The novels listed here have a strong grounding in botany - either the plants themselves play a large part in the story, or the author uses vivid botanical imagery for scene setting. But most of all, these are books I couldn't put down, stories that captured my heart, stories I've read more than once and loved more and more deeply with each re-reading.
Annie Dillard: The Living
Vivid descriptions of the pioneering experience in the Pacific Northwest. Life (and death) of characters intertwines with the grandiosity of the trees - ancient giants who threaten and loom and kill as they are being killed.
Marlen Haushofer: The Loft
Austrian wild and garden flora reflect the life and emotions of a woman seeking to come to terms with her marriage. A deep acceptance of the essential aloneness of lives touched by war is shot through with brilliant details of observation, weaving a complex and surprisingly authentic emotional experience.
Barbara Kingsolver: Prodigal Summer
Richard Powers: The Overstory
Conrad Richter: The Trees
Diane Smith: Letters from Yellowstone
Science Fiction:
Ursula Le Guin: Diary of a Rose
A dystopian demonstration of what a touch of botanical Latin can do for your story.
(you-tube audio, 28 min)