Gardener's Guide to Botany

Ever wonder if plants sleep or why their leaves are shaped a certain way? The inner workings of the plants you love are revealed and celebrated in this guide by botany expert Dr. Scott Zona.

*2023 American Horticultural Society Award Winner*

A Gardener’s Guide to Botany is not just another book on how to grow plants. Instead, it’s a lushly illustrated botanical journey into what makes plants tick, delivered in layman’s terms that are easily understood and appreciated by both advanced gardeners and first-timers. It’s the chlorophyll-infused science behind the plants you know and love, whether you grow them indoors or out.

You’ll learn how different plant parts function (do you know what stomata are and why every leaf has hundreds of them?), the traits that separate plants from animals, and how through eons of evolution the plants we grow in our gardens and homes have developed a million different fascinating adaptations that allow them to survive and thrive. From their leaf shape and growth habit to how they have sex and metabolize the nutrients they absorb, A Gardener’s Guide to Botany covers it all in an accessible and thought-provoking way.

Divided into chapters based on what plants need to survive, some of the topics you’ll discover include:
 

• How plants convert water, air, and sunshine into roots, stems, leaves, and flowers through photosynthesis
• How plants react to their environment and  “know” when it’s right for supporting growth and reproduction
• How light can inhibit or facilitate chemical reactions in a plant 
• How plants access and use water and different nutrients, including through lifelong partnerships with other living organisms 
• How plants reproduce in some pretty ingenious ways, both with and without sex
• How plant genes are dispersed via seeds spread by wind, water, animals, or by the mechanics of the plant or the seed itself

Up your #plantnerd status by going on a knowledge expedition to learn about all things botanical, including the enlightening science of plant communication, hormones, insect relationships, and even plant sleep. Plus, learn the many varied ways plants protect themselves, from growing spines and producing toxic leaf compounds to emitting volatile chemicals that serve as messages to insect predators or warning signals to neighboring plants. Through beautiful illustrations, full-color photographs of plants from around the world, and fascinating and relatable text, get to know your plant family like you never have before!

Whether you grow houseplants on a windowsill, vegetables in raised beds, or shrubs and perennials along your front walk, A Gardener’s Guide to Botany takes you on a beautiful adventure into the amazing kingdom of plants.

Dr. Scott Zona is a botanist, researcher, and educator with a focus on tropical plants. For 9 years he served as the curator of the Wertheim Conservatory and Greenhouses at Florida International University in Miami, where he directed the restoration of the conservatory and maintained their research plant collections. Dr. Zona has collaborated with scientists worldwide on plant ecology research and has taught graduate- and undergraduate-level courses on tropical plant taxonomy. He guides garden tours and workshops for students, garden clubs, and the general public. In addition, he was a palm biologist with the Center for Tropical Plant Conservation at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Florida. He also educates houseplant enthusiasts through his online course, The Botany of Houseplants.