House Plants

<div> <p><strong>Exploring the economics, science, and cultural significance of houseplants, a many-tendrilled history of our domestic, pot-bound companions.</strong> </p> <p>Our penchant for keeping houseplants is an ancient practice dating back to the Pharaohs. <em>House Plants</em> explores the stories behind the plants we bring home and how they were transformed from wild plants into members of our households. </p> <p>A billion-dollar global industry, house plants provide interaction with nature and contribute to our health, happiness, and well-being. They also support their own miniature ecosystems and are part of the home biome. </p> <p>Featuring many superb illustrations, <em>House Plants</em> explores both their botanical history and cultural impact, from song (Gracie Fields’s “Biggest Aspidistra in the World <em>”</em> ), literature (Orwell’s <em>Keep the Aspidistra Flying</em> ), and cinema (Audrey II in <em>Little Shop of Horrors</em> ) to fashion, technology, contemporary design, and painting.</p></div>