Why Do Violets Shrink: Answers to 250 Thorny Questions on the World of Plants

This book answers hundreds of intriguing questions about flowers, plants, and trees—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 280 questions and answers, is for everyone who has ever been curious about things that grow.