The Timber Press Guide to Succulent Plants of the World

The Timber Press Guide to Succulent Plants of the World by Fred Dortort

The plants are organized into 28 intuitively logical groups, such as succulent euphorbias, mesembryanthemums, bulbs, succulent trees, aloes, agaves, and haworthias. Each entry includes information on the plant’s native habitat, its cultivation requirements, and its horticultural potential. As useful to novice growers as to collectors and those with an existing interest in succulents, this will be the standard reference for years to come.

Reviews:

Cactus and succulent expert Dortort, a lecturer at the University of California Botanical Garden, has assembled an attractive and user-friendly guide to succulent plants. The book begins with overview chapters on succulents in nature and in cultivation. Subsequent chapters, organized by family and genus, contain an overview of the families and then move into essays on individual species. More than 2,000 succulents are featured, with descriptions, climate information, trivia, and a note on similar plants, if any. There are 750 full-color photographs of plants, most in their natural habitats. Each entry includes information on the plant’s native habitat and its cultivation requirements. Both familiar species and more exotic varieties are showcased. In the final chapter, Dortort covers “odds and ends”—plants not normally known as succulents, such as begonias and philodendrons. A genera-specific reading list is offered, for those seeking further information. Novice plant enthusiasts and those who are already well familiar with succulents will appreciate this comprehensive and accessible volume. Recommended for all public and academic libraries, particularly those with strong gardening or plant collections. –Rebecca Vnuk