Like any other anthology, there were some stories I loved and others I thought were mediocre. But regardless, I liked the range of genres and concepts done within the vague prompt of “queer growth, but relate it to plants in some way to make it kind of literal”. Even with the stories I didn’t enjoy as much, there was a lot of heart put into them. (Also, there was a lot of queer joy! Which made this a perfect Pride Month read.)

Some favorites of mine were “The Aloe’s Bargain”(this one made me tear up!), “The Thing About Jack O’Lanterns”, “The Mandrake Loves The Olive”, “Seedlings”(heart wrenching magical realism my beloved), “A Lumberjack’s Guide To Dryad Spotting”, “Feeding Coals”, and “How To Make A Spell Jar”.