Botanica Fantastica brings to life the astonishing fictional plant creations of some of the world's favourite authors and creators.

Pre-order now - This title will be released from 15th October 2026.
Please note: if this book is part of a larger order, any products purchased at the same time will be shipped beforehand.
Author: Alison Flood, Illustrator: Emma Tudor-Bloch, 192 pages, 124 illustrations, 236 x 282 mm. Hardback, ISBN 9781035438822, Welbeck publishing in association with Kew Publishing, 2026.

Featuring over 100 illustrations, specially drawn by artist Emma Tudor-Bloch to visualise these species as if real, this book will combine expert analysis of these iconic creations and the worlds they inhabit, as well as exploration of the real-life species that inspired the authors. From Middle Earth and Hogwarts to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Zelda, and from poverty grass and cordyceps to nirnroot and triffids, every self-respecting fantasy or supernatural imagining has its own botanical world full of characterful and powerful plants.

Created with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and New Scientist comment and culture editor Alison Flood, Botanica Fantastica: The illustrated guide to fantastical plants from fictional worlds is a sumptuously illustrated journey into the bizarre botanical creations of some of science fiction and fantasy’s most ingenious minds.

Contents include:

– Nightlock, The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
– Weirwood trees, A Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin
– Firemoss, Cosmere universe, Brandon Sanderson
– Ents, Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
– Lethe’s bramble, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
– Tesla trees, Hyperion Cantos, Dan Simmons
– Redweed, The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells
– Vines, Zahrah, Nnedi Okorafor
– Wheel trees, The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman
– The World Tree, The Broken Kingdoms, NK Jemisin
– Moly, Circe, Madeleine Miller
– Fungus, The Last of Us
– Vines, Stranger Things
– Nirnroot, Elder Scrolls

Author Information

Alison Flood is New Scientist's comment and culture editor. She was previously books writer for The Guardian. She jusged the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction in 2024, chairs the British Book Awards' Crime and Thriller Book of the Year award and has also judged the Costa first novel award and the Orwell prize for political fiction. She has contributed essays and forewords for titles including Poor Souls' Light, a collection of stories inspired by Robert Aickman, and Literary Landscapes. She writes a monthly round-up of the best new science fiction for New Scientist, and also runs the New Scientist Book Club. She lives in London, UK.

Emma Tudor-Bloch was previously the print Designer and Head of Textiles for Zandra Rhodes and has designed prints for Paul Smith, Cath Kidston, Valentino and Liberty London. She is now an illustrator based in Edinburgh, UK.