In response to frequent queries about books dealing with succulent plants, here is a personal selection of titles. Some of these classic titles are out-of-print but can often be obtained second-hand from Barnes & Nobles' extensive network of second-hand dealers. The information in specialist reference books often remains relevant and may not be available elsewhere.
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Adromischus by John Pilbeam, Chris Rodgerson and D. Tribble (1998)
Publisher: Cirio Publishing Services Ltd., Southampton. United Kingdom. ISBN: 0-9520382-3-X
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Agaves of Continental North America
by Howard Scott Gentry
Paperback ISBN-13: 9780816523955 Pub. Date: Spring 2004
A p a p e r b a c k reprint of a "must have" classic , t h i s i s a n i n d i s p e n s a b l e g u i d e t o a g a v e s . P e r h a p s , a s A z t e c l e g e n d s s u g g e s t , i t w a s t h e a n i m a l s t h a t f i r s t s h o w e d m a n t h e e d i b i l i t y o f a g a v e . Often available secondhand in the hardback version.
B i o g r a p h ical note: W i d e l y r e c o g n i z e d a s t h e w o r l d ' s l e a d i n g a u t h o r i t y o n a g a v e s , H o w a r d S c o t t G e n t r y ( 1 9 0 3 - 1 9 9 3 ) w a s a n a g r i c u l t u r a l e x p l o r e r f o r t h e U . S . D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e a n d w a s a l s o a f f i l i a t e d w i t h t h e D e s e r t B o t a n i c a l G a r d e n i n P h o e n i x .
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Agaves, Yuccas and Related Plants : A Gardener's Guide
by Mary Irish & Gary Irish
Hardcover ISBN-13: 9780881924428 Pub. Date: 05/10/2000
Architectural and striking, these drought-tolerant plants provide excellent contrast to flowering perennial plantings. All the necessary tips to achieve success can be found in this helpful and expert text.
B i o g r a p h ical note: Mary Irish is the former director of public horticulture at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona. She has written extensively on dry-climate gardening.
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Guide to the Aloes of South Africa by Ben-Erik van Wyk and Gideon Smith (1996)
Publisher: Briza Publications, Pretoria. South Africa. ISBN: 1-875093-04-4
Cacti for the Connoisseur by John Pilbeam (1987)
Publisher: Timber Press, Incorporated. ISBN: 0881920436
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The Native Cacti of California by Lyman Benson
Paperback ISBN-13: 9780804715263 Pub. Date: 09/01/1988
An essential classic field guide. Numerous habitat photographs and distribution maps.
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Cacti of the Southwest by W. Hubert Earle (1963, Revised 1980)
Publisher: Rancho Arroyo Book Distributor, Arizona. USA. ISBN: 0-9358-10-31-05
Cacti of Texas and Neighboring States: A Field Guide by Del Weniger (1988)
Publisher: University of Texas Press, USA. ISBN: 0-292-71063-1
Cactus Handbook by Erik Haustein (1988)
Publisher: Octopus Books Ltd. London. United Kingdom. ISBN: 0-7064-2582-0
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The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs
by John Manning, Peter Goldblatt & Dee Snijman
Hardcover ISBN-13: 9780881925470 Pub. Date: 12/31/2002
This first complete account of all the bulbous plants of the Cape Floral Region
is an essential aid to the identification of all species presently in cultivation.
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Caudiciform and Pachycaul Succulents: Fat Plants
by Gordon D. Rowley (1987)
Publisher: Strawberry Press, California, USA.
ISBN:0-912647-03-5
Many descriptions and illustrations of extraordinary choice caudiciform plants.
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The Genus Conophytum by Steven Hammer (1993)
Publisher: Succulent Plant Publications, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa. ISBN: 0-620-17633-4
Crassula - a Grower's Guide by Gordon Rowley (2003)
Publisher: Cactus & Co. ISBN: 88-900511-1-6
The Genus Echinocereus by Nigel P. Taylor (1985)
Publisher: Collingridge Books, Twickenham. United Kingdom. ISBN: 0-600-35885-2
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Gasterias of South Africa: A New Revision of a Major Succulent Group
by E.J. van Jaarsveld (1994)
Publisher: Fernwood Press (Pty) Ltd., Vlaeberg, South Africa. ISBN: 1-874950-01-6
A beautifully illustrated classic.
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Gymnocalycium: A Collector's Guide
by John Pilbeam and Bill Weightman (Photographer) (1995)
Publisher: A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam. The Netherlands. ISBN: 90-5410-192-X
An indispensable guide to these beautiful free-flowering cacti.
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Haworthia and Astroloba: A Collector's Guide by John Pilbeam (1983)
Publisher: B.T. Batsford Ltd., London. United Kingdom. ISBN: 0-7134-0534-1
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Hoya Handbook: A Guide for the Grower and Collector
by Dale Kloppenburg Ann Wayman (1993)
Publisher: Orca Publishing. ISBN: 0963048910
- some people have criticised the naming of particular species,
but this is one of the few books on Hoyas.
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Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants
The Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants in six volumes represents the first comprehensive taxonomic treatment of succulents in thirty years. It covers over 9000 taxa of all succulents except Cactaceae with chapters on individual plant families written by experts.
This up-to-date work is ideally suited for anyone interested in these fascinating plants, including hobbyists, plant scientists, horticulturalists and herbarium staff.
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The Lachenalia Handbook by G.D. Duncan (1988) Annals of Kistenbosch Gardens Vol. 17 Ed. J.N. Eloff
ISBN 0 620 11953 5 Printed by: CTP Book Printers, Cape Town.
Lexicon of Succulent Plants by Hermann Jacobsen (1970) Publisher: Offizin Andersen Nexo, Leipzig. German Democratic Republic. ISBN: 07137-0652-X
- a little out of date as many species names have been revised, but still useful.
Lithops Flowering Stones by Desmond T. Cole (1988)
Publisher: Acorn Books CC, South Africa. ISBN: 0-620-09678-0
- a classic that has kept its value.
Lithops Treasures of the Veld by Steven A. Hammer (1999)
Publisher: East Anglian Engraving Co. Ltd., Norwich. United Kingdom. ISBN: 0-902-099-59-0
Mammillaria by John Pilbeam (1999)
Publisher: Cirio Publishing Services, Southampton. United Kingdom. ISBN: 0-9528302-8-0
Medicinal Plants of South Africa by Ben-Eric van Wyk, Bosch van Oudtshoorn and Nigel Gericke (1997)
Publisher: Briza Publications, Pretoria. South Africa. ISBN: 1-875093-09-5
Mesembs of the World by Gideon F. Smith, Pascale Chesselet, Ernst J. van Jaarsveld, Heidi Hartmann, Steven Hammer, Ben-Erik van Wyk, Priscilla Burgoyne, Cornelia Flak and Hubert Kurzweil (1998)
Publisher: Briza Publications, Pretoria. South Africa. ISBN: 1-875093-13-3
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Plants of Arizona by Anne Orth Epple and Lewis E. Epple (Photographer) (1997)
Publisher: Falcon Press Publishing Co. Inc., Montana. USA. ISBN: 1-56044-563-7
More than 900 color photographs and descriptive text identify Arizona's unique flora, including wildflowers, cacti, trees, and other plant life.
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Native American Ethnobotany
by Daniel Moerman
Publisher: Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.
Hardcover ISBN-13: 9780881924534 Pub. Date: 08/15/1998
An extraordinary compilation of the plants used by North American native peoples for medicine, food, fiber, dye, and a host of other things. More than 44,000 uses for some 4000 plants by various tribes are documented here.
Daniel E. Moerman is the William E. Stirton Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan - Dearborn, so recognized for his distinguished scholarship, teaching, and professional accomplishments. He lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
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Sedum
by Ray Stephenson
Paperback ISBN-13: 9781604691009 Pub. Date: 05/22/2009
Provides complete information on these versatile succulents.
Ray Stephenson is the Founder and Chairman of the Sedum Society in England, and his Northumberland garden with its 800 different stonecrops, probably the most diverse collection in the world, has been officially designated as The National Collection of Sedum. Stephenson is also the editor of the Sedum Society Newsletter.
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Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide
by Campbell Loughmiller and Lynn Loughmiller (revised 2006)
Publisher: University of Texas Press, USA. ISBN: 0292712863
Texas Wildflowers identifies the common and rare flowers we see along the roadsides and in the pastures, fields, and forests of Texas. Compiled by naturalists Campbell and Lynn Loughmiller, with the technical assistance of Lynn Sherrod, Texas Wildflowers is an authoritative field guide with a personal touch in the many notes the Loughmillers included about the plants they described and photographed.
381 full-color, close-up photos that show every wildflower in the book. 370 species accounts that include the plant's scientific and common names, a description of its appearance, and its range, habitat, and blooming season. Descriptions of 73 wildflower families, from Acanthaceae to Zygophyllaceae.
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Naturalist's Big Bend : An Introduction to the Trees and Shrubs, Wildflowers, Cacti, Mammals, Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians, Fish, and Insects
by Roland Wauer & Carl Fleming
Hardcover ISBN-13: 9781585441556 Pub. Date: 01/28/2002
In southwest Texas, where the Rio Grande arcs southward into Mexico, lies Big Bend National Park, 708,221 acres of river floodplain, desert, grasslands, and majestic moutains. Naturalist's Big Bend highlights the distinctive plants and animals of the region, such as the century plant, candelilla from which wax is made, the giant dagger yucca, the javelina, the rare Texas lyre snake, the tarantula, and the Big Bend quonker katydid. This comprehensive field guide, revised and completely updated in a new edition, recounts the area's archaeology and history, describes the characteristics and habitats of Big Bend's remarkable variety of plants and animals, and outlines walking and driving tours of the most likely spots for sighting these natural wonders.
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