Nature's Magicians

Uncover how leaves shape our world
'Riveting... marvel anew at the magic and power of leaves.' Beronda Montgomery, author of Lessons from Plants

Unless you’re an avid gardener, leaves might slip your notice. But from the smallest pavement crevices to the trees that line our streets, they’re everywhere. In fact, there are more leaves on Earth than stars in the galaxy. And they power much of the natural world – from salad to soil. Leaves are solar panels, rainmakers, lunch boxes, chemistry sets, mulch-makers and building material – all in one.

From the lush rainforests of the tropics, where the fight for light has given rise to magnificent leaves of all shapes, sizes and colours, to the strange, spectacular adaptations of desert plants, Jonathan Silvertown revels in the wondrous science and evolutionary success of these magicians of the natural world.

'Illuminating... a cornucopia of the myriad ways in which plants are adapted to survive and grow.' Roland Ennos, author of The Wood Age