Book List:   Succulent Plants

Books about Succulent Plants

The Timber Press Guide to Succulent Plants of the World:
A Comprehensive Reference to More than 2000 Species
by Fred Dortort
 
Available for pre-order now.
 
Hardback     ISBN-13: 9780881929959     Pub. Date: October 2011

Guide to Succulents of Southern Africa
by Gideon Smith & Neil Crouch
Paperback     ISBN-13: 9781770076624     Pub. Date: 11/01/2009
Succulents are increasingly popular in the face of the need for water-wise gardening, and this handy book serves as a guide to many well-known varieties
Gideon Smith is South Africa's most prolific author on succulent plants. He has authored and co-authored numerous scientific papers, as well as popular works such as Gardening with Succulents, Cacti and Succulents and First Field Guide to Aloes. He is chief director for Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

Succulent Flora of Southern Africa: Third Edition
by Doreen Court
Hardback     ISBN-13: 9781770075870     Pub. Date: March 2011
This highly regarded reference work, a botanical classic, has been fully revised and updated. A fresh new design and beautiful full-colour images aid identification.
First published in 1981, Succulent Flora has long served as an authoritative guide for academics and lay enthusiasts alike. Revised edition of a reference that deals with the six major groups of succulent plants occurring in southern Africa: the mesembryanthemaceae, portulacaceae, crassula-ceae, the succulent euphorbieae, stapelieae and aloacceae, as well as a short chapter on adenium, pachypodium and adenia. It includes revisions of genera and descriptions of new species which have been published from 1980 to 2000.

Hardy Succulents : Tough Plants for Every Climate
by Gwen Kelaidis & Saxon Holt
Paperback     ISBN-13: 9781580177009     Pub. Date: 02/20/2008
From agaves to ice plants, sedums to sempervivums, hardy succulents bring beauty, versatility, and intrigue to gardens in every hardiness zone. They are also hardworking, tenacious, and forgiving of the forgetful gardener. Discover the pleasures of succulent gardening with the thoughtful selection advice, step-by-step growing instructions, practical care tips, and useful design ideas collected in Hardy Succulents, the only book dedicated to establishing the low-fuss succulent far beyond its traditional desert setting.

The Garden Succulents Primer
by Gideon Smith & Ben-Erik van Wyk
Hardcover     ISBN-13: 9780881929546     Pub. Date: 09/01/2008
Succulents and rock garden plants have become popular for their ease of cultivation, diversity of form, and striking colors. Their natural drought tolerance makes them especially useful for gardens in arid climates and water-conserving gardens. The Garden Succulents Primer is a user-friendly identification guide with detailed descriptions of more than 400 well-known succulents and their close relatives that will allow readers to quickly determine the family to which a succulent belongs. Descriptions are supported with 450 color photographs that showcase each plant's distinctive shape and color. Includes chapters on use, conservation, cultivation, and propagation.

Designing with Succulents
by Debra Baldwin
Hardcover     ISBN-13: 9780881928167     Pub. Date: 04/15/2007
Succulent plants offer dazzling possibilities for garden design and require only minimal maintenance to remain lush and alluring year round. Featuring the work of more than 50 professional garden designers and creative homeowners, with hundreds of plant recommendations, this lavishly illustrated, practical guide is a design essential.

Succulent Container Gardens : Design Eye-Catching Displays with 350 Easy-Care Plants
by Debra Baldwin
Hardcover     ISBN-13: 9780881929591     Pub. Date: 01/20/2010
With their colourful leaves, sculptural shapes, and simple care, succulents are beautiful yet forgiving plants for pots. If grown in containers, these dry-climate jewels, including but not limited to cacti, can be brought indoors in winter and so can thrive anywhere in the world. In this inspiring compendium, the popular author of Designing with Succulents provides everything beginners and experienced gardeners need to know to create stunning container displays of waterwise plants.

Succulents for Mediterranean Climate Gardens
by Diana Morgan
Paperback     ISBN-13: 9781877058264     Pub. Date: 09/01/2004

Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names
by Urs Eggli & Leonard Newton
Hardcover     ISBN-13: 9783540004899     Pub. Date: 10/01/2007
The Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names explains the meanings of the scientific names given to all known succulent plants, including cacti. With the derivation of the currently accepted names of over 10,000 taxa, the dictionary is a useful supplement to the Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants (below). It is a valuable reference for plant scientists, horticulturists, and hobbyists with an interest in succulent plants.

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.

Guides to Individual Genera and Families

African Violets: The Complete Guide
by Joan Hill & Gwen Goodship
Paperback     ISBN-13: 9781861261502     Pub. Date: 03/28/1998
The African Violet (Saintpaulia) continues to increase in popularity, having developed over the last fifty years from its few hundred varieties to the thousands that exist today in an ever-increasing range of colour and type. This guide includes chapters on the plant's history, development and classification, and provides practical information and advice on propagation, general care, hybridization and the prevention and treatment of pests and diseases. Written in a non-technical style, it seeks to explode the myth that African Violets are difficult to grow.

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.
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.

Agaves of Continental North America
by Howard Scott Gentry
Paperback     ISBN-13: 9780816523955     Pub. Date: Spring 2004
A paperback reprint of a classic, this is an indispensable guide to agaves. Perhaps, as the Aztec legends suggest, it was the animals that first showed man the edibility of agave.
Biography
Widely recognized as the world's leading authority on agaves, Howard Scott Gentry (1903-1993) was an agricultural explorer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was also affiliated with the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.

Aloes in Southern Africa
by Gideon Smith & Braam van Wyk
Paperback     ISBN-13: 9781770074620     Pub. Date: 09/01/2008
Popular 'architectural plants', aloes are widely used in gardens and there is growing interest in their medicinal and commercial uses
Gideon Smith is South Africa's most prolific author on succulent plants. He is chief director for Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Braam van Wyk, a graduate of the Universities of Potchefstroom and Pretoria, is a plant taxonomist by training, with a wide interest in the classification of the rich southern African flora.

Aloes: The Definitive Guide
by S. Carter, L. E. Newton, J. J. Lavranos, C. C. Walker
Hardback     ISBN-13: 9781842464397     Pub. Date: August 2011
Aloe vera is one of the most important cultivated medicinal plants and a key component of the floras of Africa, Arabia, and Madagascar. Here, for the first time since the 1960s, is a comprehensive account of all currently accepted aloe taxa in an easy-to-use and accessible format. Organized by habitat and size, entries for more than five hundred species each include descriptions, illustrations, and diagnostic features, accompanied by information on distribution, habitat, and relationship to other Aloe species. This volume is a must-have not only for succulent plant enthusiasts but for all who need a well-illustrated and comprehensive academic reference to the Aloe genus.

Begonias : Cultivation, Identification, and Natural History
by Mark C. Tebbitt
Hardcover     ISBN-13: 9780881927337     Pub. Date: 08/22/2005
Begonias have enormous horticultural appeal, are widely cultivated in the home, and include hardy species for the garden and semi-hardy species for containers. Concise descriptions, keys, and elegant illustrations of more than 300 commonly grown species and their most popular cultivars are included.

Buried Treasures : Finding and Growing the World's Choicest Bulbs
by Janis Ruksans & Janis Rukscaron Ans
Hardcover     ISBN-13: 9780881928181     Pub. Date: 06/15/2007
For decades, Janis Ruksans has been scouring remote and dangerous regions of Europe and Asia to bring back the botanical treasures that he describes in this book. Packed with accounts of his extensive travels, Buried Treasures also offers an abundance of trustworthy information about the care and cultivation of every major and minor genus of bulb-forming plant.

Bulbs Of North America
by North American Rock Garden Society, Jane McGary
Paperback     ISBN-13: 9781604690798     Pub. Date: 03/27/2009
Rock gardeners and travelers planning a field trip to choice plant-viewing sites all over the continent will be inspired by these firsthand accounts. This is a black-and-white edition.

Cape Bulbs
by Richard Doutt
Paperback     ISBN-13: 9781604691795     Pub. Date: 11/27/2009
This handy reference guide describes several hundred Cape bulbs currently in cultivation (along with several companion plants), providing information about their care and culture. This is a black-and-white edition.

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.

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.

The Compleat Squash : A Passionate Grower's Guide to Pumpkins, Squashes, and Gourds
by Amy Goldman & Victor Schrager
Hardcover     ISBN-13: 9781579652517     Pub. Date: 10/15/2004
Part gardening book, part "encounters with remarkable vegetables," Amy Goldman's The Compleat Squash unearths the personalities, yes, personalities, of the pumpkin and the squash. They are members in good standing in the horticultural hall of fame, and Goldman lovingly ponders their case histories and culinary merits both with common and uncommon varieties. She gets glorious help from award-winning photographer Victor Schrager, who brings out their eclectic beauty in more than 150 luminous color portraits. Growing, harvesting, and seed-saving instructions are included for the gardener, and for the cook a selection of recipes that show off the unique, lovely flavors of these versatile vegetables.

All About Palms   by Meredith Books
Paperback     ISBN-13: 9780696236044     Pub. Date: February 2008
Discover the beauty and practicality of palms with this book. Solution-based, easy to understand, expert advice and winning techniques to growing subtropical plants and palms. Learn which plants are best for you from the over 200 palms and other palm-like plants in the illustrated plant encyclopedia. Step-by-step information and instructions for every gardener, regardless of your experience level.

Palms and Cycads: A Complete Guide to Selecting, Growing and Propagating
by David Squire
Hardback     ISBN-13: 9781883052560     Pub. Date: April 2007
Providing comprehensive information on care and cultivation, as well as sound advice on determining perfect plant location, this reference profiles 99 palm and 17 cycad species. Plantlovers looking to add a tropical accent to the garden will find plenty of guidance in this alphabetical guide to plants suited to a variety of climates and soil types. A special section also provides help with matching palm species to indoor and outdoor settings and features further brief entries on 85 palms and 18 cyad species.

Timber Press Pocket Guide to Palms
by Robert Lee Riffle
Paperback     ISBN-13: 9780881927764     Pub. Date: March 2008
Although they are a symbol of the tropics, palms are indigenous to every continent except Antarctica and can be grown in climates with temperatures as low as 5¡F (-15¡C). The Timber Press Pocket Guide to Palms unlocks the keys to successfully growing 200 of the most common and easily obtainable palm species and hybrids for temperate, Mediterranean, warm temperature, and tropical regions. Details of mature tree size, cold hardiness, and light, soil, and water requirements accompany suggestions for using the palms indoors and out. Illustrated with more than 300 color photographs, this guide is a valuable complement to An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms and an ideal reference for taking to the nursery or garden center.

An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms
by Robert Lee Riffle
Hardback     ISBN-13: 9780881925586     Pub. Date: February 2003
An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms offers a definitive account of palms that may be grown in the garden and landscape. Because palms are often underutilized as a result of their unfamiliarity --- even to tropical gardeners --- Robert Lee Riffle and Paul Craft have exhaustively documented every genus in the palm family. Approximately 890 species are described in detail, including cold hardiness, water needs, height, and any special requirements. Generously illustrated with more than 900 photos, this volume is as valuable as an identification guide as it is a practical handbook. Interesting snippets of history, ethnobotany, and biology inform the text and make this a lively catalog of these remarkable plants.

Betrock's Guide to Landscape Palms
by Alan W. Meerow
Hardback     ISBN-13: 9780962976179     Pub. Date: September 2006
Scientific information and color photographs for 126 landscape palms including: Palm Fertilization, Pest Problems, Transplanting and care, Disease Problems, Salt, Drought, and Light tolerances, Allergenic properties and more.

Cycads of the World: Ancient Plants in Today's Landscape
by David L. Jones, Dennis Wm Stevenson
Hardback     ISBN-13: 9781588340436     Pub. Date: September 2002
Cycads superficially resemble palms and are often misidentified as such. However, cycads are actually a unique assemblage of primitive plants that have been around for at least 250 million years. They have become highly sought after for gardens, both private and public, and their present status as endangered plants has engendered an upsurge of interest in their conservation. Cycads of the World is a scientifically accurate text, which is easy to read and understand. This 2nd edition has new information covering over 100 new species and subspecies of cycads, and updated material on the 200 species from the 1st edition. Each entry includes a full description, distribution, habitat information and a detailed cultivation and propagation guide. Over 360 color photographs plus other illustrations and maps facilitate easy identification for all living species.