Plantas Legendarias is a book published by Rey Naranjo Editores that seeks to preserve the botanical memory of our planet. Written by Stephen Harris and published in English as 50 Plants that Changed the World (and previously as What have Plants Ever Done for Us?), it explores 50 plant species that have played a crucial role in the story of human civilization. From natural rubber – which helped launch the automotive industry – to maize, potatoes, and coffee – staples that have shaped global diets – these plants nourish us, heal us, power our world, and give us the very air we breathe.
For millennia, plants have been vital companions to humankind, shaping our lives in ways both profound and unexpected.
Designed by Raúl Zea and Juliana Salazar, the book is set in Hoefler Text, Hoefler Titling, and Bickham Script – a typographic palette chosen to reflect the classical beauty and cultural depth of the stories it tells.