In Botanical Time : The Extraordinary Lifespans of the World's Oldest Living Plants - Christopher Woods

In Botanical Time

The Extraordinary Lifespans of the World's Oldest Living Plants

By: Christopher Woods

Hardcover | 17 February 2026

At a Glance

Hardcover


RRP $95.00

$73.99

22%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $18.50 with

 or 

Available: 17th February 2026

Preorder. Will ship when available.

How do some plants live for thousands of years? Which adaptations and evolutionary strategies allow them to thrive in some of the harshest places on the planet for so long—and so well? Renowned plantsman, author, and longtime botanical garden designer Christopher Woods takes readers on a popular science exploration of twenty-three of the world's most amazing species, seeking answers to these questions by explaining their incredible survival mechanisms. Woods emphasizes how human cultures have interacted with plants over time and what we may, critically, be able to learn from them about sustainability in extreme climates. Some species will be familiar to readers, while some are outright surprising—such as the aptly named Welwitschia mirabilis, which lives happily in the Namib Desert for up to two thousand years, although many of those years receive zero precipitation. With over two hundred color images and lively, accessible text, In Botanical Time highlights fascinating facts about each charismatic plant, encouraging conservation for these species and leading us toward larger lessons about the rapidity with which humans have caused—and are causing—species to adapt.

More in Applied Ecology

The River : A Journey through the Murray-Darling Basin - Chris Hammer
Getting to Know the Birds in Your Neighbourhood : A Field Guide - Darryl Jones
Animal Welfare Science : An Interdisciplinary Guide - Emily Patterson-Kane

RRP $168.00

$142.80

15%
OFF
Human Nature : Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet - Kate Marvel
Ecology of Aquatic Plants - Paul Cook
Sensational Australian Animals - Stephanie Owen Reeder

RRP $29.99

$26.75

11%
OFF
The Life Trilogy Boxset - David Attenborough

Boxed, Slipcased or Casebound

RRP $130.00

$90.75

30%
OFF
A Sand County Almanac : And Sketches Here and There - Aldo Leopold
The Life of Birds - David Attenborough

RRP $26.99

$25.75

Platypus Matters : The Extraordinary Story of Australian Mammals - Jack Ashby
Australian Freshwater Ecology 2ed : Processes and Management - Andrew Boulton
Feed Us with Trees : Nuts and the Future of Food - Elspeth Hay

RRP $39.99

$33.75

16%
OFF
Australian Deserts : Ecology and Landscapes - Steve Morton

RRP $59.99

$47.75

20%
OFF
Saving Orchids : Stories of species survival in a changing world - Philip Seaton