Review of "SUP: Weeds in NYC," by David Seiter

Review of

SUP: Weeds in NYC, by David Seiter ISBN 9781941729076

Five out of five stars

 SUP is an acronym for “Spontaneous Urban Plants” and refers to the plants that do well in the generally stressful environment of cities. To most people, these are invasive weeds and a great deal of effort and chemicals are used in an attempt to keep them in check. Yet, there are other ways to look at these plants. As a source of food, providing some green in an otherwise drab environment, as a cover that will slow the flow of water and even as a way to remove toxic metals from the soil.

 This approach is what makes this book fascinating as Seiter describes a series of locations in New York City, images of the plants and descriptions of how and where they grow and the positive features that they have.

 It is a powerful demonstration of how humans must dramatically change their approach to many of the features of the natural world. Instead of continuing to try to mold the environment into a form that somehow is considered more esthetic, humans should be taking advantage of what these “weeds” offer in terms of helping to solve problems. 

This book was made available for free for review purposes.