Product Description

This comprehensive, beautifully illustrated encyclopedia of plants contains information on over 20,000 plants from all around the world. Organized in an A to Z format by botanical name, the individual entries provide a detailed description of each plant and its features, notes on origin, cultivation requirements, growth habit, propagation and pests and diseases.

The introduction explains how the 12 climatic zones work, and looks at the environment and the plants that grow in those zones. Lists of plants suitable for growing in specific areas, for example, alpine gardens and seaside gardens, are also given. In addition, the introduction provides ideas for garden design.

Flora covers all the plants groups: trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials, bulbs, corms and tubers, cacti and succulents, lawns, ground covers, ornamental grasses, herbs, vegetables, fruit trees, other fruits, nut trees, palms and cycads, ferns, climbers and creepers, and orchids.

Written by a team of international botanical and horticultural writers, this book will allow all gardeners to choose the perfect plants for their garden, and expand their knowledge on the wealth of plants available. The stunning color photography from all around the world is the perfect complement to the text.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #467515 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1584 pages

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Major garden and plant reference sources are appearing like bulbs sprouting in the spring. A significant contribution to the bouquet is this work from the independent publisher Timber Press, which is celebrating its twenty-fifth year in the industry. The encyclopedia was produced in Australia by Global Book Publishing, and the chief consultant, Hogan, for many years managed the Australia/New Zealand areas at USC-Berkeley Botanic Garden. Most of the 15 contributors are from the U.S and have credentials or experience in horticulture.

Following some introductory material on hardiness zones and plant nomenclature, the pages are filled with descriptions of 20,000 plants accompanied by 10,000 color photographs. There are entries from all plant groups--trees, shrubs, bulbs, herbs, fruits, vegetables, grasses, etc. They are arranged alphabetically by botanic name and include distinguishing features, commercial use, propagation, and cultivation. Individual species follow with common name, growth habit, flower color, hardiness zone, and width and height. The majority of the plants are cultivated (not wild) and grow in temperate climates. Starred species are those recommended by the consultants.

Many of the pages are more than half-filled with color pictures of various sizes from all over the world--Chile, Namibia, Nepal, Puerto Rico. The great number of species that are in existence is illustrated by 17 pages of irises, 24 pages of camellias, 59 pages of rhododendrons, and 68 pages of roses. Since the plants are listed by genus, it is necessary to use the index to find the common name. However, varieties are in the index only as a subheading of the genus; the "Peace" rose, for example, is listed as Rosa "Peace." A small glossary and full-page spreads illustrating leaf, fruit, and flower types complete the work. An accompanying CD-ROM enables a gardener to choose plants by group, hardiness zone, flower, color, and flowering season. For 50 plants, a moving illustration shows the change of seasons on the plant.

Several American Horticulture Society publications are comparable. The American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants (DK, 1997), with 15,000 entries and 6,000 small colored photos, is not as complete. A 2003 revision of the American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers [RBB My 1 03] contains a "Plant Catalog" and also provides step-by-step suggestions for creating different garden designs. Librarians and gardeners will need to look at their budgets before deciding how many plant reference sources are needed, but Flora certainly is a beautiful and comprehensive encyclopedia for the serious gardener. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Deserving a good foot of space on any home library's reference shelf." -- Jane Garmey, Town & Country, November 2003

"Talk about a magnum opus. . . . A two-volume work containing exhaustive information on over 20,000 plants with more than 10,000 photos." -- Publisher's Weekly

"The information contained in these 1,584 pages and accompanying CD-ROM is truly admirable." -- Kym Pokorny, The Oregonian, November 13, 2003

"You'll refer to 'Flora' more often than any other gardening book on your shelves." -- Valerie Easton, The Seattle Times Magazine, November 2, 2003

"A candy store for gardeners. Imagine having thousands of the world's gardening gems alphabetically at your fingertips with clear, concise descriptions, and beautiful photographs of flowers, fruit, bark, even pictures of plants in their natural habitats."—Pat Rubin, Sacramento Bee, January 3, 2004 (Pat Rubin Sacramento Bee )

"Although gardening books abound, none matches this work's range of detail."—Brian E. Coutts, Library Journal, April 15, 2004 (Brian E. Coutts Library Journal )

"This book has become an overnight "must have" in the garden world."—Dulcy Mahar, Oregonian, November 18, 2004 (Dulcy Mahar Oregonian )

About the Author
Sean Hogan is the co-founder of Cistus Design in Portland, Oregon. He was formerly a horticulturist at the University of California, Berkeley Botanic Garden, where he managed the New World Desert, Australia/New Zealand, Africa, and California-cultivar gardens. He is a frequent contributor to horticultural journals such as the Rock Garden Quarterly and Pacific Horticulture.

Customer Reviews

Disconnect from the American Garden
Flora, A Gardener's Encyclopedia, had exciting possibilities. It has a well respected publishing house, fabulous photography, and 20,000 plants listed. Unfortunately, I am not generally looking for tropical African trees.

Missing in this text is any reference to the genus Cimicifuga, the genus Wulfenia, and many other plants popular in current horticulture. If a genus is reclassified, some indexing should be included. When a genus is included in Flora, some of the most popular species are omitted, such as Convolvulus compactus. The Z8 species of Convolvulus are listed, but if one looks for the hardy species--not there.

In fact, I pick up my references when I want to find information or photography on a given plant. As a rock garden enthusiast and hardy plant enthusiast, I find a "hit" only about 15% of the time. Time after time the plant I look for is unlisted. I still go to the Index of Garden Plants by Mark Griffiths to find a description. Flora has included so few relevant plants that it will soon go on the rarely used shelf.

I have experience with the genus Hosta (chaired a National Convention). This section must have been compiled quite some time prior to publication. Hosta fluctuans 'Variegated' was changed to Hosta 'Sagae' over 10 years ago, and anyone knowledgeable about hosta would know that change, since 'Sagae' has been distinguished as a Hosta of the Year. Hosta is the number one selling perennial in the USA.

Shrubs are no more impressive. Berberis 'Helmond's Pillar' or 'Velvet Cloak'--missing.

I am still waiting for anyone to publish a text that includes the majority of plants seen at major public gardens (Denver Botanic, Missouri Botanic, New York Botanic, etc.) and the plants listed in major seed exchanges (North American Rock Garden Society, etc.), and major nurseries (Wayside, Heronswood, Plant Delights, Arrowhead, etc.) Such a text would be invaluable. Even with only 10,000 hardy plants from these sources, the text would be unequaled.

Flora is beautiful. It is well crafted. It is extensive. It reads well. Too bad it isn't more useful for the USA gardener.
Let's hope for Flora 2: The Hardy Plant Encyclopedia.

You can find almost anything here but sometimes not easily.
I love this book and anyone who is serious about plants would love it too. It gets only 4 stars because this isn't the book I keep on my nightstand. And, yes, I'm an avid gardener apt to plant the new and unusual. However, if I really need to know something and find a picture of it, it is almost always here. It's a great browsing book too.
I would keep it closer if it didn't take up my whole night stand and weigh a lot.
Also, if you don't know the botanical name for the plant you have to use the "Flora" translater, but that only translates from the common name to the botanical name and not both ways. Very bothersome.

The book I do keep on my nightstand is "The American Horticultural Society of Plants and Flowers" which is primarily organized by plant uses.
I use them both for very different reasons and I'm glad I have them both.

A benchmark work - a serious gardener's treasure trove
Since receiving "Flora: A Gardener's Encyclopedia" for Christmas, my wife has spent many many hours researching plants which would be ideal for our particular location. The various entries are arranged alphabetically by their scientific genus and species names, but the index is very comprehensive, containing both scientific and common name cross-references. The color photography is magnificent, entry data is concise and packed with information needed to successfully grow the species, and the breadth of coverage of this volume is breathtaking. This magnificent work is not your average "garden variety" (pardon the pun) encyclopedia --- it is an authoritative reference for professional and experienced gardeners, as well as a thorough text and research tool for the novice gardener. It is bound to become the benchmark by which future works of this genre are judged.