I confess, I generally don't give a great deal of thought to the plants around me. Plants are, well, interesting masses of green. I don't think about plants that eat bugs, or plants that can survive being frozen, or plants that hibernate for the winter. Fortunately, Victorian naturalists have observed these and many other fascinating quirks and characteristics of the vegetable kingdom, in this selection of articles that is sure to change your view of that potted green thing on your desk!

The Largest Tree in the World (Godey's, 1833)

The baobab tree.

Curiosities of Vegetation (Chambers Miscellany, 1845)

A look at some exotic plants of other climes, such as the dragon tree, the baobab, giant plants and flowers, ferns, minute plants, plants with heat and luminosity, and more.

Ferns and Butterflies (Illustrated London Almanack, 1865)

Bimonthly series on the ferns and butterflies of Britain.

Gathering Mushrooms and Fungi (Illustrated London Almanack, 1873)

Is the Valve of the Utricularia Sensitive? by Mary Treat (Harper's Monthly, 1876A)

An examination of bladderworts.

Carnivorous Plants of Florida, by Mary Treat (Harper's Monthly, 1876B)

Some Wonderful Grasses, by J.E. Taylor (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

A look at some varieties of grass and their uses.

The Flora of the Swiss Alps, by Mrs. Lizzie Lewis (Demorest, 1879)

Green Autumnal Foliage, by Samuel Parsons (Scribner's, 1879A)

The Art of Fern-Hunting, by Robert Brown (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

A Chat About British Ferns, by Cotsford Dick (Girl's Own Paper, 1882)

Useful Plants (Girl's Own Paper, 1882)

On such diverse plants as oats, barley, and sugar cane.

Wonderful Plants, by Frederick Whymper (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

On exotic flowers and plants.

Harvard's Botanic Garden and Its Botanists, by Ernest Ingersoll (Century Magazine, 1886B)

Shall We Plant Native or Foreign Trees? (Century Magazine, 1887B)

Botanical Name-Words (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1890)

Calvary Clover (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

Picturesque Plant Life of California, by Charles Howard Shinn (Century Magazine, 1892B)

Nibblings and Browsings, by Fanny D. Bergen (Atlantic Monthly, 1893)

A stroll amongst native plants.

A Tree Museum, by M.C. Robbins (Century Magazine, 1893A)

Harvard University's Arboretum, and key people involved with it.

Moorland Idylls 6: The Gnarled Pine Tree*, by Grant Allen (English Illustrated Magazine, 1895B)

Moorland Idylls 7: A Desperate Struggle for Life*, by Grant Allen (English Illustrated Magazine, 1895A)

Moorland Idylls 8: A Heather Episode*, by Grant Allen (English Illustrated Magazine, 1895A)

Glimpses of Nature: [Soldanella] A Plant that Melts Ice,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1897B)

Glimpses of Nature: Marriage Among the Clovers,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1897B)

Insectivorous Plants, by Eliza Brightwen (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

The Study of Mosses, by Eliza Brightwen (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

Glimpses of Nature: [Gorse] A Very Intelligent Plant,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1898A)

Willows and Water (Girl's Own Paper, 1898)

Wonderful Trees, by S.F.A. Caulfeild (The Strand, 1898B)

In Nature's Workshop: Plants that Go to Sleep,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1899A)

Plants that "hibernate" for the winter.

In Nature's Workshop 6: Animal and Vegetable Hedgehogs,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1899A)

The vegetable variety being cacti...

A River Choked with Hyacinths, by Walter Akroydd (Windsor Magazine, 1899B)

The plague of this parasitic plant in US waterways.

Plant Treasures from Moor and Marsh, by Eliza Brightwen (Girl's Own Paper, 1901)

The Cranberry, by the Rev. Hugh MacMillan (Good Words, 1902)

• See also Wildflowers

• See Grant Allen's Nature Series for the complete "In Nature's Workshop", "Glimpses of Nature" and "Moorland Idylls" series.