The Curious Lives of Vegetables - Ali Francis, Adriana Picker

Discover the secret lives of vegetables that have shaped our world through over 100 hauntingly beautiful botanical illustrations. Food journalist Ali Francis blends cultural history, science, and narrative storytelling to spotlight rare, heirloom, and overlooked vegetables—revealing stories about biodiversity, flavor, memory, and the invisible forces that determine what ends up on our plates.

Each illuminating essay pairs with sublime illustrations by celebrated artist Adriana Picker, reminiscent of antique botanical art. Follow the circuitous, sometimes charming, often heartbreaking, and always utterly fascinating lives of over 125 vegetables, with profiles of modern botanists, essays, approachable histories, and more.

This stunning object features a dramatic sprayed edge and striking silver foil that shines as brightly as the edible gems described inside. Perfect for gardeners, vegetable lovers, nature enthusiasts, and admirers of botanical art, this is an invitation to see carrots, onions, broccoli, and dozens of other plants with fresh wonder—a visual feast that unearths hidden histories, surprising science, and cultural significance of vegetables we thought we knew.