In Botanical Time The Extraordinary Lifespans of the World's Oldest Living Plants

About this book

How do some plants live for thousands of years? Which adaptations and evolutionary strategies allow them to thrive in some of the harshest places on the planet for so long – and so well?

Renowned plantsman, author, and longtime botanical garden designer Christopher Woods takes readers on a popular science exploration of twenty-three of the world's most amazing species, seeking answers to these questions by explaining their incredible survival mechanisms. Woods emphasizes how human cultures have interacted with plants over time and what we may, critically, be able to learn from them about sustainability in extreme climates. Some species will be familiar to readers, while some are outright surprising – such as the aptly named Welwitschia mirabilis, which lives happily in the Namib Desert for up to two thousand years, although many of those years receive zero precipitation.

With over two hundred colour images and lively, accessible text, In Botanical Time highlights fascinating facts about each charismatic plant, encouraging conservation for these species and leading us toward larger lessons about the rapidity with which humans have caused – and are causing – species to adapt.

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Biography

Christopher Woods began his gardening life at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He is the author of two books: Gardenlust in 2018 and Our Natural World Heritage in 2023. Chris was director and chief designer of Chanticleer, transforming it into one of America's most exuberant gardens, renowned for creative and innovative techniques. He has also served as vice president for horticulture at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden; director of the VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, Canada; executive director of the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens; and director of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Meadowbrook Farm.