In Botanical Time: The Extraordinary Lifespans of the World's Oldest Living Plants [Hardcover]

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 color 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.

Woods' compassion for these trees, shrubs, and herbaceous wonders shines on every page. —AHS American Gardener MagazinePraise for In Botanical Time:
Woods' compassion for these trees, shrubs, and herbaceous wonders shines on every page...Illustrated with spectacular photos, this book can be devoured cover to cover or dipped into one random chapter at a time. Either way, the next time you plant a tree, In Botanical Time might make you pause and consider the privilege of sharing a small slice of its life with yours.
—AHlc—