From the tallest tree to the humblest blade of grass, from branch to root, from flower to seed, the folklore of plants is a fundamental part of traditional stories and customs. Legends surrounding the vegetal world are enjoying a second life today, partly through our growing concern for ecology and our desire to reconnect with the world beyond the great cities, rediscovering an intimate and emotional relationship with tree and flower alike.

Yet the past reveals a far broader spectrum of relationships with the vegetal world, reaching well beyond lament, elegy or embrace. Here you will find men and women transformed into plants, trees and herbs that carry us to heaven or hell, fruits that induce delirium, and roots that kill only to restore us to life. The extraordinarily rich world of plants has always maintained a constant dialogue with human communities.