Willow

Haunters of waterways and guardians of hedgerow; jewels of the garden and common companions in the fields: willows are at once the most poetic and practical of plants. For millennia they have played a key role in cultures across the northern hemisphereforming baskets, furniture, fences and walls; treating illnesses; and becoming objects of artistic celebration in Monet s paintings and Shakespeare s tragedies. The genus "Salix" is now increasingly used for soil stabilization and biofuel, highlighting willow s continued importance in the present day.
This well illustrated book leads us from Monet s willows to Tang poetry, and from uses in medicine to environmental protection, in a seamless account of the special place which this tree holds in our culture. "Willow" will appeal to anyone interested in gardens, the environment, or the cultural history of plants."

About the author

Alison Syme is Associate Professor in the Departments of Art and Visual Studies at the University of Toronto. She is the author of A Touch of Blossom: John Singer Sargent and the Queer Flora of Fin-de-siècle Art (2010).

Summary

Willow tells the rich tale of this many-sided plant, exploring its presence in literature, art, and human history.

Product details

• Authors: Alison Syme, Syme Alison
• Publisher: Reaktion Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.04.2014
• EAN: 9781780232928
• ISBN: 978-1-78023-292-8
• No. of pages: 240
• Series: Botanical; Botanical; Botanical (Reaktion)
• Subjects: Guides > Nature > Nature guide; Non-fiction book > Nature, technology > Nature: general, reference works; NATURE / Plants / General, Trees, wildflowers & plants, Trees, wildflowers and plants: general interest