The Green Planet, published 06 January by BBC Books, is a fascinating exploration of the hidden life of plants by Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Barnes.

The book accompanies a major BBC series, presented by David Attenborough, from the team behind Planet Earth II.

Secret lives exposed

Plants are life. Without plants life on planet Earth is not possible and never would have been possible.

Plants live secret, unseen lives – hidden in their magical world and on their timescale.

But advances in science and photography have opened up the kingdom of plants as never before, revealing that drama, struggle, co-operation, invention and even hunting skills exist in plants’ lives.

Complex plant relationships

From the richest jungles to the harshest deserts, from the snowiest alpine forest to the remotest steaming swamp, the BBC’s Green Planet travels from one great habitat to the next, showing us that plants are as aggressive, competitive and dramatic as the animals on our planet.

Some are agents of death, who ruthlessly engulf their host plant, while others – such as the desert cacti, who use nectar-loving bats to pollinate – form deep and complex relationships with other species.

How plants and animals interact

While plants are undoubtedly the stars of the show, a fascinating new light will be shed on the animals that interact with them, and how their lives are inextricably entangled, enabled and enriched. 

Using the latest technologies and showcasing over two decades of new discoveries, The Green Planet reveals the strange and wonderful life of plants like never before – a life full of remarkable behaviour, emotional stories and surprising heroes.