The Sceptical Botanist by Tim Entwisle

Do trees talk to one another? Can a plant use up the oxygen in a room while you sleep? What is a native plant and what is a weed? Are some plants truly immortal?

Through 50 beautifully crafted essays, former director of preeminent botanic gardens and self-confessed plant punk Tim Entwisle shines a gentle light on everyday questions about plants and gardens, guiding the reader through fact and fiction.

Including the best of his contributions to gardening magazines and newspapers over four decades, as well as 24 pieces written specially for this book, The Sceptical Botanist is a tour de force of investigative writing from one of Australia’s most thoughtful and inquisitive botanical minds.

Pick up The Sceptical Botanist and you’ll never look at a plant or garden in the same way again!

“A humane and humorous foray into the world of plants, their relationships with people, and revealingly, into the mind of a sceptical botanist.

These short essays contain so many important and enjoyable insights. From vexed questions about GM foods and whether trees are intelligent, to his delightful personal experiences across the botanical world, Entwisle is a confident explorer and guide. Whether he’s exploring our relationships with plants, the way that scientists think, or the reasons for some very unnatural beliefs about nature, his humour, integrity and lightly-worn knowledge shine through.”

– Professor Jonathan Drori, CBE, Author, Former Trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Beautifully crafted essays that explore everyday questions about plants and gardens.

About the Author: Professor Tim Entwisle is a highly respected botanist, broadcaster and author, with over 30 years’ experience as head of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney and Melbourne, and in a senior role at Kew Gardens in London. He is also the author of Sprinter and Sprummer (CSIRO Publishing, 2014).

01 Aug 2025
 

The Sceptical Botanist: Separating Fact from Fiction by Tim Entwisle ISBN 9781486318216