George Forrest plant hunter

About this book

"George Forrest was a legendary plant hunter in the heydey of the British Empire. Risking his health and safety, he set off for China in 1904 on the first of seven expeditions to the remote mountains of the Sino-Himalaya. He collected mule-loads of seeds and over 31,000 herbarium specimens. He introduced hundreds of new plants to cultivation and many were named after him. He is well known in gardening circles, yet this is the first biography of Forrest, and the first book about him for fifty years." "This book, published to celebrate the centenary of Forrest's first setting out for the mountains of Yunnan, south-west China, brings Forrest to life, drawing on his own letters and those of his contemporaries. We see Forrest's first reactions to different cultures, how his love for his wife and family endured separation, and how he used local people as collectors. The book tells of Forrest's many adventures and his escape from death at the hands of the warring lamas. It shows the influence of his patrons, describes the excitement of his plant and animal discoveries, and reveals his rivalry with other plant hunters such as Reginald Farrer and Frank Kingdon Ward."--BOOK JACKET.