Chasing plants Journeys with a botanist through rainforests, swamps, and mountains

Review by Booklist Review

In a global peregrination in search of some of the world's most unusual plants, Thorogood, deputy director and head of science at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum, brings a winning mix of skills: PhD in botany with an emphasis on parasitic plants, mad artistic talent that renders his plant subjects true to life, and a sense of adventure so keen that it carries him through some of the more treacherous terrain on the planet. These plants really are unusual: the parasitic, nightmarish Hydnora africana, which resembles nothing so much as a (toothed) cantaloupe with one or two quarter sections removed; the yellow, oblong, mildly disturbing desert hyacinth, which rises from its host during spring in the Holy Land; and the giant butterbur, native to Japan, whose tall, expansive, parasol-like leaves can block out the sun for anyone standing beneath them. Not an essential guide, to be sure, but a curiosity that will attract those readers with a sense of play.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Botanist Thorogood (Perfectly Peculiar Plants) combines his two lifelong passions, painting and plants, in this marvelous account of his travels around the globe. The author remembers being "entranced by living things as a kid," a sentiment that continued well into his adulthood as he traveled to South Africa to hunt Hydnora (a parasitic plant that has vampire-like fangs); went looking for dragon arums, which smell like "crawling through a sewer," in Crete; and visited Israel in search of the Nazareth iris, which "has an artless beauty far superior" to cultivated flowers. While recounting a trip to Borneo, Thorogood muses that "even paradise is afflicted by typhoons," a reflection that broadens into a consideration of climate change. He notes that, worldwide, two in five plant species are on the verge of going extinct, yet their "plight" remains mostly unseen and ignored. Even so, he describes how plants seem to be incredibly resilient and surprising as they adapt to their environmental conditions by, for example, growing water-repellent or water-collecting leaves. The realistic oil paintings that appear throughout are a testament to Thorogood's careful attention to the flora, and the vivid descriptions will make readers feel like they're on the hunt with him. This will be catnip for plant lovers. (Sept.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Botanist, artist, and self-proclaimed "plant nerd" Thorogood (plant sciences, Univ. of Oxford; Weird Plants) has traveled around the world, from an Ikea parking lot in Britain to dodging a volcanic eruption in Japan to the botanical wonders of Borneo. Taken from the author's personal journal entries, this book focuses on the thrilling adventures of finding elusive plants, not the scientific explanations of their significance. The title lacks a linear plot, allowing readers to decide which passages to read without missing crucial information. The narrative is simply about the joy of the chase. Thorogood's detailed illustrations punctuate the story as well: black-and-white sketches and detailed oil paintings of both flora and humans. The end notes include information on Thorogood's painting process. VERDICT Readers who enjoy travel narratives will like reading about incredible places that many will never see; they might be frustrated, however, when Thorogood says that some things can't be described. For plant nerds seeking adventure.--Elissa Cooper

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