
The Elegance of Ferns
Portrait of a Botanical Marvel
$40.65
- Hardcover
168 pages
- Release Date
30 June 2026
Summary
Discover the weirdly wonderful world of ferns-plants that outlived the dinosaurs, inspired a Victorian-era obsession, and continue to enchant us with their mathematical perfection and lush beauty.
Ancient and enigmatic, ferns captivate with understated elegance. Their fronds unfurl in perfect mathematical spirals, connecting us to Earth’s primordial past. Victorian-era “fern fever” transformed these plants into cultural icons inspiring art and literature, while Mori t…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781778403385 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1778403387 |
| Author: | Solvejg Nitzke, Helge Dascher |
| Publisher: | Greystone Books,Canada |
| Imprint: | Greystone Books,Canada |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 168 |
| Release Date: | 30 June 2026 |
| Weight: | 378g |
| Dimensions: | 190mm x 133mm |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
“The reader who casually picks up Nitzke’s treatise with only a passing interest in ferns will be instantly entranced by more than three dozen luscious illustrations from a variety of sources.”
—Booklist
“Fascinating. Fern fever is back thanks to this exquisite book.”
—Jules Acton, author of Oaklore
“This romantic work is a treasure trove for those interested in ferns. Solvejg Nitzke’s book introduces the reader to authors, poets, and art works that provide historical depth, and opens the mind to the beauty of ferns. Nitzke’s enthusiasm and passion for the subject propel you from one chapter to another and kindle a desire for more. This is the perfect book to discover The Elegance of Ferns!”
—Richie Steffen, author of The Plant Lover’s Guide to Ferns and executive director of the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden (Seattle)
About The Author
Solvejg Nitzke
Solvejg Nitzke is a literary and cultural studies scholar and chair of comparative literature at Ruhr University Bochum. Her research explores precarious nature in nineteenth-century popular literature and culture, as well as climate and environmental catastrophe across ecological storytelling, science fiction, and conspiracy narratives. Nitzke is the author of the forthcoming book Making Kin with Trees: A Cultural Poetics of Interspecies Care. She lives in Dresden, Germany.
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