Miles Anderson

A very large format book, Cacti and Succulents provides a plant directory along with care and cultivation directions, and suggestions as to how to grow the plants. The introduction explains what cacti and succulents are as well as showing plants in their natural habitat. The section Design Ideas contains suggestions for growing the plants outdoors, indoors and in various containers. Under Care and Cultivation it ranges from suggestions for tools and equipment and soil mixes to maintenance, propagation and pests and diseases, and more. Also included is a glossary, lists of plants for various purposes, and an index. The mai bulk of the book however comprises the Plant Directory, an alphabetical listing of Cacti followed by the other succulents. The book includes 700 photographs, which in addition to showing specific species includes pictures of plants in habitat, in garden and indoor settings, and step by step sequences for various care procedures.

The information contained seems sound and helpful, although often quite general, and sometimes incomplete. For example in the plant directory each plant has a brief description and a few notes on cultivation, along with minimum temperatures, but not always, occasionally some of that information is not provided. The section on pests and diseases offers general rather than specific control methods, and some well tried non-chemical remedies are not mentioned. In the section of Plant Lists under species with large flowers neither Echinopsis nor Lobivia is mentioned, yet some species with smaller flowers are. Including as it does only 400 varieties there are obviously going to be many plants excluded, but I find it surprising that genera such as Lophophora and Melocactus are not to found in the book. Many genera are represented by just one species. While some recent name changes have been adopted, this had not been done for all plants; and there are no synonyms provided, so if you don’t know the current name you will have difficulty finding it.

The overall presentation seems to be aiming for attractive rather than practical; I find it a little chaotic. The plant directory particularly I find distracting with its variable layout, pictures presented in rectangular and round format along with cut-out pictures of varying sizes, and the type often with excessive line spacing. Elsewhere the presentation can be brash; it does not have the feel of an instruction manual but a rather popular magazine.

While useful and informative, this is perhaps a book which will appeal more to the beginner or casual collector. For those unfamiliar with the cacti and other succulents it is maybe a book that will inspire the reader to learn more and look further; but it is not perhaps the book one will turn to for specific research. In conclusion, the serious or experienced collector I suspect will be somewhat irritated by various aspects of the book, along with the omissions and often general or even scant plant information.… (mer)

The best cacti and succulent reference book that I have ever come across. Great pictures.

Product Description:
This handy reference book, which details the botany and classification of cacti and succulents, examines their diversity of size, shape and form. It includes design ideas for growing succulent plants in the home, complete with tips and ideas for hanging baskets, patios and terraces, garden settings, and indoor and container cultivation. The photographic plant directory provides a definitive reference section for cacti and care, and the cultivation section provides step-by-step guidance on all aspects of buying, planting and maintaining cacti and succulents, as well as techniques for planting, propagation, grafting, and maintenance.… (mer)