An exploration of how plant behavior and adaptation offer valuable insights for human thriving.

We know that plants are important. They maintain the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. They nourish other living organisms and supply psychological benefits to humans as well, improving our moods and beautifying the landscape around us. But plants don’t just passively provide. They also take action.

Beronda L. Montgomery explores the vigorous, creative lives of organisms often treated as static and predictable. In fact, plants are masters of adaptation. They “know” what and who they are, and they use this knowledge to make a way in the world. Plants experience a kind of sensation that does not require eyes or ears. They distinguish kin, friend, and foe, and they are able to respond to ecological competition despite lacking the capacity of fight-or-flight. Plants are even capable of transformative behaviors that allow them to maximize their chances of survival in a dynamic and sometimes unfriendly environment.

Lessons from Plants enters into the depth of botanic experience and shows how we might improve human society by better appreciating not just what plants give us but also how they achieve their own purposes. What would it mean to learn from these organisms, to become more aware of our environments and to adapt to our own worlds by calling on perception and awareness? Montgomery’s meditative study puts before us a question with the power to reframe the way we live: What would a plant do?

"An accessible and, thankfully, jargon-free introduction to a science that has advanced a great deal recently—and has revolutionized the way that we look at our evolutionary predecessors…For the curious, Lessons from Plants is an excellent introduction to a world that most of us know too little about." - Christian Science Monitor

"Offers a deep engagement with plant lives, showing how growing our plant awareness can benefit our understanding of human societies and relationships." - LSE Review of Books

"A fascinating look at the adaptive behavior of plants, how they respond to their environments and neighbors—and, ultimately, what we can learn from them. A brilliant read for gardeners." - Psychologies

"Thoughtful, contemplative, factual, and philosophical; it’s quite different to any other plant biology-based book I’ve read." - Botany One

"The plant world is intriguing and endlessly fascinating, with its complexity and resourcefulness. This clearly written pocket-sized book takes a look at the adaptive behavior of plants, the way they act and what we can learn from them. The author demonstrates that, far from being static and predictable, plants are masters of adaptation. They can experience sensations without needing eyes and ears, distinguish family, friend or foe, and respond to ecological competition despite lacking the capacity for the fight-or-flight response." - Gardening Australia

"Regal[es] the reader with the latest botanical research." - Inquisitive Biologist

"A comprehensive look into the world of everything green. This book explores the connection between plant behavior and how the same can be introduced into human life and living…An in-depth botanic experience and meditative study into what connects us to our leafy friends." - The Telegraph (India)

"[Montgomery’s] knowledge and enthusiasm will have readers looking at plants in a new light." - Publishers Weekly

"Refreshing, transformative and rooted in the author’s personal and professional experience, the message of this little book could shift your world on its axis. Here are simple yet profound insights into an intrinsic ‘wisdom’ in the kingdom of plants, reflections on how that wisdom could apply to human living, and a vision of a different world in which these lessons are taken to heart." - African Journal of Range & Forage Science