Carlos Magdalena’s “The Plant Messiah: Adventures in Search of the World's Rarest Species”, is comprised of autobiographical stories of his work as Tropical Senior Botanical Horticulturist for the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England. Carlos describes coming from a family that encouraged exploration, as well as respect and caretaking for the plants and animals of Asturias in Northern Spain. When wanderlust overtook him at 28, he travelled to London where a trip to the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew changed his world. Their efforts to save highly endangered plants mirrored his passion for caring for the land back in Asturias. He has an energetic, driven personality that comes through in his recounts of his intense Kew education in the greenhouses and beyond. Most of the book recounts his journeys to save seeds or cuttings of rare plants found in the islands of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, Amazon backwaters in Peru, and many other far flung locations. He’s a great storyteller and has set up each chapter as if he has to solve a puzzle with life or death stakes, how do these rare plants produce fruit, seed, and ultimately a new plant? He includes simple overviews of the science behind his a-ha moments, so even if you don’t have a botanical background you come away with an understanding for how these mysteries were solved. His passion for plants is infectious and it carries through in his writing, the stories are often zany and move quickly and you’re left feeling that we need many more people with the drive and desire of this plant messiah.

Just finished this book and being a horticulturist, I loved this book. Each chapter seemed to concentrate on a specific plant and the attempts to save it. I would say this was a smooth read and being a plant memoir it was not too heavy with the author's life or botany. I would say it would be suitable for a classroom of students studying botany or conservation. Carlos, the author sure has a calling. I found it particularly interesting when he shared information about his mother.

Thank you Doubleday and Netgalley for a complimentary ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

This was an interesting memoir based around the authors quest to save plant species in an effort to do his bit to make the world a more liveable, greener place. This was a refreshing change from memoirs I had previously read and I found it a very enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this book very much. Although I thought it was a bit more of a memoir than I expected, I really appreciated his passion and enthusiasm for protecting plant species from extinction. I enjoyed the history and science he discusses a great deal. All in all, well-written and recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Good book on the thrills of exploration and on some interesting plants. Though essentially a memoir, a little less focus on the author and more on the people around him would make it more interesting.

Carlos Magdalena is a botanist working at Kew Gardens whose success in propagating and saving near-extinct plants earned him the sobriquet The Plant Messiah. It is a fitting nickname as he has a messianic determination to capture the seeds and cuttings to safeguard the future of plants on the edge of extinction–even going so far as to wade into waters with crocodiles, piranhas, and snakes.

The Plant Messiah is a fun and informative blend of action, adventure, and information. Much of his adventures seem a bit by the seat-of-his-pants, glimpsing blooms from his vehicle, asking his guides to stop here and there. There’s a bit of that in his experiments in propagating, too, trying different methods. The way he describes his process can sound like guesswork, but only if you think someone with years of experience and expertise is guessing.



I enjoyed The Plant Messiah a lot. He is a happy writer who loves his work and his enthusiasm bubbles up from every page. The book is full of adventures and fascinating information about plants and what is happening in the plant world. It’s fascinating to learn that a plant once believed extinct was found by a student on a roadside for a school assignment. My favorite parts were the many different ways plants can be pollinated. So tricky, so varied, it’s simply amazing.

Perhaps as a messiah, Magdalena is less people-oriented, so the other folks who are on these adventures are not even one-dimensional. This is his adventure. That also led to a misjudgment his editors should have caught and removed. Traveling in Peru, he is offered some human relics from an ancient burial ground and remarks grave-robbers in Peru would sell you anything even their grandmother. You know what, grave-robbers everywhere will sell you anything. It was an ugly moment in a book that is generally a fun and exciting read.

I received a copy of The Plant Messiah from the publisher through NetGalley

The Plant Messiah at Doubleday | Penguin Random House
Carlos Magdalena on Twitter

Carlos Magdalena's The Plant Messiah focuses on endangered or nearly extinct plants. His love of plants began in Spain but has taken him all over the world. I found the book fascinating not only for the plant information but also for the historical information. I am continually amazed by plants and the power of a tiny seed. This book took that to another level by explaining the very delicate balance between plants and their pollinators and environment.

If you are a true plant lover and yes, a bit of a science geek, this is your book! I found the depth of responsibility from this particular "plant messiah" quite heavy, of course due to his love and passion, and rightfully so, he's a man on a mission. In fighting to save what is necessary from extinction for our planets level of survival the text is much more involved than most will realize. This is not a light read but the information forthcoming is very interesting, inspiring and meaningful. You will travel from country to country and become a part of and be immersed in, a life so interesting through the eyes of Carlos Magdalena, a dedicated servant. His world is our world and I thank him for all he does. A true learning experience and one in which opened my eyes to a world not many give much thought to, or get to know as well as they should.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

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Adventure botany! Magdalena is a horticulturalist at London's Kew Gardens, specializing in locating, collecting seeds and/or cuttings, germinating, and raising to maturity the known rarest plants in the world. He also teaches locals (whether other professionals, gardeners, or local farmers) how to propagate, prune, graft, and protect such plants as needed.

In this book he takes us to the Spain of his childhood, his time as a students at Kew, Rodrigues Island, Mauritius, Peru, Australia, and Bolivia. In each place he works in different climates, with different people, and different plants. His goal with all, though, is to collect and save seeds to grow more plants and to store in a seed bank.

Though I think his job sounds great, it is not all adventure. He does touch on the frustrations of finding the secrets to different species' germination, and on the library research and professional relationships that help him find the keys to success. A lot of his job is plain old botany, in the lab or greenhouse.

I still think it sounds like fun!

More like 4.5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this adventurous jaunt through Magdelena's wild, somewhat obsessive, species-saving world. I'm a hobby gardener so his enthusiasm hits home. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is into botanizing (you know who you are) or anyone who cares about plants and the natural world. Keep Google handy as he's a name dropper (Nymphaea thermarum, anyone?). ;)

Thanks to NetGalley and Goodreads giveaways for the chance to read this book in advance of its publication. This is a fascinating book about the work of a botanist at the Kew Gardens in London who travels around the world trying to save rare plant species by propagating them. Propagation can be a lot more complicated then simply sticking a seed in the soil and waiting for it to grow. Carlos Magdalena writes about the different methods he experiments with to create the right conditions for this special plants. I love plants and gardening but I think this book has an important story for everyone about how our changing world is wiping out plants and why we need to try to prevent this.

This is going down as one of my favorite books for 2018! I love plants and can't fathom a world in which I'm not trying to understand the landscape around me. So much of what the author wrote resonated with me and left me wanting a taste of the adventure in saving some of these plant species. I was captivated by the descriptions and saddened by the plight of some of the areas where these plants are located, how they are succumbing to environmental destruction whether directly or indirectly from humans. This was an excellent botanical book with a pace that was easy to read without getting bogged down too heavily in botanical lingo that those not in that world might find unfamiliar.

Carlos Magdalena brings a youthful exuberance to his storytelling. In The Plant Messiah he takes his media moniker, which he humbly accepts, then he allows the reader to justify whether he is worthy of being called the Plant Messiah by using his stories. I say yes he is.

Carlos Magdalena is nothing but persistent in his endeavors at the Kew Botanic Gardens in London, and has a unique mind that can crack the science required to propagate many endangered or threatened species, in many climates.

While Carlos Magdalena is a fantastic storyteller, the beginning of the book really dragged. Almost like he was learning to write as he wrote the book. The second half of the book was much more compelling to me, as he begins to jet-set around the globe and becomes a missionary of sorts for plants.

Carlos Magdalena is passionate about the protection of plant species – 1 in 5 plants is currently in danger of extinction. He grew up the son of a florist in northern Spain, where Franco had logged ancient forests and eliminated most “non-profitable” wildlife, and his childhood interest in natural history grew into a fervor for conservation. After moving to England at age 28, he underwent rigorous training at England’s Kew Gardens to earn a horticultural diploma while working as a plant propagator. His initial focus was on the café marron plant from Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean, a place where biodiversity is critically threatened by invasive species and traditional medicine. Magdalena was part of a project to grow café marron cuttings at Kew and then return seeds to the wild in 2007 and 2010. However, his first love was waterlilies, so he also cultivated Australian varieties at Kew. His travels also took him to the Amazon, Peru and Australia – a set of experiences that grows a bit repetitive. An epilogue offers ideas of how you can help combat plant extinctions, and there’s a helpful glossary too. I especially liked the botanical illustrations. However, I think you have to be really, really interested in plants to get more out of this, and I was disappointed to learn at the very end that Magdalena had a ghostwriter – I would have preferred it if that fact was disclosed up front.

A few lines I liked:

“Grafting is horticultural sleight of hand.”

“Destroy one species and you give yourself permission to destroy them all.”

“The world of plants is full of surprises.”

“Anyone can be a plant messiah. You only need to have a spark of interest.”

I find so much peace by surrounding myself with nature. I love hiking in the woods-breathing deep the smells of the forest. The scents that are actually proven to unwind my soul-to help me relax. Over the past year I have enjoyed reading books that have given me a deeper understanding, knowledge, and appreciation for the inner workings of the natural world. Books like The Nature Fix, The Songs of Trees, and even Wishtree. Because of those books, I jumped at the chance to read an advance copy of Carlos Magdalena’s book The Plant Messiah. I devoured this book in one travel day. The book is Carlos Magdalena’s memoir about his life journey to save endangered plants around the world. I loved following his journey from childhood-the threads of his youth that led him to his vocation as the saver of endangered plants. The menagerie of plants and animals he rescued as a child. The influences of his parents influence as he grew up in Spain. Honestly though, my favorite part of this book was his attentiveness to what might seem ordinary to us. He took notice of the obscure, one of millions of plants. Not only did he notice it, but in his words, “He fell in love” and “He became obsessed.” When he was on a quest to save one plant from extinction it was his passion. He related stories of these plants, their origins, he brought readers on adventures in remote villages, islands and mountain tops. He always brought the plants home to the places they grew in the wild. While parts of the book read a bit scientific, I loved the story. I feel so much more aware of the beautiful diversity of plants our planet is painted with. I long to surround myself with more green, more flowers. And, I will not walk past an ‘ordinary’ plant on the path again.

Carlos Magdalena is the plant messiah. His mission is one of plant advocacy and rescue. As a horticulturist and botanist at Kew Gardens. But he is not only found there. More frequently, Carlos travels the world in search of rare plants, restoring plant ecosystems and trying to get humans to work within the framework of the environment for the betterment of our planet. While most people see a single plant, Carlos sees the whole ecosystem that either supports it or destroys it. He seeks to educate and change what we are doing to our world, whether it is a large project or perhaps something a hobbyist can grow in a backyard.

The Plant Messiah begins as a memoir showing how environment and family in Spain influenced Carlos. Then through his instincts, skills, determination and education he transforms himself into a knowledgeable and innovative advocate of the natural world. He is ready to risk time, and himself to pursue plants in many inhospitable situations.

The book is exciting, amusing and informative. Since I had an ARC on my Kindle from Netgalley, I read the book slowly. That is because there weren’t any pictures in this format. So with my Kindle opened to the text, and my Ipad researching the images of the Latin plant names, I could see what Carlos was seeing. Yes, it took longer to read but it was still enjoyable. And sometimes, having lived on the East Coast and Southwest deserts, I was able to recognize similar plant life – major coup! Recommended.

Reading this reminded me of reading Lab Girl, in regards to the way the author is able to convey with such intrigue and humor and detail, something I didn’t think I cared much to learn about. And yet, I cared and enjoyed learning about this dedication to plants. It was delightful and totally surprising to me how much I enjoyed this,

Review : The Plant Messiah: Adventures in Search of the World’s Rarest Species By Carlos Magdalena
The first thing that got me interested in this book is because it's about plants. I remember my mother who loves plants and gardening. So I was instantly interested when NetGalley offered this book to read.
So this book tells the story of Carlos Magdalena who worked as a botanist at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. We will know that this story is certain about the plant and Magdalena's efforts to prevent extinction.
Sure enough, from the beginning in this book has been told about the journey how Magdalena can get into Kew. Then he asked how to keep some species from extinction. From the beginning Magdalena had told her story in a light, easy-to-understand language.
Well, I never visited Kew, because I'm in Indonesia. But I will look at this book from another point of view. Through this book Magdalena has shown the various sides of a botanist's life. By the way, the delivery is sometimes serious, funny and ordinary. Then each section is told according to different species and territories.
What I expect from this book is a clear picture of the species. Because when I read the book and curious about the type of species, I will look for it over the internet. So I hope this can be fixed.
So, is this book worth to read? True, this book can be very interesting for botany or anyone who loves plants. Because I'm not a plant lover and can be interested, so I'm sure this book will also be very interesting for ordinary people like me.
Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book. Although I read in a slow tempo but this book really attracted my curiosity.
So how many stars for this book? from the depths of my heart, I will give 4 star.
Actually when reading this book and making me very interested in the plant, I finally went to one of the forests in Indonesia with this book. Reading The Plant Messiah: Adventures in Search of the World's Rarest Species By Carlos Magdalena with the lush, rain, drizzle and very quiet rainforest situation can give me another feeling. Several times I found a stream of sulfur streams, very tall pine plants, wild flowers, wild butterflies, and cold air. If you want to know my feelings, it is incredible. I am grateful to be able to read this book and I invite everyone to read it.
Look once again, that it's possible that some of the objects we use come from forests, plants and rare plants.

If I haven't read something about this book before starting, I could have easily thought that it was a fictional story because it's well written and enjoyable, but as it is a memoir, I think it is even better in my opinion.

Se non avessi letto prima qualcosa sulla vita dell'autore, avrei potuto pensare che questo libro fosse un romanzo di finzione, invece il fatto che sia un memoir, rende il tutto migliore secondo me.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

Carlos Madalena’s shares the story of his lifelong passion for identifying plants, eventually becoming focused on attempting to save many endangered plants and their seeds from extinction. An enlightening glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes of his work at Kew Gardens is enhanced by highlights journeys to collect seeds and cuttings in remote locations around the world to,gather specimens for propagation. While he provides detailed descriptions of many of the plants, it is disappointing not to be able to view phototgraphs and botanical illustrations of them, especially since readers are unlikley to ever have an opportunity to see most of these rare plants themselves.