Why Do Violets Shrink?: Answers to 280 Thorny Questions on the World of Plants

Do you dare delve into the thorny undergrowth? Why do jasmine flowers make you more sexually alluring? When is an apple not an apple? Are trees the tallest plants? What could I grow on Mars? This book answers hundreds of intriguing questions about flowers, plants, and trees for which you thought you'd never find an answer—such as why are some plants edible and some poisonous? And why are there large teardrops on the petal grooves inside a Crown Imperial flower? There are answers to suit those with mythic poetic traits and plenty to satisfy seriously scientific minds. The lives and loves of plants and trees attract scrupulous observation, while we also learn about plants and trees that feature in record books—the tallest, widest, longest, heaviest, smallest, deepest. Then there is the choosing of names—smart binomial nomenclature that celebrates their shape, color, breeder, or discoverer; or common names that echo their rural habits or coarsely interpreted characteristics. Authoritative and entertaining, this book, containing around 250 questions and answers by garden specialist Caroline Holmes, is for everyone who has ever been curious about things that grow.