Mind of Plants: Narratives of Vegetal Intelligence

Recent scientific research in the field of plant cognition similarly highlights the capacity of botanical life to discern between options and learn from prior experiences or, in other words, to think. The Mind of Plants brings readers an accessible account of the concept of “the plant mind” through poems and essays, with each author selecting a plant that functions as a guiding thread to their interpretation of “the mind of plants.” From the glorious rose to the ugly hornwort, from the Amazonian ayahuasca to tobacco, the texts reflect the multifarious interactions between humans and the wonderful world of flora. Contributors to The Mind of Plants are key figures in the fields of ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology, plant behavior and cognition, and critical plant studies. Since we all love picture books, included in this book are simple, thumbnail-style, black-and-white illustrations of the plants to enhance readers’ appreciation of the narratives.