The 10 Best Botany Textbooks
Special Honors
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Editor's Notes
August 21, 2020:
When updating this list we decided to make two changes to the lineup. First, we said goodbye to DK's Plant Propagation, which is still an immensely enlightening read, to make room for Flora: Inside the Secret World of Plants. This is because Plant Propagation is a bit more closely niche to horticulture rather than botany as a whole, while Flora touches much more broadly on the discipline using the same visually appealing layout, clear writing, and excellent photographs DK is known for. For those who are interested in botany as it applies to gardening, Botany for Gardeners should help fill the void Plant Propagation left. And for a few extra resources to assist with gardening, check out this list we have on the subject here.
We removed Medical Botany: Affecting Human Health as it hadn't been updated since about 2003, which makes it tricky for readers to rely on it, as the medical field makes leaps and bounds within short spaces of time. We wanted to keep ethnopharmacology on the table, however, and so added The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants in its place. This text goes into clear detail on hundreds of plants and their biological processes as well as how they affect the people who consume them on a physical and mental level. Further than that, it looks at various cultural stances on certain plants and ritualistic and medicinal uses as well.
Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding, Plant Physiology and Development, and Botany: An Introduction all have new editions, while Plant Identification Terminology remains an excellent reference for students and professionals.
March 05, 2019:
Botany is a complex and broad discipline, so we selected informative textbooks that catered to different branches, such as Medical Botany: Second Edition, Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding, and Plants in Our World. For autodidacts and those looking to cut their teeth on home gardening and identification, we included instructive volumes like Botany for Gardeners, Plant Propagation, and Botany in a Day. Two of the most respected and comprehensive tomes in the field, Raven Biology of Plants and Botany: An Introduction, made high rankings due to their authority, helpful pedagogy, and clear writing style. We prioritized usefulness and depth of information, so the best choice for you will depend on what your personal needs are.