Do you know when the first flower appeared? Where does the frangipani shrub’s name come from? How do orchids attract bees? Why did Victoria regia, a giant water lily from the Amazon rainforest that is sturdy enough for a child to sit on like raft become the star of the first World’s Fair, in 1851? What legend hides behind an almond tree? What colors do flowers count on to attract pollinators?

This book contains nearly 250 articles, anecdotes, and myths and legends about flowers. We learn about the existence of punishments for plants and naps for bees. We’ll run into Pliny the Elder, Malherbe, Arcimboldo, Darwin, Napoleon I, Cleopatra and others. We’ll find out what tubers, sepals and stigmas are.

Ranging from serious to playful, scientific to practical, useful to frivolous – but always enchanting – these surprising stories are like an invitation on a journey, and can be dipped into at will.

The stunning illustrations and lively layout make reading this book a real pleasure.

This anthology, a veritable cabinet of curiosity for flowers, contains nearly 250 anecdotes that range from serious to playful, scientific to practical, and useful to frivolous… but are always both enchanting and informative. Readers can skip from one interesting tidbit to the next, in any order they please.