Kew Pocketbooks Houseplants

An illustrated collection of potted and indoor plants.

This unique series of pocketbooks from Kew offers a snapshot into the diverse and beautiful world of plants and fungi. Each book lavishly showcases choice examples from different groups or collections.

Since the introduction of heat into homes, making it possible to keep potted plants alive, people have been obsessively collecting and caring for house plants. These now common additions to any well-designed space add vibrancy and color while simultaneously instilling a sense of tranquility. This new title in the Kew Pocketbooks series is a celebration of the integration of plants into our living spaces, showcased through forty stunning paintings from the Kew archives.

The Library and Archives at Kew is one of the most extensive botanical libraries in the world, with the oldest item dating back to the 1370s. In this pocketbook series from Kew, each book presents forty botanical paintings from the collections, illustrating the variety within each group, as well as the diversity of the collection and artistic styles.

An introductory chapter by Kew expert Brie Langley provides an overview of the plant group, and extended captions accompany each painting. The luxury finish on these books makes them a must-have gift item, printed on uncoated paper and with a cloth and foil finish.

Brie Langley is a horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. She currently works in the Glasshouse Collections team and is the author of Kew Pocketbooks: Mexican Plants.