RHS Staff Pick of the Year 2021 Spectator Gardening Book of the year 2021 'A refreshingly insightful history of plant introductions.' - Roy Lancaster Travel the world with extraordinary tales of the botanical discoveries that have shaped empires, built (and destroyed) economies, revolutionised medicine and advanced our understanding of science. Circling the globe from Australia's Botany Bay to the Tibetan plateau, from the deserts of Southern Africa to the jungles of Brazil, this book presents an incredible cast of characters - dedicated researchers and reckless adventurers, physicians, lovers and thieves. Meet dauntless Scots explorer David Douglas and visionary Prussian thinker Alexander von Humboldt, the 'Green Samurai' Mikinori Ogisu and the intrepid 17th century entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian - the first woman known to have made a living from science. Beautifully illustrated with over 100 botanical artworks from the archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this absorbing book tells the stories of how plants have travelled across the world - from the missions of the Pharaohs right up to 21st century seed-banks and the many new and endangered species being named every year. *** THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW is a world-famous research organisation and a major international visitor attraction. It harnesses the power of its science, the rich diversity of its gardens and collections to unearth why plants and fungi matter to everyone. Its aspiration is to end the extinction crisis and help create a world where nature and biodiversity are protected, valued and managed sustainably.

The Northeast offers a veritable feast for foragers. The woods, meadows, seashore, and even city neighborhoods are home to an abundance of delicious wild edible plants. A passionate wild foods expert, Leda Meredith emphasizes local varieties and traditions, showing you what to look for, when and where to look, and how to gather in a responsible way.Northeast Foraging is a hardworking guide packed with detailed information and clear photography for the safe identification of more than 120 wild plants. It also features a seasonal guide for foraging year-round and collecting tips for sustainable harvesting. It is applicable to New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, Ontario, and Quebec.

A captivating, beautifully illustrated, one-of-a-kind color compendium of the flowers, fruits, herbs, trees, seeds, and grasses cited in the works of the world's greatest playwright, William Shakespeare, accompanied by their companion quotes from all of his plays and poems. With a foreword by Dame Helen Mirren-the first foreword she has ever contributed. In this striking compilation, Shakespeare historian Gerit Quealy and respected Japanese artist Sumie Hasegawa combine their knowledge and skill in this first and only book that examines every plant that appears in the works of Shakespeare. Botanical Shakespeare opens with a brief look at the Bard's relationship to the plants mentioned in his works-a diversity that illuminates his knowledge of the science of botany, as well as the colloquy, revealing his unmatched skill for creating metaphorical connections and interweaving substantive philosophy. At the heart of the book are "portraits" of the over 170 flowers, fruits, grains, grasses, trees, herbs, seeds and vegetables that Shakespeare mentions in his plays and poems. Botanical Shakespeare features a gorgeous color illustration of each, giving a "face" to the name, alongside the specific text in which it appears and the character(s) who utter the lines in which it is mentioned. This fascinating visual compendium also includes a dictionary describing each plant-such as Eglantine, a wild rose with a slight prickle, cherished for its singular scent, superior to any other rose; and the difference between apples and apple-john-along with indices listing the botanical by play/poem, by character, and genus for easy reference, ideal for gardeners and thoughtful birthday gift-giving. This breathtaking, incomparable collection of exquisite artwork and companion quotes offers unique depth and insight into Shakespeare and his timeless work through the unusual perspective of the plants themselves.

‘In Clive, we have an ever-fascinating guide to Britain’s heathery districts, not only marvelling at the wildlife of such wild places, but also celebrating their diverse origins, uses and cultural resonances’ - ANDREW BYFIELD Heathlands are so much more than simply purple carpets of heather. They are ancient landscapes found throughout Britain that support a complex of inter-related species and an immense diversity of habitats. They also possess a unique human history defined by the struggle between pastoralism and the competing demands of those who seek exclusive use of the land. In this latest addition to the British Wildlife Collection, Clive Chatters introduces us to Britain’s heathlands and their anatomy. He then takes the reader on a geographical heathland tour – from the maritime sub-arctic of the Shetlands to the mild wetness of the Atlantic coast – with an in memoriam nod to those heaths that have been erased from common memory and understanding. He concludes with a review of how people have perceived and used heathland wildlife over the ages, and sets out a future vision for this iconic landscape, its unique habitats and the species that live there. Most of our heaths are pale shadows of their former selves. However, Chatters argues, it is not inevitable that the catastrophic losses of the recent past are the destiny of our remaining heaths. Should we wish, their place in the countryside as an integral part of British culture can be secured.

'Remarkable ... Evoking the intensity with which orchid hunters pursue their quarry ... Vivid and expressive' Sunday Times

Orchid Summer is a heady celebration of the beauty and history of the wild orchid species of the British Isles, embraced in one dazzling summer-long hunt by naturalist Jon Dunn.

The flowers that are the focus of this treasure hunt are exquisite and diverse. Some tower above the surrounding vegetation; others are vanishingly small and discrete. Some are sweetly scented; others smell of ripe billy goats. Some are abundant; others more elusive - none more so than the last to flower, the ghost orchid.

Capturing the intoxicating beauty of these rare flowers, Orchid Summer explores their history, their champions, their place in our landscape and the threats they face. Combining infectious enthusiasm and a painterly eye with a deep knowledge that comes from a lifetime's passionate devotion to their study, Dunn sweeps us up on his adventure.

One of Gardens Illustrated's Best Books of 2020 Acclaimed author David Mabberley provides a ground-breaking analysis of early European understanding of Australia's lora. Combining science, horticulture, art and economics, this lavishly illustrated book - with many never before-published images - reveals the motives and complex networks that led to the international spread of knowledge and cultivation of hundreds of Australian plants in Europe in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.Based on the superb Peter Crossing Collection, Botanical Revelation documents a revolutionary phase in the understanding of Australia's flora and science more generally. Features: David Mabberley is one of the world's foremost botanical scholarsof early colonial Australia The detailed story of early European encounters with Australianplants is told here for the first time A beautifully designed and produced book packed with stunningillustrations, many never before published Uses a comprehensive private library - the Peter Crossing Collection-devoted to the early encountering, documenting and illustratingof Australian plants by Europeans before Darwin came here in1836 - to tell a fascinating story

The Botanical Bible tells the story of plants and flowers, beginning with an overview of the plant kingdom and the basics of botany, then offering strategies for gardening with purpose. Later chapters introduce seasonal eating, the healing properties of plants and the world of botanical art. This stunning gift book is part history, part science, part beauty book, part cookbook and part art book. It will appeal to anyone wanting to use plants and flowers in modern life, whether they are an accomplished gardener or are simply yearning for a more natural life. This comprehensive guide to plants, flowers and botanicals covers a host of practical uses, features vintage illustrations alongside the work of current artists, and is sure to be an inspiration to anyone interested in the natural world.

While there are many studies of the global influence of crops and plants, this is perhaps the first social history based around a plant in South Africa. Plants are not quite historical actors in their own right, but their properties and potential help to shape human history. Plants such as prickly pear tend to be invisible to those who do not use them, or at least on the peripheries of people's consciousness. This book explains why they were not peripheral to many people in the Eastern Cape and why a wild and sometimes invasive cactus from Mexico, that found its way around the world over 200 years ago, remains important to African women in shacks and small towns. The central tension at the heart of this history concerns different and sometimes conflicting human views of prickly pear. Some accepted or enjoyed its presence; others wished to eradicate it. While commercial livestock farmers initially found the plant enormously valuable, they came to see it as a scourge in the early twentieth century as it invaded farms and commonages. But for impoverished rural and small town communities of the Eastern Cape it was a godsend. In some places it still provides a significant income for poor black families. Debates about prickly pear - and its cultivated spineless variety - have played out in unexpected ways over the last century and more. Some scientists, once eradicationists, now see varieties of spineless cactus as plants for the future, eminently suited to a world beset by climate change and global warming. The book also addresses central problems around concepts of biodiversity. How do we balance, on the one hand, biodiversity conservation with, on the other, a recognition that plant transfers - and species transfers more generally - have been part of dynamic production systems that have historically underpinned human civilizations. American plants such as maize, cassava and prickly pear have been used to create incalculable value in Africa. Transferred plants are at the heart of many agricultural systems, as well as hybrid botanical and cultural landscapes, sometimes treasured, that are unlikely to be entirely reversed. Some of these plants displace local species, but are invaluable for local livelihoods. Prickly Pear explores this dilemma over the long term and suggests that there must be a significant cultural dimension to ideas about biodiversity. The content of Prickly Pear is based on intensive archival research, on interviews conducted in the Eastern Cape by the authors, as well as on their observations of how people in the area use and consume the plant.

Tree Vision is the ultimate card set to help you learn all about trees, their leaves, seeds, flowers and so much more! Do you suffer from tree blindness? Learn to read the leaves using these flashcards and you'll have the differences between tree species down in no time. Use the cards to identify your favourite trees, or set yourself a new challenge: can you recognise a horse chestnut tree from its leaf, or do you need to see its distinctive conkers before the penny drops? Each card includes detailed images, plus fascinating facts about all the trees featured. Tree Vision is beautifully illustrated by Holly Exley and the accompanying text is written by Tony Kirkham, who is the Head of Arboretum, Gardens and Horticulture Services in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, London. Tony was awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours List 2020 and has authored six books. Trees included in the box are: ash, beech, birch, cedar, hornbeam, juniper, lime, maple, oak, pine, spruce, sycamore, yew and many more, from species found in Asia, Africa, Australia, America and Europe. This is a perfect gift and a boxed reference set for nature lovers, including interesting facts about the trees featured, supported by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, London, UK. Other nature-inspired titles from Laurence King include: Around the World in 80 Trees, The Story of Trees, Match a Leaf, Hello Nature and A Year in Nature.

This revised and extended second edition of "Identification of tropical woody plants" is a concise representation of vegetative characters of woody taxa. It presents a unique identification system, permitting recognition of plant families in all seasons by means of morphological and macroanatomical features which are easily observable, permanent, and which provide a great deal of taxonomic information.

The identification system has been designed in the form of a dichotomous key, which is illustrated with figures of woody plants showing their architecture and the morphological characters of barks, branches and leaves. The book has been revised according to the latest molecular biological findings in taxonomy. Additional families are included, as well as representative examples on color plates. A new key for the main groups of euphorbiacean genera has been included.

This field guide will be an essential companion to botanists and ecologists.

A tree that sheds poison daggers; a glistening red seed that stops the heart; a shrub that causes paralysis; a vine that strangles; and a leaf that triggered a war. In "Wicked Plants," Stewart takes on over two hundred of Mother Nature s most appalling creations. It s an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend. You ll learn which plants to avoid (like exploding shrubs), which plants make themselves exceedingly unwelcome (like the vine that ate the South), and which ones have been killing for centuries (like the weed that killed Abraham Lincoln's mother).
Menacing botanical illustrations and splendidly ghastly drawings create a fascinating portrait of the evildoers that may be lurking in your own backyard. Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, this compendium of bloodcurdling botany will entertain, alarm, and enlighten even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers.
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'Britain's finest living nature writer' THE TIMES 'Lewis-Stempel's greatest gift remains his prose, with all its vividness and energy' THE DAILY MAIL 'The hottest nature writer around' THE SPECTATOR At night, the normal rules of Nature do not apply. In the night-wood I have met a badger coming the other way, tipped my cap, said hello. The animals do not expect us humans to be abroad in the dark, which is their time, when the world still belongs to them. That was in winter. The screaming of a tawny owl echoed off the bare trees. For all of our street-lamp civilization, you can still hear the call of the wild. If, if, you go out after the decline of the day... As the human world settles down each evening, nocturnal animals prepare to take back the countryside. Taking readers on four walks through the four seasons, acclaimed nature writer and farmer John Lewis-Stempel reveals a world bursting with life and normally hidden from view. Out beyond the cities, it is still possible to see the night sky full of stars, or witness a moonbow, an arch of white light in the heavens. It is time for us to leave our lairs and go tramping. To join our fellow creatures of the night.

This guide describes how to use common wild plants to help treat injuries and help alleviate internal discomforts. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 80 familiar species of medicinally relevant, widespread trees, shrubs and wildflowers. The plants are sorted into categories of the injuries/ailments they can help to alleviate and also identifies the most commonly encountered noxious plants. Laminated for durability, this one ounce pocket guide provides simplified, essential information for hikers and campers of all ages on how to treat common backcountry maladies with wild plants. Made in the USA.

A much-loved classic of nature writing from environmentalist and the author of Waterlog, Roger Deakin, Wildwood is an exploration of the element wood in nature, our culture and our lives. 'Breathtaking, vividly written . . . reading Wildwood is an elegiac experience' Sunday Times 'He writes nature as a blackbird sings, or a bird of prey rides thermals - effortlessly.' Reader Review ________________ From the walnut tree at his Suffolk home, he embarks upon a quest that takes him through Britain, across Europe, to Central Asia and Australia, in search of what lies behind man's profound and enduring connection with wood and trees. Meeting woodlanders of all kinds, he lives in shacks and cabins, travels in search of the wild apple groves of Kazakhstan, goes coppicing in Suffolk, swims beneath the walnut trees of the Haut-Languedoc, and hunts bush plums with Aboriginal women in the outback. Perfect for fans of Robert Macfarlane and Colin Tudge, Roger Deakin's unmatched exploration of our relationship with trees is autobiography, history, traveller's tale and incisive work in natural history. It will take you into the heart of the woods, where we go 'to grow, learn and change. ________________ 'Enthralling' Will Self, New Statesman 'Extraordinary . . . some of the finest naturalist writing for many years' Independent 'An excellent read - lyrical and literate and full of social and historical insights of all kinds' Colin Tudge, Financial Times 'Enchanting, very funny, every page carries a fascinating nugget. Should serve to make us appreciate more keenly all that we have here on earth . . . one of the greatest of all nature writers' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

The second in a series of books in association with the Royal Institution on their world-renowned Christmas Lectures, this time exploring the secrets of the natural world - with a foreword by Sir David Attenborough. Following on from the success of 13 Journeys Through Space and Time, which took us on a voyage of astronomical discovery through past Christmas Lectures given at the Royal Institution on space and space exploration, this book turns our attention to our own planet and the animals, plants, fish, insects and all the other living things that inhabit it - how they've evolved and the vital roles they play in the intricate webs of life on earth. Taking eleven of the most exciting and revealing Christmas Lectures on the natural world given at the Royal Institution, including Sir David Attenborough's animal-packed Lectures from 1977 and Richard Dawkins's explosive series on the evolution of life, we take an illuminating look at more than a hundred years of scientific exploration to discover the origins of life on our planet and the mysteries so far uncovered.

Foraged food is surprising in its flavour, unusual texture, fresh colour and nutritional value. As more people become familiar with the idea of finding food in the woods, lakeside, or on their favorite hiking trail, they begin to notice the world around them in a new way. Now it's time to discover the many surprisingly edible plants found in backyards, lawns and parks. Foraging doesn't have to be hard or scary. Backyard Foraging brings foraging home to the neighbourhood. There's the lawn full of sheep sorrel, chickweed, dandelion and pineapple weed. Vacant lots host edibles like sumac, purslane, or Japanese knotweed. And even urban parks may offer up garlic mustard, milkweed, gingko nuts, daylilies and elderberries.

Succulents have become some of the most popular houseplants, and with good reason: they’re easy to grow…most of the time. But what happens when a plant outgrows its pot? Did you know succulents can get sunburned? How do you turn one plant into more plants? In Succulents at Home, expert gardener John Tullock addresses these questions and many more. Here, readers will learn to make the most of their plants from the how and why of soil and container choice to step-by-step instructions for repotting, propagating new succulents, and creating arrangements like terrariums and wreaths. The book is complete with a catalog of 75 species—flower-shaped echeverias, pointy haworthias, flowering kalanchoes, round mammillaria cacti, and more—which explains special care instructions for each variety.  Tullock’s friendly voice and years of experience, and more than 100 color photographs, make this a must-have guide for fool-proof succulent gardening. And with a focus on growing succulents to enjoy indoors, this is a book for plant lovers in all regions and climates.

The "Evergreen State" is naturally blessed with evergreens but many other important trees as well. Washington State Trees and Wildflowers highlights over 140 familiar species with intricate detailed illustrations. This lightweight pocket-sized, folding guide identifies familiar trees, shrubs and wildflowers. Created and printed in the USA, this guide was updated in 2012 with a new cover design and a back panel map featuring prominent state-wide botanical sanctuaries that seasonal visitors to the state and year round residents will appreciate the map featuring prominent state-wide botanical sanctuaries. Laminated for durability, it is your perfect travel companion as you admire Washington's beauty.

Welcoming birds to your yard isn't about choosing the right feeders and bird food. If you want to attract the widest range of birds to your home, you need to plant a diversity of native plants. Why go green? Native plants live longer; they are drought resistant, take less water and fertilizer, they cost less, are less work and easier to maintain. And a big plus-they are good for the environment. In 2007, Douglas Tallamy published the groundbreaking book, Bringing Nature Home, on going native to protect wildlife. Since then Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, the National Wildlife Federation, and National Audubon have all endorsed and encouraged gardening with native plants. Planting Native to Attract Birds to Your Yard is the first book to cover planting native to specifically attract birds. The book recommends plants for all types of backyards, no matter how large or small-from large plots to container gardens. Sorenson gives state-specific recommendations for 31 Eastern U.S. states-including and east of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana to the East Coast, and from the Canadian border to the Gulf Coast-for native plants that support birds during the four seasons. The book covers the full gamut of native plants-nearly 200 species of trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and perennials-and gives details on why specific plants are bird friendly and how to choose plants that work successfully in attractive home landscapes. It also includes dramatic color photos of nearly 70 bird species. Birders, gardeners, and landscapers-all who love birds and beautiful gardens-will find this book a must.

Das Buch untersucht die Auswirkungen von Anderungen der Waldbewirtschaftung, derzeit vorwiegend von nadelbaumdominierten Reinbestanden in strukturierte Mischwalder. Innerhalb einer nachhaltigen und naturnahen Waldwirtschaft wird dieser Prozess als okologischer Waldumbau bezeichnet. Er wird aktuell von den offentlichen Forstverwaltungen in Deutschland und Mitteleuropa forciert.

Einleitend beschreiben die Autoren Ziele, Moglichkeiten und Erfordernisse des okologischen Waldumbaus. Basierend auf wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen werden die mit dem Waldumbau einhergehenden Probleme und die zu erwartenden Folgen unter okologischen, naturschutzfachlichen und betriebswirtschaftlichen Gesichtspunkten, verstandlich fur das Fachpublikum wie auch die Praxis, beleuchtet. Schwerpunkte sind dabei Effekte des Waldumbaus auf das Okosystem Wald und benachbarte Okosysteme, auf Stoffhaushalt, Artenzusammensetzung und Biodiversitat, ebenso wie die okonomischen Risiken, der Einfluss der Besitzverhaltnisse und die Technikfolgen."