What do you think?
Rate this book
The Plant-Hunter's Atlas: A World Tour of Botanical Adventures, Chance Discoveries and Strange Specimens
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.
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.
475 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 27, 2021
19 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 4, 2025
The Plant-Hunter’s Atlas by Ambra Edwards is a visually rich and intellectually engaging survey of global botanical exploration. Organized by continent, the book traces the journeys of plant hunters—scientists, adventurers, and opportunists—who introduced species like rhododendrons, dahlias, and corpse lilies to the Western world. Edwards blends historical narrative with scientific detail, offering concise profiles of each plant’s origin, discoverer, and cultural significance.
Among the most compelling figures is Maria Sibylla Merian, a 17th-century naturalist and artist who traveled to Suriname with her daughter to study tropical insects and plants. Her work defied gender norms and scientific conventions, and Edwards rightly positions her as a pioneer—one of the few women in the book who made lasting contributions to botanical knowledge through direct observation and illustration.
Each entry begins with key facts—scientific name, native habitat, and the individual credited with its introduction—followed by accessible commentary that situates the plant within ecological and historical context. The writing is clear and personable, avoiding jargon while still offering insight into the colonial, economic, and environmental forces that shaped botanical history.
Illustrated with over 100 archival artworks from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the book is as visually compelling as it is informative. It’s ideal for readers interested in gardening, botany, or the history of science, and works well as both a reference and a book to dip in and out of. While marketed as an atlas, it reads more like a curated travelogue—one that spans centuries and continents, revealing how plants have shaped empires, economies, and ecosystems.
Among the most compelling figures is Maria Sibylla Merian, a 17th-century naturalist and artist who traveled to Suriname with her daughter to study tropical insects and plants. Her work defied gender norms and scientific conventions, and Edwards rightly positions her as a pioneer—one of the few women in the book who made lasting contributions to botanical knowledge through direct observation and illustration.
Each entry begins with key facts—scientific name, native habitat, and the individual credited with its introduction—followed by accessible commentary that situates the plant within ecological and historical context. The writing is clear and personable, avoiding jargon while still offering insight into the colonial, economic, and environmental forces that shaped botanical history.
Illustrated with over 100 archival artworks from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the book is as visually compelling as it is informative. It’s ideal for readers interested in gardening, botany, or the history of science, and works well as both a reference and a book to dip in and out of. While marketed as an atlas, it reads more like a curated travelogue—one that spans centuries and continents, revealing how plants have shaped empires, economies, and ecosystems.
December 7, 2022
Organized by continent, this collection of short essays on notable plants species -- how they were discovered, stolen, propagated, and their subsequent use and influence -- is a sprightly and informative read. Despite having written extensively on many of these plants, I was continually discovering new tidbits of knowledge, and, wanting to be able to mark passages and cite from it accurately, I also bought the Kindle edition. I am now tempted to invest in a hard copy as it is full of helpful and beautiful illustrations, many of historical interest as the author had access to the vast archives at Kew. I also appreciated the many maps, clearly marking locations about which I had been rather hazy.
February 15, 2025
4 stars. A delightful introduction to plant hunting history as told through a selection of notable plants. Each very readable entry is just long enough to provide useful information and historical context, without being overly detailed. The book is put out by Kew so you get some requisite and eye-rolling self-promotion (but a tolerable amount). I just wish the authors had changed the organization of the book! Arranging by chronology of discovery instead of geography would have made the chapters flow much better. As written, you end up with the same plant hunters appearing multiple times, chapters apart, and have to try and remember what else they were notable for encountering!
July 1, 2021
An absolutely stunning and fascinating book - the botanical art alone is worth the cover price, but the stories are incredible. Revolution, murder, mutiny, false imprisonment - the life of a plant hunter has never been easy! Particularly a fan of Maria Sibylla Merian, the first woman to have made a living from science - in 1699 she flouted convention and set off for South America alone except for her 21 year old daughter. Her huge contribution to botany and entymology are only now widely recognised. Would absolutely recommend this book!
January 1, 2023
excellent botany
This is history, derring do, well known plants - to their origin and collectors. Fascinating reading, references, and up to date information. I really enjoyed reading this - it takes a while to digest some, and fits in nicely with other books on each of the individuals (esp Humboldt, Forrest, Douglas, etc). I enjoyed learning much more about several of the women who were involved in both expeditions as well as artistic rendering or plant nurturing.
This is history, derring do, well known plants - to their origin and collectors. Fascinating reading, references, and up to date information. I really enjoyed reading this - it takes a while to digest some, and fits in nicely with other books on each of the individuals (esp Humboldt, Forrest, Douglas, etc). I enjoyed learning much more about several of the women who were involved in both expeditions as well as artistic rendering or plant nurturing.
August 30, 2024
I am a professional horticulturist and I've worked for three years at botanical garden in germany. So many of the plants discussed in this book were my daily workplace. I loved reading about them and all the stories behind the plant hunters. But I think even someone without this background can enjoy a book like this. You should definitely read it! 🌸🌼
January 14, 2022
This book was thoroughly absorbing as I traveled the world learning about botanical discoveries and the amazing resilient adventurers who spent their lives bringing seeds and plants to Kew Gardens in London.
Not kindle edition - hardback from the Library
Not kindle edition - hardback from the Library
October 2, 2022
Marvellous! Wonderful stories going to the core of plant biology in extremely harsh conditions. Enchanting illustrations…
November 6, 2022
Excellent story telling with an air of humour. Illustrations were useful historical versions of the plants .
June 16, 2025
Plants!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews