Bizarre Botany: An A-Z Adventure Through the Plant Kingdom

by Christina Harrison, Lauren Gardiner, Livi Mills (Illustrator)

The world of plants is endlessly fascinating and full of surprises, even for an experienced horticulturalist or gardener. This book celebrates that bounty through a tour of its stranger precincts, a beautifully illustrated A-to-Z compendium of fascinating facts, quirky stories, and unusual adaptations. Flipping through this elegant, approachable book, you’ll encounter oddities like the breathing knees of the swamp cypress or the illicit whiskey distilleries once fueled by juniper wood. Do you know what a vegetable sheep is, or what plants the Egyptians used in embalming? That poison dart frogs raise their young in tank bromeliads in the upper reaches of the forest canopy? Or that oak galls can be used as a source of ink? You’ll learn all that and more before you get to Z in this lovely gift book.

Full of fascinating floral facts, Bizarre Botany will appeal to plant lovers and gardeners old and young, experienced or just starting out—and its bounty of oddities are sure to make you a hit at your next garden party.

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening

178 pages, Hardcover

Published February 15, 2017

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of tidbits, random facts, and intriguing anecdotes from throughout the plant kingdom collated by people who clearly know and love their plants and want to inspire that in others. This covers every aspect of plant life from their roots to their flowers and every stage in between as well as their oddities, uses and mis-uses. I would've loved to see some illustrations to go with these (something mentioned by others too), especially of those plants that are included for their unusual features and appearances. But other than that, this book is so almost completely perfect.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly interesting. Lots of hardcore plant info without being totally impenetrable to people who don’t know much about plants (like me!). I also really liked the Botany Hero features, especially those about female botanists and plant-hunters. Also loved the trivia aspect - did you know that roses don’t actually have thorns? Technically they are prickles.

The only thing which would have made this better for me would have been some illustrations - particularly if they were old-school botany style 👍

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting book about botany facts that you probably didn’t know; If you like botany history or just plants in general, it would make a fun read for you!

[Kasia Czerwonogrodzka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 it’s just a kew gardens advertisement :///

[Wika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Książka spoko dla fanów ciekawostek o roślinkach. Luźne podczytywanie i wiadomości o botanikach, którzy poszerzyli świat wiedzy na temat roślin