When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy
Description
In this lyrical, research-driven work, Beronda L. Montgomery traces America’s Black botanical legacy through the lives of long-lived trees and one cotton shrub, treating them as living witnesses to history. Blending plant science with personal narrative and cultural reclamation, she follows how specific species—from pecan and sycamore to poplar, willow, and others—intersect with enslavement, escape, violence, medicine, and enduring knowledge. The book explores how botanical expertise predates the United States and how transformed “breath” and memory can persist in the natural world. With Montgomery’s award-winning, accessible style, readers are invited to listen for testimonies we too often overlook and to reckon with the complex truths embedded in both ecosystems and communities.
Available Editions
paperback
Henry Holt
Published Jan 20, 2026
ISBN: 9781250335166
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Details
First Published
2026
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. Montgomery.