American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants by Christopher Brickell, H. Marc Cathey, H. Marc Cathey, Henry Marc Cathey, Henry Marc Cathey

Product Details

Synopsis

In this revision of a widely-used 1997 reference (edited by Brickell & Zuk), two veteran horticulturists present some 15,000 entries incorporating new plant introductions. While remaining about the same length and heft, this update adds herbs, vegetables, fruiting plants, and turf grasses to coverage of ornamental plant groups. An introduction to botany and plant cultivation prefaces the plant directory arranged alphabetically by botanical name. Indexing is by common plant name so that knowledge of scientific names is not required. Published in conjunction with the American Horticultural Society, the volume includes some 6,000 color photos, a visual glossary of flowers and leaves, and color US plant hardiness maps. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

Edited by Brickell (chair, International Commission for the Nomenclature of Cultivated Plants) and Cathey (president emeritus, American Horticultural Society), this lavishly illustrated revision of the 1997 authoritative edition covers over 2000 genera with more than 15,000 individual entries of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, climbers, rock plants, biennials, bulbs, orchids, and much more. The volume's heart is an extensive encyclopedia of garden plants, which is preceded by the introductory section on plant morphology, general culture, and plant types. Arranged by genus, each entry includes family name, a description of the genus, native habitat, garden uses, cultivation, propagation, and pests and diseases. The entries contain a description, height, width, USDA hardiness zones, heat zones, and cultivars. While some new cultivars and species descriptions are included, the introductory material is the same as in the previous edition. In fact, apart from the addition of heat zones to entries, much of the volume is virtually identical to the first edition. Bottom Line Libraries outside of tropical and subtropical regions that have a limited budget should consider Taylor's Encyclopedia of Garden Plants as a cheaper, if less comprehensive, alternative. Libraries owning the 1997 edition need to decide whether the addition of heat zones and the limited changes justify the $80 expenditure.-Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.