From an acclaimed botanist and artist, a thrilling and beautifully
illustrated expedition around the globe in search of the world's most
extraordinary plants.
After making a strange discovery on a childhood trip to Ikea--a stand of
sap-sucking, leafless broomrapes, stealing nutrients from their
neighbors' roots--Chris Thorogood dreamed of becoming a botanist and
would stop at nothing to feed his growing addiction to plants. In his
hair-raising adventures across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and
Asia, Thorogood treads a death-defying path over cliffs, up erupting
volcanoes, through typhoons, and out into the very heart of the world's
vast, green wilderness. Along the way, he encounters pitcher plants,
irises, and orchids more heart-piercingly beautiful than could ever be
imagined.
But with Thorogood as our guide in Chasing Plants, we not only
imagine: we see. An internationally acclaimed botanical illustrator,
Thorogood conjures his adventures spent seed-collecting and conserving
plants around the world back to life in his electric paintings, which
feature throughout the book. They bring plants out of the shadows,
challenging us to see their intrigue and their character, and helping us
to understand why plant species must be protected. To join Thorogood in
his wild adventures is to be cast under his green spell: readers will
never think of plants the same way again.
