Amy Stewart explores the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration, and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol over the centuries.

"A seed slips beyond a garden wall. A tree is planted on a precarious border. A shrub is stolen from its culture and its land. What happens when these plants leave their original homes and put down roots elsewhere? In fourteen essays, Dispersals explores the entanglements of the plant and human worlds: from species considered invasive, like giant hogweed; to those vilified but intimate, like soy; and those like kelp, on which our futures depend. Each...

"This generously illustrated, fact-filled volume showcases more than 1,000 outstanding plants that run the gamut from childhood favorites and heirloom rediscoveries to the latest introductions and new cultivars. Plants are the backbone of a garden, and this book provides invaluable guidance in deciding what to grow next, from childhood favorites, rediscovered heirlooms, and curiosities to the latest introductions from hybridizers and plant hunters....