The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Serviceberries go by many names and are present in the midwestern United States. They produce tasty fruit, for those that pick them, yet have not been professionally cultivated. This book uses them to start a discussion of sharing and the economics of a gift giving economy.
Street Trees of Seattle: An Illustrated Walking Guide by Taha Ebrahimi
During the Covid-19 pandemic, people took to more individual outdoor pursuits in their neighborhoods. The author of this book decided to explore street trees. The book explores trees in a few different neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has a "focus" tree with some other trees to explore. One minor fault is that the map of Seattle omits the northern part of the city. (Even though there are no trees shown there, the map could at least show the neighborhoods!) There is some interesting history, as well as a reference to the millenia's old "tree" in Utah.
Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change by Larry Weaner and Thomas Christopher
How can a garden best take advantage of the natural environment. Rather than have a number of isolated plants, a natural garden can have many interrelated plants that work together both spatially and temporally. Some plants grow at different times. Some grow well within the spaces between others. Natives can work together to overcome weeds. They can also take advantage of the "natural seed bank" to disperse and grow. It is best to use plants that are native the individual area that can thrive there. It is not a "do it and ignore it" garden. There is work needed to help coax the plants. The author recommends against pulling weeds and instead cutting them. (That way they need to re-spend effort, and don't disperse seeds.) Mulch, irrigation and fertilizer are also frowned upon. This book includes man pictures and has some great guidelines for natural meadows. However, an expert is probably still needed for implementation.
The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Zoë Schlanger
Do plants have intelligence? Previously, we thought of humans as the only thinking beings. Today, we acknowledge some animal intelligence. What about plants? This book explores some ways in which plants show intelligence. Maybe they "see" light? They seem to alter their growth based on the light presence. There are also social behaviors seen with plants. They will work to support their kin, possibly at the expense of others. There are a plethora of examples that explore different types of plant intelligence. It is an intriguing, if fringe topic. However, many other areas of mainstream science were once fringe. There does seem to be some possibility. Alas, the delivery is quite muted and lacks the revolutionary enthusiasm.
The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses & Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History by Thor Hanson
Seeds are key to survival and propagation of life, yet they are not well understood. Seeds are "living", but capable of long periods of dormancy. Seeds have successfully sprouted after hundreds or even thousands of years. They often have internal mechanisms to come out when the time is right. They may need just the right moisture or sunlight or other factors. Some need fire to kill off the competition before they sprout.
Seeds are also adapted to their environment. A rainforest seed may need to sprout as soon as possible to outgrow the competition. Other seeds may needs adopt mechanisms to be spread further. Dandelion seeds float. Many seeds are attractive to animals. Some travel through animal digestive systems. Nuts are just hard enough to extract. Animals will carry them away to other locations to eat. Some of these seeds will not be consumed and will be the source of new plants.
Seed banks store seeds for future use. We have highly protected climate controlled banks set up in various parts of the world. The soil also holds natural seed banks. Soil often holds many seeds waiting for the right time to come out. With diverse crops, many farms previously had a hidden "bank" of many seeds. These would often be traded with others. Today with industrial monoculture, the fortified seed banks often play the role of banking, with seed traders occupying a niche.
The Plant Messiah: Adventures in Search of the World's Rarest Species by Carlos Magdalena
The author has worked to help preserve and propagate endangered plants. He has worked with plants in individual islands as well as remote areas, such as the Amazon basin. The book talks about his experience working with the plants and what has been done to help recover the populations. In one case, the last known living tree was alone on an island. The residents would cut down sections of it. They ended up sorting to putting a cage around the tree to preserve what was left. They had to attempt to grow another tree via a cutting. However, this didn't bear fruit. The author then went through analysis and work to finally produce fruit. Then it was more effort to germinate the seed. Finally a version a new child was made available. In the book he details many other attempts at preserving species. He also identifies problems that lead to species eradications, such as poor political and environmental policies.
