The story of seeds, in a nutshell, is a tale of evolution. From\nthe tiny sesame that we sprinkle on our bagels to the\nforty-five-pound double coconut borne by the coco de mer tree,\nseeds are a perpetual reminder of the complexity and diversity of\nlife on earth. With An Orchard Invisible, Jonathan\nSilvertown presents the oft-ignored seed with the natural history\nit deserves, one nearly as varied and surprising as the earth’s\nflora itself.

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Beginning with the evolution of the first seed plant from\nfernlike ancestors more than 360 million years ago, Silvertown\ncarries his tale through epochs and around the globe. In a clear\nand engaging style, he delves into the science of seeds: How and\nwhy do some lie dormant for years on end? How did seeds evolve? The\nwide variety of uses that humans have developed for seeds of all\nsorts also receives a fascinating look, studded with examples,\nincluding foods, oils, perfumes, and pharmaceuticals.

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An able guide with an eye for the unusual, Silvertown is happy\nto take readers on unexpected—but always interesting—tangents, from\nLyme disease to human color vision to the Salem witch trials. But\nhe never lets us forget that the driving force behind the story of\nseeds—its theme, even—is evolution, with its irrepressible habit of\nstumbling upon new solutions to the challenges of life.

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\“I have great faith in a seed,” Thoreau wrote. “Convince me that\nyou have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”\nWritten with a scientist’s knowledge and a gardener’s delight, An\nOrchard Invisible offers those wonders in a package that will be\nirresistible to science buffs and green thumbs alike.

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