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In Defense of Plants: An Exploration into the Wonder of Plants (Plant Guide, Horticulture, Trees) - Hardcover | Diverse Reads

In Defense of Plants: An Exploration into the Wonder of Plants (Plant Guide, Horticulture, Trees)

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The Study of Plants in a Whole New Light

“Matt Candeias succeeds in evoking the wonder of plants with wit and wisdom.” ―James T. Costa, PhD, executive director, Highlands Biological Station and author of Darwin's Backyard

#1 New Release in Nature & Ecology, Plants, Botany, Horticulture, Trees, Biological Sciences, and Nature Writing & Essays

Internationally-recognized blogger and podcaster Matt Candeias celebrates the nature of plants and the extraordinary world of plant organisms.

A botanist’s defense. Since his early days of plant restoration, this amateur plant scientist 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. Using gardening, houseplants, and examples of plants around you, In Defense of Plants changes your relationship with the world from the comfort of your windowsill.

The ruthless, horny, and wonderful nature of plants. Understand how plants evolve and live on Earth with a never-before-seen look into their daily drama. Inside, Candeias explores the incredible ways plants live, fight, and conquer new territory. Whether a blossoming botanist or a professional plant scientist, In Defense of Plants is for anyone who sees plants as more than just static backdrops to more charismatic life forms.

In this easily accessible introduction to the incredible world of plants, you’ll find:

  • Fantastic botanical histories and plant symbolism
  • Passionate stories of flora diversity and scientific names of plant organisms
  • Personal tales of plantsman discovery through the study of plants

If you enjoyed books like The Botany of Desire, What a Plant Knows, or The Soul of an Octopus, then you’ll love In Defense of Plants.

ISBN-13: 9781642504538

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: Mango Media

Publication Date: 02-23-2021

Pages: 280

Product Dimensions: 5.00(w) x 7.10(h) x 1.00(d)

Matt Candeias holds an M.A. in community ecology from SUNY Buffalo State and a PhD in ecology from the Universityof Illinois. He is the host of the In Defense of Plants Podcast and one of seven authors on Flora: Inside the secret world of plants, a joint publication between the Smithsonian and the Royal Botanical Gargens at Kew. When he’s not tending to his houseplants, find him at yearly botanical talks in garden groups, museums, clubs, and more.

Read an Excerpt

“Well, humans have serious biases. We like things we can relate to on some level and, to be fair, plants can be very hard to relate to. However, the crash course in botany I gained from working in that quarry showed me that plants can be both surprisingly relatable and incredibly alien all at once, and the combination of those two things are very exciting. I read science fiction to escape from the mundanity of human life. I delight in mentally exploring alien worlds and the bizarre lifeforms they support. But here on our planet was a group of organisms that felt just as different and exciting as any fictional alien species and the best part was, they were tangible and real. I could meet these organisms in the flesh (cellulose?), get to know them, and even grow some of them myself.”

Table of Contents

Introduction: Why In Defense of Plants? Chapter 1: A Rocky Start: How I learned to love plants in the bottom of a quarry Chapter 2: My Own Green Revolution Chapter 3: Gardens Change Everything Chapter 4: Getting to Know Plants Chapter 5: Plants on the Move Chapter 6: Unlikely Allies Chapter 7: The Wild World of Plant Sex Chapter 8: Waging War Chapter 9: Eating Air and Animals Chapter 10: Parasitic Plants Chapter 11: The Problems Plants Face Chapter 12: The Future Appendix Index