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A Gardener's Guide to Botany: The Biology Behind the Plants You Love, How They Grow, and What They Need
Ever wonder whether plants sleep or why their leaves are shaped a certain way? The inner workings of the plants you love are revealed and celebrated in this guide by botany expert Dr. Scott Zona.
A 2023 American Horticultural Society Award Winner, A Gardener’s Guide to Botany is not just another book on how to grow plants. Instead, it’s a lushly illustrated botanical journey into what makes plants tick, delivered in lay-reader’s terms that are easily understood and appreciated by both advanced gardeners and first-timers. It’s the chlorophyll-infused science behind the plants you know and love, whether you grow them indoors or out.
You’ll learn how different plant parts function (do you know what stomata are and why every leaf has hundreds of them?); the traits that separate plants from animals; and how, through eons of evolution, the plants we grow in our gardens and homes have developed a million different fascinating adaptations that allow them to survive and thrive. From their leaf shape and growth habit to how they have sex and metabolize the nutrients they absorb, A Gardener’s Guide to Botany covers it all in an accessible and thought-provoking way.
A 2023 American Horticultural Society Award Winner, A Gardener’s Guide to Botany is not just another book on how to grow plants. Instead, it’s a lushly illustrated botanical journey into what makes plants tick, delivered in lay-reader’s terms that are easily understood and appreciated by both advanced gardeners and first-timers. It’s the chlorophyll-infused science behind the plants you know and love, whether you grow them indoors or out.
You’ll learn how different plant parts function (do you know what stomata are and why every leaf has hundreds of them?); the traits that separate plants from animals; and how, through eons of evolution, the plants we grow in our gardens and homes have developed a million different fascinating adaptations that allow them to survive and thrive. From their leaf shape and growth habit to how they have sex and metabolize the nutrients they absorb, A Gardener’s Guide to Botany covers it all in an accessible and thought-provoking way.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published December 6, 2022
69 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Scott Zona
8 books3 followersScott Zona holds a B.S. in horticulture and an M.S. in botany from the University of Florida. His Ph.D. in botany is from Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (now the California Botanic Garden) and Claremont Graduate University, California. He has explored for plants in Florida, California, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, the Pacific islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea, and Madagascar. His interests are in the diversity and natural history of tropical plants, especially palms, salvias, and bryophytes, and has published over 175 articles on these topics (and more) in various magazines, book chapters, and scholarly journals. Scott is co-editor of the International Palm Society’s quarterly journal, PALMS, and a Research Collaborator with the Herbarium of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 7, 2023
I think this is a terrific book for the right audience. For me something less technical would be better.
Over the past several years my wife and I have removed sections of lawn and replaced them with a variety of plants to aid pollinators and bring visual interest. We've studied the proper locations to plant everything and made a list of their needs (water, fertilizer (Yes? No? What kinds?) and the like) but I don't have a proper sense of why these plants have different needs. I want to understand them. The author more than delivers but I'm just not up to it. Maybe it's the summer heat.
To get to this:
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 889
"Fruits have a dual purpose. Their job is to protect and disperse the seeds. Fruits do their job in a variety of ways, some more efficiently than others. Fruits that are succulent and fleshy are a bribe, a reward to the animal that eats the fruits and carries the seeds away (in its stomach) to be deposited—along with a bit of organic fertilizer— somewhere else. Other fruits are all sizzle and no steak: They look edible and are consumed by animals, but they don’t offer any nutrition in return. Still other fruits have wings that glide the seeds to their new homes, and still others are sticky burrs that cling to passing animals or socks with the tenacity of VELCRO hook-and-loop fasteners. (Not surprisingly, it was a species of Arctium in the sunflower family, whose seed-heads clung to his dog’s fur and his own pants, that inspired Swiss hiker and engineer George de Mestral to invent the fastener in 1948.)"
You have to go through many more passages like this:
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 828
"A cone (also called a strobilus) is a branch system that bears one or more sporophylls, which are the leaf-derived structures that bear either the female ovule or the male pollen sacs. The male cone (also called microstrobilus) bears the pollen sacs on the underside of the microsporophyll. Usually, each male cone has dozens of microsporophylls. The male cones of many conifers are not especially distinctive in their morphology. In contrast, the female cone (megastrobilus) is characteristic for each species and important to have in hand if you want to identify conifers. The megastrobilus may have one or more megasporophylls or ovuliferous scales, modified leaves that bear one or more ovules, which when fertilized and mature, become the seeds. The leafy origin of the egasporophyll is best seen in the cycad genus Cycas, whose megasporophylls are not organized into cones and look like stubby, miniaturized versions of the plant's own leaves. In ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), the
ovules are borne on short stalks, usually in pairs, without any obvious megasporophyll.
"Interior to the perianth are the stamens, which are the male parts of the flower. Most stamens have a stalk (the filament) that bears sacs (the anther) at its tip. Inside the anther, pollen is formed. Pollen are the cells that bear the sperm. Although each grain of pollen is usually only one cell, that cell contains three nuclei. Each nucleus has its own role to play in sexual reproduction.
"Finally, the center of the flower is occupied by the carpels, the female part(s) of the flower, which are collectively called the gynoecium (plural: gynoecia). The gynoecium is often just a single carpel (called a pistil in older literature) and has at its tip the stigma, which is where the pollen lands. The stigma may be supported by a short or long stalk, called the style, which connects the stigma to the ovary, the chamber that encloses the ovules. Ovules contain the egg cells. A mature ovary is a fruit, and matured ovules are seeds. Some flowers have just the one carpel, but many have a single gynoecium comprised of two or more carpels fused together. In other plants, the gynoecium comprises multiple, separate (unfused) carpels in a single flower.
"A flower that has both stamens and gynoecium is called a perfect or bisexual flower, and the species is hermaphroditic. A unisexual flower, either stamen-bearing or gynoecium-bearing, is imperfect. When imperfect male and female flowers are produced on the same plant, the species is monoecious (“one house”). If they are borne on separate plants, i.e., there are separate male and female plants, the species is dioecious (“two houses”). Examples of monoecious species are pines (Pinus spp.), oaks (Quercus spp.), coconut (Cocos nucifera), and corn (Zea mays). Dioecious species include kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa), date (Phoenix dactylifera), and ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)."
When a technical term is introduced it's explained briefly but not again. And the terms pile up quickly.
So for the truly scientific minded this is nepeta cataria and for the rest of us it goes too far into the botanical weeds.
Over the past several years my wife and I have removed sections of lawn and replaced them with a variety of plants to aid pollinators and bring visual interest. We've studied the proper locations to plant everything and made a list of their needs (water, fertilizer (Yes? No? What kinds?) and the like) but I don't have a proper sense of why these plants have different needs. I want to understand them. The author more than delivers but I'm just not up to it. Maybe it's the summer heat.
To get to this:
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 889
"Fruits have a dual purpose. Their job is to protect and disperse the seeds. Fruits do their job in a variety of ways, some more efficiently than others. Fruits that are succulent and fleshy are a bribe, a reward to the animal that eats the fruits and carries the seeds away (in its stomach) to be deposited—along with a bit of organic fertilizer— somewhere else. Other fruits are all sizzle and no steak: They look edible and are consumed by animals, but they don’t offer any nutrition in return. Still other fruits have wings that glide the seeds to their new homes, and still others are sticky burrs that cling to passing animals or socks with the tenacity of VELCRO hook-and-loop fasteners. (Not surprisingly, it was a species of Arctium in the sunflower family, whose seed-heads clung to his dog’s fur and his own pants, that inspired Swiss hiker and engineer George de Mestral to invent the fastener in 1948.)"
You have to go through many more passages like this:
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 828
"A cone (also called a strobilus) is a branch system that bears one or more sporophylls, which are the leaf-derived structures that bear either the female ovule or the male pollen sacs. The male cone (also called microstrobilus) bears the pollen sacs on the underside of the microsporophyll. Usually, each male cone has dozens of microsporophylls. The male cones of many conifers are not especially distinctive in their morphology. In contrast, the female cone (megastrobilus) is characteristic for each species and important to have in hand if you want to identify conifers. The megastrobilus may have one or more megasporophylls or ovuliferous scales, modified leaves that bear one or more ovules, which when fertilized and mature, become the seeds. The leafy origin of the egasporophyll is best seen in the cycad genus Cycas, whose megasporophylls are not organized into cones and look like stubby, miniaturized versions of the plant's own leaves. In ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), the
ovules are borne on short stalks, usually in pairs, without any obvious megasporophyll.
"Interior to the perianth are the stamens, which are the male parts of the flower. Most stamens have a stalk (the filament) that bears sacs (the anther) at its tip. Inside the anther, pollen is formed. Pollen are the cells that bear the sperm. Although each grain of pollen is usually only one cell, that cell contains three nuclei. Each nucleus has its own role to play in sexual reproduction.
"Finally, the center of the flower is occupied by the carpels, the female part(s) of the flower, which are collectively called the gynoecium (plural: gynoecia). The gynoecium is often just a single carpel (called a pistil in older literature) and has at its tip the stigma, which is where the pollen lands. The stigma may be supported by a short or long stalk, called the style, which connects the stigma to the ovary, the chamber that encloses the ovules. Ovules contain the egg cells. A mature ovary is a fruit, and matured ovules are seeds. Some flowers have just the one carpel, but many have a single gynoecium comprised of two or more carpels fused together. In other plants, the gynoecium comprises multiple, separate (unfused) carpels in a single flower.
"A flower that has both stamens and gynoecium is called a perfect or bisexual flower, and the species is hermaphroditic. A unisexual flower, either stamen-bearing or gynoecium-bearing, is imperfect. When imperfect male and female flowers are produced on the same plant, the species is monoecious (“one house”). If they are borne on separate plants, i.e., there are separate male and female plants, the species is dioecious (“two houses”). Examples of monoecious species are pines (Pinus spp.), oaks (Quercus spp.), coconut (Cocos nucifera), and corn (Zea mays). Dioecious species include kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa), date (Phoenix dactylifera), and ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)."
When a technical term is introduced it's explained briefly but not again. And the terms pile up quickly.
So for the truly scientific minded this is nepeta cataria and for the rest of us it goes too far into the botanical weeds.
February 9, 2023
I would like to thank Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for granting me this ARC in exchange for writing an honest review!
I will be honest, I haven't read the whole book for various reasons; I have skimmed and read some parts. The top reason is that I prefer having a physical copy rather than reading it digitally since it's more textbook material. If you are into botany and plants then this book is for you. It talks about plants from A to Z such as the physical appearance of a plant, what they need (water, nutrients, light), their reproduction system, and so on. The pictures and description are marvelous; I have thoroughly enjoyed the parts I have read.
I will be honest, I haven't read the whole book for various reasons; I have skimmed and read some parts. The top reason is that I prefer having a physical copy rather than reading it digitally since it's more textbook material. If you are into botany and plants then this book is for you. It talks about plants from A to Z such as the physical appearance of a plant, what they need (water, nutrients, light), their reproduction system, and so on. The pictures and description are marvelous; I have thoroughly enjoyed the parts I have read.
October 27, 2023
A Gardener's Guide to Botany is a wonderful introduction to plant life! I am new to caring for plants (indoors mainly) and I have definitely learned a lot from this book. It really goes in-depth to help one understand all there is to know about plants.
This book is definitely one I would buy for someone who loves plants, be it a beginner or a green thumb.
Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book to read and review.
This book is definitely one I would buy for someone who loves plants, be it a beginner or a green thumb.
Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book to read and review.
December 1, 2022
This beginner’s guide to botany is well conceived and executed. The photographs are beautiful and well chosen to help the reader understand the complexities discussed in the text. The text gets definitionally dense in places, but also presents fascinating ideas in plain English. I learned a lot from the book, particularly where it was less steeped in technical terminology and details and offered intriguing ideas and examples.
While the book’s eight chapters aren’t formally divvied up, I would place them into three groups. Chapters one and two are about what plants are and how they are organized to do what they do. Chapters three through five are about what plants need to survive (water, light, and nutrients, respectively) and why. The last three chapters explore the main activities plants engage in (i.e. defense, reproduction, and seed dispersal.)
I found this book to be informative and readable, and if you’re looking for a basic guide to botany that skillfully employs photographs, I’d have a look at this one.
While the book’s eight chapters aren’t formally divvied up, I would place them into three groups. Chapters one and two are about what plants are and how they are organized to do what they do. Chapters three through five are about what plants need to survive (water, light, and nutrients, respectively) and why. The last three chapters explore the main activities plants engage in (i.e. defense, reproduction, and seed dispersal.)
I found this book to be informative and readable, and if you’re looking for a basic guide to botany that skillfully employs photographs, I’d have a look at this one.
December 18, 2022
Not a definitive guide
This is a basic manual for gardeners interested in knowing about the biology of plants. This book is by no means illuminating, not very technical but offers some peripheral view of plant life. This is written for gardeners and plant enthusiasts with no college courses to their credit. You will find some basic information about seeds, flowers, roots, and leaves; like what happens to a seed after it is planted? How do plants survive? And how do they reproduce? The author has quite simple answers to complex plant processes. I did not learn anything new than what I already knew. I rated this book three stars for nice photographs, they are very professional and colorful.
This is a basic manual for gardeners interested in knowing about the biology of plants. This book is by no means illuminating, not very technical but offers some peripheral view of plant life. This is written for gardeners and plant enthusiasts with no college courses to their credit. You will find some basic information about seeds, flowers, roots, and leaves; like what happens to a seed after it is planted? How do plants survive? And how do they reproduce? The author has quite simple answers to complex plant processes. I did not learn anything new than what I already knew. I rated this book three stars for nice photographs, they are very professional and colorful.
October 22, 2024
I know all the information now.
March 2, 2023
Like a biology refresher - interesting info, but very scientific. Good images help to explain the concepts.
January 1, 2024
"A Gardener's Guide to Botany" offers a nice, general overview of plant biology, covering everything from the taxonomy of plants (hello, lycopods) to how nutrients provide a limiting factor for plant growth.
Author Scott Zona is enthusiastic about the subject and generally does a good job keeping things light enough for the layperson. (The metabolic sections do get a bit bogged down...I have a bachelor's degree in biology and found my brain locking up as I read about the CAM pathway.)
The photos throughout the book are excellent and do a good job illustrating the subject matter. The diagrams aren't as clear as they could be, though, and the book would greatly benefit from a glossary. There's a lot of terminology thrown around, and I found myself wishing for a one-stop resource when trying to refresh myself on what an "inflorescence" might be.
Author Scott Zona is enthusiastic about the subject and generally does a good job keeping things light enough for the layperson. (The metabolic sections do get a bit bogged down...I have a bachelor's degree in biology and found my brain locking up as I read about the CAM pathway.)
The photos throughout the book are excellent and do a good job illustrating the subject matter. The diagrams aren't as clear as they could be, though, and the book would greatly benefit from a glossary. There's a lot of terminology thrown around, and I found myself wishing for a one-stop resource when trying to refresh myself on what an "inflorescence" might be.
January 1, 2024
I'm not sure why this says a "Gardener's guide" as there's very little about actually gardening. But everything else is excellent as an easy introduction to botany. Lots of great pictures, illustrations, and plant facts. I found myself sharing said plant facts with my family the days after finishing the book when we encountered the relevant plant IRL. What fun! I think if it included maybe an additional chapter or two on plant identification it would be truly awesome, here's hope for a second edition.
March 22, 2024
A detailed, technical guide to botany for gardeners. Your average gardener doesn't need to know the vast majority of the information in this book, but for interested gardeners, this book does a good job at making a quite technical topic relatively accessible.
A book you can either read from cover to cover or dip in and out of, it would be particularly good as a hard copy, rather than an e-book.
Clearly explained and nicely illustrated, I'd recommend this to gardeners who are keen to learn about the science of plants.
A book you can either read from cover to cover or dip in and out of, it would be particularly good as a hard copy, rather than an e-book.
Clearly explained and nicely illustrated, I'd recommend this to gardeners who are keen to learn about the science of plants.
March 5, 2023
Love this introduction to botany! Overall, a very pleasant read. Learned a lot and quite enjoyed Scott’s humor. The pictures of specific plant features and explanations are fascinating.
As an armature hydroponic and indoor container gardener, this book gave me a new perspective into the many plants I grow at home and gave me a new framework to appreciate and observe plants when out hiking.
Highly recommend this book to all gardeners and plant lovers!
As an armature hydroponic and indoor container gardener, this book gave me a new perspective into the many plants I grow at home and gave me a new framework to appreciate and observe plants when out hiking.
Highly recommend this book to all gardeners and plant lovers!
April 26, 2023
I absolutely adored A Gardener's Guide to Botany by Scott Zona. First of all the photography and visuals are stunning, so well executed and vibrant.
I have taken college levels courses in botany and enjoyed brushing up on the topic! Scott Zona packed this book with accurate information as well as interesting facts and tidbits. I highly recommend this book to plant newbies and seasoned gardeners.
I have taken college levels courses in botany and enjoyed brushing up on the topic! Scott Zona packed this book with accurate information as well as interesting facts and tidbits. I highly recommend this book to plant newbies and seasoned gardeners.
February 3, 2024
I was looking for a book that could level up my knowledge of plants for both the garden and indoor jungle. This book did just that!
It’s very conversationally written, and the photos are beautiful. They really help add to the lessons in the pages.
At times, it felt like the author was trying just a bit *too-
* hard to be fun, and it comes across as a little cringey.
I probably won’t buy as a reference for my shelves though.
It’s very conversationally written, and the photos are beautiful. They really help add to the lessons in the pages.
At times, it felt like the author was trying just a bit *too-
* hard to be fun, and it comes across as a little cringey.
I probably won’t buy as a reference for my shelves though.
March 18, 2024
This book doesn’t know if it’s a textbook or popular science and kinda fails at both in my opinion. It’s barely engaging enough and gets bogged down in too much scientific language to be an easy pop-sci read but isn’t well enough structured or comprehensive enough to be a reference textbook.
August 16, 2023
A botany primer. Lots of good pix
September 15, 2023
Full of ideologically driven metaphors. Not my idea of enjoyable science writing.
February 13, 2024
A remarkable amount of end materials!
May 17, 2024
I wouldn’t really call this botany for gardener’s. There is a lot of info in here that is not essential for a gardener to know. Still, lots of interesting info, but so much it can be overwhelming.
August 16, 2024
Accessible, informative
Currently reading
February 6, 2025left off on page 37
February 25, 2025
I learned a boatload, and I am now able to spew weird plant facts at people. Am I the kind of person who reads botany textbooks for fun?
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews