The Hidden Histories of Houseplants: Fascinating Stories of Our Most-Loved Houseplants

by Maddie Bailey

The Hidden Histories of Houseplants explores 20 of the world's most common houseplants.

This book isn't just a dry exploration of historical cultivation; the narrative explores the plants' places in social history, science and culture, showcasing the most fascinating elements of each plant's story, be it the exploration as to why Monstera deliciosa have holes in their leaves, whether houseplants have the ability to count, or why Calathea leaves open during the day and close up at night.

Accompanied by stunning illustrations, each text takes the reader on a journey through time, history and culture, told by the most universally binding objects in our homes from London to Beijing – houseplants.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Plants, Gardening, History, Science

160 pages, Hardcover

Published December 28, 2021

Reviews

[Edy Gies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read several house plant books and so far this has been one of my favorites. Most of the books are guides about how to take care of plants which can be helpful but also contains information that can be easily found on Google. This book shares the history and scientific research behind some of the favorite houseplants which I found it fascinating. It made me look at my plants through a new lens and made me appreciate what I have.

[Sharon Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing that can’t be found on google. I thought the book would dive into specific groups of plants that we see over time. Giving insight to the history of the plant. However, the book is more a general idea of house plants as if maybe someone has never actually seen them. This would be the book for you. I’m not impressed with the overall organization of the chapters. The book does not flow very well. Some typos in the text. Overall, the book is.. meh.

[finn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping for a collection of historical stories surrounding the plants we keep today, but instead was met with a pretty surface-level summary of plant biology and adaptations. While this was interesting, it just didn’t feel like it gave more insight than what you’d find in the first few search results for the plant online. I definitely found some parts of the book charming, like the illustrations and the description of Darwin’s love for drosera, but also felt frustrated by the lack of detail when describing the cultural relevance of plants and the inclusion of debunked assertions (like the idea that houseplants will improve your oxygen levels noticeably at night). There are some typos in the book, and while minor, they contribute to the feeling of the book being rushed and surface-level.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED the illustrations in this one, and the science is so fascinating. Perfect quick bites to read and learn more about houseplants. Reminded me that all of the houseplants I have came from the jungles and deserts. So it’s fun to change the perspective now when I look at them. There are a handful of typos that distracted me, but overall, it’s a good book for planty and planty curious people.

[Leo W · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read that kept me engaged & reminded me why I respect & love plants so much

[Chanah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a bit dissapointing. I really loved reading more about my house plants but while reading the book I had to look up how the plants and plant names that were mentioned looked like (not to mention words like rhizomatous, that were poorly explained). One of the reasons I read books is because I do not want to use my phone, but now I have to constantly pick up my phone to find out what I’m reading about. I want to learn, but without a phone and it is impossible to do that with this book without getting all the information stored in it.
The writing too, was simplistic and without good research (and without references to the sources they used). I think most of the facts about your plants, you can find out within the first three links Google gives you (and I am not talking about Google Scholar).

I do not understand which target audience they were focussing on. They used words that botanist understand but for any other audience it requires more (visual) explanation and it had the writing style you can find in any simple magazine.

There were really cool facts stored in this book, but the execution was bad.

[Kaitlyn Ratterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I found it helpful to have my phone or iPad next to me to look up pictures of the specific species or facts that were presented! Living bridges made from the aerial roots of Ficus Elastica! Sheep-eating plants! There were so many interesting facts scattered throughout that I am not even focusing on the obvious typo I found while reading. The chapters were short, easy to get through and engaging. The artwork was gorgeous, although I did wish there were actual pictures of some of the species they referred to, but I can see that would not have integrated well with the art and format. I loved that the focus was on plants that I have in my home and I learned something new about each of them.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched and some fascinating plant facts have only added to my awe of our incredible plant life. The illustrations throughout are stunning!

[Destiny Smith]

Super interesting!

Only complaint was that it felt like some things were missing, specifically photos or illustrations of specific plants being talked about over multiple pages, as well as sources or citations -- mostly regarding new scientific or medical knowledge. Misinformation (especially regarding science and medicine) is a huge problem nowadays and while the book and authors seem trustworthy, it makes all the information feel less reliable when it isn't cited in some way.

There were also a fair amount of minor typos throughout the ebook edition, as well as at least one slip-up in the audiobook that should have been cut out. But considering this seems more like a small labor of love project, they didn't bother me :)

[Mia Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book did have some interesting facts but it lacked depth. The authors clearly were not subject matter experts. Most of the info was sound but the section on medicinal plants was treated so uncritically that it was dangerous.

I found the writing cloying at times. The illustrations were great though! I'm almost tempted to cut them out and frame them!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and readable book on a variety of house plants. Enough scientific information to trigger your curiosity. Not your run of the mill guide to growing plants. Beautifully illustrated.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more interesting than I expected!

[Ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book compared to other similar books about plants I’ve read. The information was fascinating and I learned lots!