An illustrated celebration of poisonous plants.

This unique series of pocketbooks from Kew offers a snapshot into the diverse and beautiful world of plants and fungi. Each book lavishly showcases choice examples from different groups or collections.

From foxglove, deadly nightshade, hemlock, and yew to lily of the valley and angel’s trumpet, this Kew Pocketbook is an exploration of some of the most commonplace and dangerous poisonous plants, showcased through forty stunning paintings from the Kew archives. Producing toxins to defend themselves and often displaying their toxicity in bold colors and patterns, these plants can be harmful and even deadly to humans and animals.

The Library and Archives at Kew is one of the most extensive botanical libraries in the world, with the oldest item dating back to the 1370s. In this pocketbook series from Kew, each book presents forty botanical paintings from the collections, illustrating the variety within each group, as well as the diversity of the collection and artistic styles.

An introductory chapter by Kew experts Melanie-Jayne Howes and Eliot Jan-Smith provides an overview of this plant group, and extended captions accompany each painting. The luxury finish on these books makes them a must-have gift item, printed on uncoated paper and with a cloth and foil finish.