Paul Smith

"These seeds will captivate you whether you're a gardener or not." - The Washington Post

"A sumptuous guide to 600 of the world’s weirdest and most beautiful species, from the black seed with hair like Donald Trump to pinhead-sized orchid seeds." - The Guardian

"The book drives home the incredible botanical wealth that is found on our precious blue planet." - The English Garden 

True-time capsules of life, seeds are significant items of hope and promise. They are the most complex organs plants ever produce, and come in an enormously diverse range of shapes, sizes, and colours; from the impressive coco de mer nut to the microscopic seeds of an orchid, to the extraordinary cobalt blue of the traveller’s palm pit.

Seeds are often overshadowed by the adult plant’s size and show. Here, 600 seeds are spotlit, each given equal attention, each shown as glorious photographs, life-size and in detail, alongside an engraving of the parent plant. Every profile includes a population distribution map, a table of essential information, and a commentary revealing notable characteristics, related species, and a diagnosis of the specimen’s importance in terms of taxonomy, rarity, dispersal method, and scientific significance. Arranged taxonomically, this essential reference reveals the variety and importance of seeds to an extent never seen before.

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