Product Description

Poppies, first published in 1993, was the first book devoted exclusively to these popular plants. Not only are the true poppies, genus Papaver, covered, but all the other members of the poppy family as well. The book includes the horned poppies Glaucium, the tree poppies Dendromecon, the California poppies Eschscholzia, the desert poppies Arctomecon, the prickly poppies Argemone, the pygmy poppies Canbya, the plumed poppies Macleaya, the blue poppies Meconopsis, the long-fruited poppies Roemeria, and many more.

Grey-Wilson concentrates primarily on species and forms in cultivation, together with those species of striking or particular interest that are not present in cultivation but fully deserve to be introduced. For this new edition, the author included much new information about recent discoveries in the wild, as well as new cultivars introduced since Poppies was first published. There are general chapters on the family, cultivation, and classification, and a key to the genera. The individual genera, grouped into their respective subfamilies, are dealt with in detail, as are their more specialized cultivation requirements. Important synonyms have been included to avoid confusion or ambiguity. Botanical authorities are given for all recognized species and synonyms. This work will be very welcome to committed gardeners and horticulturists as a much-needed -- and profusely illustrated -- source of practical and botanical information.

182 color photos, 37 line drawings, 6 x 9"

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1363394 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-15
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 308 pages

Amazon.com Review
A field of common red poppies growing wild by the roadside can transform an ordinary landscape into a place of mystery--their fervent, insistent color seems designed to take the breath away. For readers who've fallen under the poppy's spell, Christopher Grey-Wilson's Poppies: A Guide to the Poppy Family in the Wild and in Cultivation is an exhaustive work of research and classification of this remarkable and mysterious flower.

The book starts out with a brief, no-nonsense introduction that serves as a road map to the reams of information contained in the subsequent pages. Grey-Wilson, botanist and editor of Alpine Garden Society, has organized the poppy family into four main subfamilies: the Chelidonioideae, Eschscholzioideae, Papveroideae, and Plastytemonoideae. Within these subfamilies a series of varieties are delineated. In entries of varying length, Grey-Wilson provides information about zoning, propagation, advice on garden placement, and various other remarkable and somewhat unpredictable details. While some poppies described here can be found at any local garden store, others are not in cultivation and were last sighted in Turkey or Iran. Containing 182 color photographs, Poppies will satisfy readers who want more than just the basics, who want the whole scientific story, and then some. --Emily White

Review
Information on recent discoveries in the wild, as well as new cultivars. -- ASHS Newsletter, February 2001

New edition offers added insights into poppy cultivation and varieties for the avid poppy gardener. -- Reviewer's Bookwatch , June 2001

Recommended reading. -- Joanne S. Carpender, Waconiah, June 2001

About the Author
Christopher Grey-Wilson has been the Editor of the Alpine Garden Society since 1990, and is also a freelance horticultural writer and photographer. For many years he was a Principal Scientific Officer at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, working as a Research Botanist, and as Editor of Curtis' Botanical Magazine. He has been on a number of major botanical expeditions in pursuit of the mountain floras of Europe and Asia, particularly those of the Himalaya and southwest China. He is the author of several books regarded as standard works, including The Genus Cyclamen, The Illustrated Flora of Britain and Northern Europe, How to Identify Wild Flowers, The Alpine Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe, A Manual of Alpine and Rock Garden Plants, and The Alpine Garden. Recently published by B.T. Batsford is his comprehensive work Clematis the Genus. He serves on a number of committees of the Royal Horticultural Society, who recently awarded him a Gold Veitch Memorial Award.

Customer Reviews

Poppies A guide to poppies in the wild and in cultivation
Poppies is a well written and well organized book covering the main subfamilies and genera of the poppy species. Illustrations are included to clarify the in depth descriptions. This book is best suited for someone with a biology/botony background. I would not recomend this book to the casual gardener, as it is more of a college level text, complete with scientific names. The color plate in the middle of the book was a nice addition.

A beautifully illustrated guide to the poppy family
This remarkable and beautifully illustrated guide to the poppy family covers both wild and cultivated poppies around the world, updating and extensively revising the only book available on the topic. From general traits and cultivation to specifics to genera and species grouped by subfamilies, Poppies is recommended for college-level horticultural students with a special, technical interest in growing poppies.

Decent book, but I was expecting more.
This is definitely a good book for a general overview on poppies. It has info on tons of different strains and species of the plant, but that's exactly where I think this book has it's weakness.

This book is very much quantity over quality. The author covers many different types of poppies but doesn't give too much information on them other than a basic overview. I was hoping the book would focus on the few popular species of poppy (rhoeas, orental, somniferum, Eschscholzia, etc.) giving thorough information then dividing the various species into less detailed strain descriptions.

The pictures are nice, but I wish they were with the various sections and not only in the middle pages.

Overall I say this book isn't that great. I don't know of one, but there must be a better book on poppies out there.