American Household Botany: A History of Useful Plants, 1620-1900

by Judith Sumner

Book Overview

In this fascinating book, a celebrated author rescues from the pages of history the practical experience and botanical wisdom of generations of Americans. This book is only available through print on demand. All interior art is black and white.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0881926523
• ISBN13: 9780881926521
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Timber Press (OR)
• Length: 396 Pages
• Weight: 1.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

American Household Botany Review

AN excellent history of useful botanicals as developed and/or brought to the shore of America. I have enjoyed it very much and hope that my loaned-out copy cames back to me ;-).

A fabulous book.

In this fascinating book, celebrated author Judith Sumner rescues from the pages of history the practical experience and botanical wisdom of generations of Americans. Crossing the disciplines of history, ethnobotany, and horticulture--and with a flair for the colorful anecdote--Sumner underlines a part of the American story often ignored or forgotten: how European settlers and their descendents made use of the "strange" new plants they found, as well as the select varieties of foods and medicines they brought with them from other continents. From "turkie wheat" (corn) to "tuckahoe" (a Native American source of starch), Sumner describes the transition from wonderment to daily use, as homesteads were built upon and prospered from the plants of the New World. Virtually no aspect of "practical" botany is ignored in these pages, from dyestuffs to household herbs and from timber harvests to holly wreaths. It is a remarkable story of the interdependence of plants and the American home. Historians, herbalists, home gardeners, and ethnobotanists will find American Household Botany a treasure trove of original research and insight.

More reviews of this superb book

Read what many other reviews have had to say about this book - "Well documented, authoritative, eminently readable, and a good resource for several disciplines." --Joann Karges, Sida, Contributions to Botany, September 2005 "The subject as presented here is more than a factual history; it places these plants in the daily activities of people, from chores to rituals, and anchors them in a realistic landscape that has room for beauty as well as utilitarian function." --Kim Long, Bloomsbury Review, May 2005 "Sumner is an accomplished storyteller who weaves together fascinating information about plants and people." --Linda Askey, American Gardener, May/June 2005 "Readers will discover many intersting tidbits about the geographical origins, folklore, and uses of particular plants. ... Readers will gain a good general introduction to plant science and discover the multitudinous ways in which plants play a part in people's lives." --D. H. Pfister, Choice, March 2005 "Historians, herbalists, horticulturists, ethnobotanists, cooks and home gardeners will find many items of interest written in a delightful and useful manner in this comprehensive book." --Joanne S. Carpender, National Gardener, October 2004 "American Household Botany is a great way to while away an afternoon. Each page is permeated with an abundance of fascinating facts and figures. ... [It] will amaze, delight, and inform." --Lynette Walther, Camden Herald, July 29, 2006 "History underground is unearthed in Judith Sumner's latest contribution to American studies. ... isn't nearly as dry as its title implies. In fact, the subject matter can get a bit dirty." --Suzanne Moore, Wichita Falls Times Record News, April 3, 2005 "It makes a great gift for anyone who loves history or gardens or both." --Mary Ann Newcomer, Idaho Botanical Garden, Spring 2005 "The book traces the history of the immigrant's dependence on these unknown resources and provides a very well written lively history of the settler's numerous ways of coping with and utilising plants." --Michael Heinrich, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, March 2005 "A sprightly tome, well written, and well researched, covering a range of topics... fascinating." --Marvin J. Caldwell, Taxon, February 2005 "Historians, herbalists, ethno-botanists, and even home gardeners will find [this book] a treasure trove ... an absolute joy to read." --Larry Cox, Tucson Citizen, February 10, 2005 "It is a remarkable story of the interdependence of plants and the American home. Historians, herbalists, home gardeners, and ethnobotanists will find American Household Botany a treasure trove of original research and insight." --Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation Newsletter, Winter 2005 "The book begins with foods cultivated by Native Americans, then discusses garden plots of European settlers that provided wood, fiber, and textiles. It gracefully merges history, ethnobotany, and horticulture, all spiced with colorful antecdotes." --