Saving the Wild South

“Eubanks’s determined journey to see these plants and talk to those who are trying to preserve biodiversity in the wild South make this book revelatory, joyous and sobering.”—Southern Review of Books

“There’s great urgency when it comes to saving threatened plants, and Saving the Wild South is an inspiring, journalistic overview of endangered and important species, with broad appeal for gardeners and conservationists.”—Foreword Reviews

“A highly readable account that roams from wetlands to mountaintops. . . .The images show not only elusive plants and flowers, but the various people Eubanks encounters in her searches, giving the book the feel of an illustrated travel journal such as a 19th-century naturalist might have produced.”—Chapter 16

"A careful meditation on a particular place . . . With [its] quiet elegance, [Saving the Wild South . . . feel[s] destined to be savored and preserved, so that decades from now, a young reader might [discover] what rich literary output this state has to offer.”—North Carolina Literary Review

“Part botanical history and part current-day travelogue, Eubanks makes the reader feel as if they were along for the ride. . . . Eubanks' writing includes striking prose. . . . This book would be of particular interest to native and general plant enthusiasts as well as conservationists.”—Georgia Library Quarterly

“Eubanks makes these stories her own, recounting her personal interactions with the plants and people concerned. . . . Useful for laypersons or beginning students wanting to learn about southern native plants and their heritage, both cultural and biological.”—CHOICE

“Intensive research is obvious throughout Saving the Wild South, especially in the detailed end notes that lead us to further reading. Botanical details are meticulous. . . . [W]ill appeal to public library readers who are interested in plants and conservation. Academic and botanical garden libraries will appreciate the careful botany and the useful conservation models used across the ‘wild South.’”—North Carolina Libraries

“This beautiful book calls clearly to each of us, asking us to understand the native botanical treasures in the distinct geography of the American South. So many wrenching, poignant, important stories that I had not known fill this calm, sensible book, whose pages are bound together with vines, in whose pages wildflowers are pressed. Think of this book as an expedition to plants and stories you can scarcely believe exist. You will be changed by it.”—Janisse Ray, author of Wild Spectacle: Seeking Wonders in a World Beyond Humans

“A big hurdle to instilling a greater appreciation of the environmental crises facing the world—climate change first among them—is getting our hands on engaging stories about how we know what we know about science. Georgann Eubanks, with the help of magnificent photographs by Donna Campbell, has solved that problem for twelve fascinating native plants under threat in the South. This book is just what we need to get folks more engaged.” — Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of Science

“Georgann Eubanks has chronicled the myriad ways that the culture and the land of the southeastern United States have sustained its people, and now she delivers an urgent and eloquent evocation requiring us to return the favor. This book is not just a celebration of a precious place but a call to action to save it. Read it. Now.”—Ronni Lundy, author of Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes