A rich cultural history of the Australian, hardwood plant. Eucalypts, iconic to Australia, have shaped art, science and landscapes worldwide. With around nine hundred species, from towering giants to compact mallees, these trees inspir...Lasīt vairāk
A natural and cultural history of this important and useful plant. We may think of bamboo only as a snack for cuddly panda bears, but we use the plant as food, clothing, paper, fabric, and shelter. Drawing on a vast array of sources, t...Lasīt vairāk
A fascinating guide to the natural and cultural significance of mosses and lichens. Moss and Lichen is a celebration of the extraordinary biology, beauty, and resilience of two unassuming organisms. Endowed with unique abiliti...Lasīt vairāk
A wide-ranging scientific and cultural history of weeds that reveals just how interesting and useful these seemingly annoying plants can be. We spray them, pluck them, and bury them under mulch; and we curse their resilience...Lasīt vairāk
Now in paperback, an enduring survey of the venerable trees. Since the pine tree is able to sprout after forest fires, on mountainsides, and in semi-desert climes, it is no surprise that the ever-resilient tree signifies longevity...Lasīt vairāk
Now in paperback, a beautifully illustrated guide to the white and green sign of spring. Elegant flowers dressed in simple white and green, snowdrops look far too fragile to deal with wintry weather. But thats just what they do,...Lasīt vairāk
An exploration of the science and cultural significance of carnivorous plants, now in paperback. Carnivorous plants are a unique botanical group, possessing modified leaves to trap, kill, and consume small creatures. As a result,...Lasīt vairāk
A wide-ranging natural and cultural history of orchids. Approximately eight percent of all the Earths flowering species are orchids. Known for their beautiful flowers, delicate forms, and sweet fragrances, orchids are unlike any oth...Lasīt vairāk
A cultural history of a reddish, much-loved shrub, sometimes called mountain ash or dogberry. Rowan is the first in-depth natural and cultural history of this much-loved plant sometimes called mountain ash or dogberry. Through...Lasīt vairāk
A comprehensive and richly illustrated history, Yew will appeal to botanists and other readers interested in the history and symbolism of the natural world, now in paperback. The yew is the oldest and most common tree in the wor...Lasīt vairāk
Exploring the economics, science, and cultural significance of houseplants, a many-tendrilled history of our domestic, pot-bound companions. Our penchant for keeping houseplants is an ancient practice dating back to the Pharaohs. ...Lasīt vairāk
Elegant and beautiful, rich in history and supremely useful, the ash tree has played an extraordinary yet largely unrecognized part in shaping both our natural environment and the material culture and beliefs of millions of people around the world. ...Lasīt vairāk
Ripe, sensuous, irresistible: the cherry tree and its stunning blossoms conjure up many literal, metaphorical, and visceral sensations. We enjoy cherry picking, a cherry on top, and even, on occasion, spitting the pits in competition. Cherries have b...Lasīt vairāk
What is it about the small fruits of field and wood that encourage rapture? These gifts of the earth&;flagrant in hedgerows, carpeting the forest floor or coloring tablelands&;are so ubiquitous as to be commonplace and yet so extraordinary th...Lasīt vairāk
Drawing its allure from the gold of the sun and the rule of the emperors, the chrysanthemum winds its way through ancient Chinese culture into the gardens of French impressionist painters and onto the pages of American novels. The flower signifies bo...Lasīt vairāk
Since antiquity, few trees have had a greater impact on the world’s cultures and economies than the mulberry. The sole food of the silkworm, the leaves of the mulberry brought prosperity not only to ancient China, but to all nations that l...Lasīt vairāk
Carnivorous plants are a unique botanical group, possessing modified leaves to trap, kill, and consume small creatures. As a result they are often depicted as killers in films and literature—from Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors to...Lasīt vairāk
For centuries common primroses have spread breathtaking carpets of pale lemon yellow across the globe, the first sign of spring. Abundant, edible, and beneficial for many ailments, they have supported civilization’s social and cultural fou...Lasīt vairāk
Could a book by any other name smell as sweet? Absolutely not. The rose is the world’s favorite flower—and always has been. It is our greatest floral symbol of love and romance, and it is a bloom that touches our hearts as the flower...Lasīt vairāk
Elegant, rich in history, and supremely useful, birches have played an extraordinary yet largely unrecognized part in shaping both our natural environment and the material culture and beliefs of millions of people around the world. Exploring bir...Lasīt vairāk
