Sponsor a book
Sponsor a book from our collection to support an extraordinary body of botanical knowledge.
Kew’s Library, Art and Archives is one of the most extensive botanical libraries in the world, spanning 2,000 years of plant knowledge and discovery.
With information on the naming, classification and uses of plants, plant ecology, conservation, and the wild plants of the world, it's a treasure trove of plant stories.
Sponsor a book from our collection for a unique way to support this extraordinary body of botanical knowledge.
Plus, the proceeds will help towards preserving all of Kew’s remarkable treasures for the future.
How to sponsor
To sponsor a book, we ask for a donation of £250.
Your personal dedication will be added to our online commemorative register, and you will be able to view the book and bookplate in the Kew Library.
For more information, email commemorative@kew.org or call 020 8332 3645.
-
Flora of the Codex Cruz-Badianus
Arthur O. Tucker, Jules Janick. Springer, 2020
A detailed examination of the manuscript of 1552 now known as the Codex Cruz-Badianus, or the Aztec Herbal. The original Codex was written in the Nahuatl language in Mexico in 1552 by Martin de La Cruz, and translated into Latin by Juan Badiano. This book reproduces the 185 colour plant illustrations from the manuscript, with identification of the plants and translation of the text describing their medicinal uses by the Aztecs. Modern colour photographs of the plants are included.
-
Lithops in habitat and cultivation
Roy A. Earle, Janice E. Round. Artwork by Janet Snyman. Privately published, 2021
A beautifully-produced book which covers all aspects of these unique succulents, known as 'flowering stones' in their native South Africa. An account of 40 accepted species forms the core of the book, covering taxonomy, habitat and conservation, enhanced by numerous colour photographs and maps. A special feature of the book is the outstanding artwork by Janet Snyman, illustrating each of the species.
-
The Botany of Beer : an illustrated guide to more than 500 plants used in brewing. Giuseppe Caruso. Columbia University Press, 2022.
The book is a comprehensive and beautifully illustrated compendium of the characteristics and properties of the plants used in making beer around the world. More than 500 plant species are given a scientific description, an account of which parts of the plant are employed in brewing, as well as details of chemical composition, potential toxicity, and examples of beers and styles in which each plant is typically used. The author’s delicate black and white line drawings enhance every page.
-
Aquatic plants of northern and central Europe, including Britain and Ireland. Jens C. Schou et al. Princeton University Press, 2023.
This impressive book is the first comprehensive guide to the identification of the region's 410 species of flowering plants that are dependent upon freshwater wetlands – plants whose habitat is freshwater streams, rivers and lakes. British, Danish and German specialists have collaborated on the work, which is lavishly illustrated on every page with colour photographs, line drawings and distribution maps. This is destined to be the standard reference work on aquatic plants of Europe, Britain and Ireland for many years to come.
-
Seeds of knowledge : early modern illustrated herbals. Edited by Michael Jakob. Silvana Editoriale, 2023.
This substantial book is the catalogue of an exhibition of early herbals held at the Morgan Library & Museum, New York, in 2023. The 27 choice herbals date from the 15th to early 17th centuries, and show the evolution of early book printing and herbal illustration. Every page features colour illustrations from these beautiful early medicinal books, as well as their impressive bindings. Scholarly essays examine the history of each featured herbal.
