Whether you know of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit only through director Peter Jackson’s adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminal fantasy novels or your entryway into Middle-Earth was through the books, it’s evident to anyone that Tolkien poured a tremendous amount of detail into his works. That care in world-building has made Tolken’s world an inviting one for fans of his work to immerse themselves in fully, learning something new with each subsequent visit.
In crafting the geography of his Middle-Earth, Tolkien specifically applied that eye for detail to the plant life that the various humans and elves and hobbits live amongst and encounter on their journeys and adventures, many of which have roots in the real world. Next week, botanist and writer Walter Judd and artist Graham Judd are diving into that flora of Middle-Earth in Flora of Middle-Earth: Plants of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legendarium, throwing scientific and exegetical commentary to the over 160 plants that pop up in Tolkien’s works. Walter Judd’s treasure trove of information and commentary is paired with Graham Judd’s woodcut prints that easily would be at home in some deep library in Rivendell, used to educate young elves about the wider world. Both Tolkien fans who pour over the various commentaries of his works and pop culture completists will be able to get lost in this Middle-Earth field guide.
Flora of Middle-Earth: Plants of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legendarium goes on sale August 15th, but you can catch a sneak peek of some of its stunning pages to entice you to journey back to Middle-Earth.
