There are plants that use other plants, climbing on them, strangling some, living in their leafy canopies, or parasitising them. And The Nature of Plants explores the love-hate relationship that plants have with animals, some feeding on plants but others drawn into serving plants by pollinating them, scattering their fruits and seeds, or being eaten themselves. The mostly hidden associations that plants have with bacteria and fungi are also revealed.

Although officially retired from Victoria University in Welllington, John Dawson continues to study plants in New Zealand and abroad. He received his doctorate in botany from the University of California, Berkeley and has written Forest Vines to Snow Tussocks: The Story of New Zealand Plants, in addition to many other contributions.

Rob Lucas is a lecturer in the Natural Resources Centre of the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand and is the author of the horticultural identification guide What's That Pest? Together John and Rob have written and photographed Lifestyles of New Zealand Forest Plants, New Zealand Coast and Mountain Plants - awarded the Natural Heritage Prize - and Nature Guide to the New Zealand Forest.