to many different parts of the plains, gaining an intimate knowledge of a wide variety of plant resources. Part of this traditional knowledge, especially that pertaining to plants of Oklahoma, has been captured here by Jordan's fieldwork, conducted with elders of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma in the mid-1960s, a time when much traditional knowledge was being lost.

"Plains Apache Ethnobotany" is the most comprehensive ethnobotanical study of a southern plains tribe. Handsomely illustrated, this book is a valuable resource for ethnobotanists, anthropologists, historians, and anyone interested in American Indian use of native plants.

Originally published in 1928, this is a fascinating and extremely comprehensive guide to forest folklore. It is not only concerned with English lore and mythology, but also that of Asia and Europe. A thoroughly interesting and informative book for anyone interested in where some of our beliefs and customs originate. Contents Include: FORESTS OF ELD - Archaean Forests; Primeval and Tropical Forests - Cosmogonic and Traditional Forests - FABULOUS FORESTS; Forests of Romance and Myth - FORESTRY - Ban Forests or Royal Forests - Early Forestry - The Moon's Influence - Ancient Foresters - Forest Customs - GROVES - Earliest - Druids - Classic Groves - MYTHICAL DENIZENS OF THE FORESTS AND WOODS - Spirit of the Forest - Witches - Fairies - Demons - Wood Spirits - Wild Huntsman - Wood Nymphs - TREES - Trees in General - Shadow of Trees - Trees as the Origin of Mankind - Worship of Trees - Transformations into Trees - Trees Preside Over Marriages - Trees Planted at Births - Arboreal Tribes - Burial on Trees - Funereal Trees - Elsbeer Tree - Christmas Tree - Genealogical Tree - Devil Trees - Guardian Trees - Abode Tree - Speaking Trees - Life Tree - Bull Oaks - Mythical Trees - Sacred Trees - Traditional Trees - Famous Trees - Curious Trees - Marvellous Trees - FOLKLORE - Fossil or Petrified Forests and Trees - bark of Trees - Leaves of Trees - Thorns - Spines - Prickles - Origin of Fire - Divination - Divining Rod - Wands - The Man in the Moon - The Yule Log - Forest and Tree Legends

The array of bottles is impressive, their contents finely tuned to varied tastes. But they all share the same roots in Mesoamerica's natural bounty and human culture. The drink is tequila--more properly, "mescal de tequila," the first mescal to be codified and recognized by its geographic origin and the only one known internationally by that name. In "ATequila! A Natural and Cultural History," Ana G. Valenzuela-Zapata, the leading agronomist in Mexico's tequila industry, and Gary Paul Nabhan, one of America's most respected ethnobotanists, plumb the myth of tequila as they introduce the natural history, economics, and cultural significance of the plants cultivated for its production. Valenzuela-Zapata and Nabhan take you into the agave fields of Mexico to convey their passion for the century plant and its popular by-product. In the labor-intensive business of producing quality mescal, the cultivation of "tequila azul" is maintained through traditional techniques passed down over generations. They tell how "jimadores" seek out the mature agaves, strip the leaves, and remove the heavy heads from the field; then they reveal how the roasting and fermentation process brings out the flavors that cosmopolitan palates crave. Today in Oaxaca it's not unusual to find small-scale mescal-makers vending their wares in the market plaza, while in Jalisco the scale of distillation facilities found near the town of Tequila would be unrecognizable to old JosA(c) Cuervo. Valenzuela-Zapata and Nabhan trace tequila's progress from its modest beginnings to one of the world's favored spirits, tell how innovations from cross-cultural exchanges made fortunes for Cuervo and other distillers, and explain howthe meteoric rise in tequila prices is due to an epidemic--one they predicted would occur--linked to the industry's cultivation of just one type of agave. The tequila industry today markets more than four hundred distinct products through a variety of strategies that heighten the liquor's mystique, and this book will educate readers about the grades of tequila, from blanco to aAejo, and marks of distinction for connoisseurs who pay up to two thousand dollars for a bottle. "ATequila! A Natural and Cultural History" will feed anyone's passion for the gift of the blue agave as it heightens their appreciation for its rich heritage.

This natural world I fell into off three-inch high heels is a school of infinite learning. Sharing my knowledge and experience of forestry and arboriculture is very fulfilling. Having finally grown up in the Missouri forest, the desire to complete my adventure despite challenges with employers, doctors and a chronic disabling disease has led me to writing and blogging (under Female Forester Forever or Our Little Urban Arboretum). When forced to return to the city, I bought my family home and turned its less-than-a-third-of-an-acre lot into an arboretum. Volunteering as a master gardener I learned that the Ozark foothills down to the St. Louis riverfront is more than just an oak-hickory forest, and a forest community is more than just trees or even just plants. This book can only paint a miniscule picture of the forest on the head of a needle, and is as dull and boring as a broken, discarded bit compared to ten minutes standing naked in a creek, staring up into a towering tree or down at a leaf. Tomorrow is already here; experience trees. As the venerable Professor Al Shigo has said, "Touch trees."

In The Flower Hunter, Lucy Hunter takes us on an inspirational journey through a year in her garden and artist's studio set among the mountains of North Wales. Lucy's evocative, gently humorous words accompany her glorious photographs and exquisite floral arrangements, as she encourages the reader to marvel at the intricate cycles of the natural world, develop their own innate creativity and to look for beauty in the everyday. Her garden provides the raw materials for Lucy's floral artistry - breathtaking naturalistic arrangements with the painterly beauty and flourish of a Dutch still life. Simple projects accompany Lucy's text, from drying garden flowers for an autumnal wreath to making your own journals and natural dyes to assembling lavish arrangements that showcase the voluptuous beauty of garden roses. Lucy believes that we all have a creative voice buried deep within. The Flower Hunter will encourage you to find your own creativity and help it to blossom.

In order to learn the fascinating story of plants and the development of human civilisation. No other book covers so much - from sacred mushrooms to GM crops, from the religions of the seasons and harvest to the hobby of gardening - and is able to convey both the mysterious and the practical with equal ease and in an accessible, intelligent style. The future of the planet depends upon such knowledge and empathy.