Flower Hunters

By John Gribbin & Mary Gribbin

This is the story of eleven flower hunters-remarkable, eccentric, obsessive men and women who between them travelled to every corner of the world in search of new and exotic plants. They were founding figures of the new science of botany.

From the Douglas-fir and the monkey puzzle tree, to exotic orchids and azaleas, many of the plants that are now so familiar to us were found in distant regions of the globe, often in wild and unexplored country, in impenetrable jungle, and in the face of hunger, disease, and hostile locals.

For the intrepid adventurers featured in this book, the search for undiscovered plant specimens was something worth risking their lives for, and some did not return. Flower Hunters tells of their lives, their thrilling adventures, their scientific quest, and the lasting impact of their travels on our familiar garden plants.