Plant Science

An illuminating journey through the past, present and future of the botanical world How did plants shape the modern world? And what can they tell us about our future? Our peculiarly British obsession with gardens goes back a long way and Plants: From Roots to Riches takes us back to where it all...

Plant Science for Gardeners empowers growers to analyze common problems, find solutions, and make better decisions in the garden for optimal plant health and productivity. Most gardeners learn by accumulating rules–water once a week, never dry out snowdrop bulbs, prune lilacs after flowering, plant garlic in October—the list is endless. There is a better way.

Overwhelming evidence indicates plant-based eating is the healthy way forward, both for people and the planet. But there are a wealth of misconceptions and unanswered questions that need to be addressed. Leading nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert is here to equip you with everything you need to know...

"Once in a while you find a book that stuns you. Its scope leaves you breathless. This is such a book." — John White, San Francisco Chronicle Explore the inner world of plants and its fascinating relation to mankind, as uncovered by the latest discoveries of science. In this truly...

'teeming with fascinating and enlightening insights' OBSERVER ‘Plant lovers will find much of interest in Schlanger’s inspiring tale of where her curious mind has led her’ NATURE ‘Captivating’ THE GUARDIAN ‘It’s rare that you read a book that makes you want to grab people to tell...

Our health is in crisis and so is our climate. What if there was a way of eating that may help us live healthier for longer and protect the future of our planet, too? The good news is that evidence now shows a plant-based diet may offer us exactly that - and straight-talking nutritionist Simon...

Since his early days of plant restoration, amateur plant scientist Matt Candeias has been enchanted with flora and the greater environmental ecology of the planet. Now, he looks at the study of plants through the lens of his ever-growing houseplant collection. 

The uplifting, adventure-filled memoir of one groundbreaking scientist’s quest to develop new ways to fight illness and disease through the healing powers of plants. “A fascinating and deeply personal journey.” ­—Amy Stewart, author of Wicked Plants and The Drunken Botanist Traveling by...

Exploding myths and offering research-backed advice, this audiobook provides a shortcut to decades of gardening experience by explaining the science behind how a garden grows. Why does my cherry tree blossom but never fruit? What's the most effective slug deterrent? Could I breed my own unique variety of flower? The world of gardening can be a mystifying place, with so many instructions to follow and often little explanation as to why.

Are plants intelligent? Can they solve problems, communicate, and navigate their surroundings? Or are they passive, incapable of independent action or social behavior? Philosophers and scientists have pondered these questions since ancient Greece, most often concluding that plants are unthinking and inert: they are too silent, too sedentary - just too different from us. Yet discoveries over the past 50 years have challenged these ideas, shedding new light on the extraordinary capabilities and complex interior lives of plants.  

Embarking on your gardening journey is an exciting adventure, filled with daily wonders from the sight of blossoming flowers to the satisfaction of tasting homegrown produce. However, as a novice gardener, worries about soil health, maximizing crop yields, and addressing climate impact may dampen your enthusiasm. The key to overcoming these challenges lies in understanding the simple science of soil.

‘Based on meticulous research in original sources … Goodman illustrates vividly how adept [Banks] was … Shining a light on individuals whose achievements are relatively uncelebrated’ Jenny Uglow, New York Review of Books A bold new history of how botany and global plant collecting –...

What if consciousness came first? Not as an idea inside the brain. Not as a side effect of matter. But as the field in which matter, life, identity, and the soul appear. The Physics of Consciousness explores one of the deepest questions a human being can ask: Who am I, really?

"In this thought-provoking, handsomely illustrated book, Italian neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso considers the fundamental differences between plants and animals and challenges our assumptions about which is the ‘higher’ form of life.” —The Wall Street Journal “Fascinating…full of...

The "My First Encyclopedia Set" series takes you on a journey through time, immersing you in the era of dinosaurs, allowing you to sense the power of life, and experience the fascinating realm of science.

This book invites you into a realm where green life—plants, forests, moss, roots, and leaves—take on voice and meaning, forming a hidden structure that slips past the limits of ordinary perception. In this territory, plants are no longer mere scenery or passive decoration. They emerge as full participants in the world’s unfolding story. They send signals and make decisions. They remember, nurture, and maintain connections in silence. They think—but their thought is not a spark of sudden brilliance; it is a slow, continuous current.

The idea that plants have a mind of their own has been a prominent feature of some Indigenous narratives, literary works, and philosophical discourses. Recent scientific research in the field of plant cognition similarly highlights the capacity of botanical life to discern between options and learn from prior experiences or, in other words, to think. The Mind of Plants offers an accessible account of the idea of “the plant mind” by bringing together short essays and poems on plants and their interactions with humans.

A tree and your pet look nothing alike, but they have one thing in common—they are both made up of cells. Cells are really small. You can see them only with a microscope.

Now, the choice is yours. Would you rather be covered in feathers or scales? Would you want to be an oak tree or a giant water lily? Would you choose to talk to animals or understand plants? It's your turn to pick this or that!

According to a 2021 study from the IPCC, conditions of extreme drought are 1.7x more likely than they were 100 years ago. That is, at any given time we are nearly twice as likely to be experiencing an extreme drought than our desert-dwelling ancestors had a century ago. And this problem is not trending in the right direction. Though drought conditions can impact so many areas of our lives, the beauty and diversity of our lawns does not have to be one of them.