The Ethnobotanical: A world tour of Indigenous plant knowledge

‘Ethnobotany’ is an interdisciplinary field of study, using both social and natural sciences to explore the relationships between people and plants across cultures. Published in partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, this striking, large format book introduces us to this way of understanding plants.

Organised by region, The Ethnobotanical covers a diverse range of plants – from witch hazel to cacao, from ashwagandha to blue gum – diving deep into their uses by indigenous and local cultures across time in health, spirituality, food, shelter, and many more areas besides. Woven into these stories are current day uses along with full colour illustrations, mostly archival. Written in informed and accessible prose, this book is full of curious and little-known social history, and is very easy to dip in and out of.

As the author argues in her introduction, it is crucial now more than ever that we understand the profound, deep, and ancient connection humanity has to the plants that surround us. This fascinating book is a brilliant, timely introduction to those connections, and will inspire you to think more deeply about the history and impact of the plants we grow, and the plants we live with.

Many thanks to Scorpio Books for this review.

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