Product Description

A completely revised and updated edition of the most comprehensive study of the genus Cyclamen ever undertaken, this book covers species both in the wild and in cultivation, along with analyses of the many cultivars. The book is beautifully illustrated with 200 color photographs as well as line drawings and maps showing the distribution of the various species in the wild. Detailed notes on cultivation and propagation are provided. Using a minimum of botanical jargon, it tells all those with an interest in the subject everything that they may need or want to know about this fascinating genus.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2017886 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Review
Acclaimed horticulturalist, writer and plant hunter, Christopher Grey-Wilson offers this updated and fully revised edition of the classic and definitive work on the genus Cyclamen. A vast range of cultivars are to be found within the 22 species of this primarily Mediterranean genus, with plants to be found in flower twelve months of the year. From white to pink and red and all colours in-between, their pretty recurved petals beg closer inspection whilst the wiry whorls of seeds fascinate adults and children alike. Emerging from under shrubs and trees in the autumn, Cyclamen hederifolium with its ivy-like leaves and Cyclamen coum with its silvery undergrowth of foliage, light up dark corners with a regularity that has ensured their enduring appeal. Amenable to many garden situations and only a few requiring more careful cultivation, they are natural companions to other shade-lovers such as ferns, hostas and lamiums. Cyclamen persicum, the florists' cyclamen which has grown in importance over the last decade or so and is so popular for winter window-boxes, has a large chapter devoted to them, highlighting their popularity by the amount of hybridisation that has been carried out. Whilst a lot of the text is botanically written, the overall picture is that of a useful and indispensable guide to the cultivation of these popular little plants. Informatively written but easy to understand for the lay-person, this work will remain the bible of Cyclamen for a long time still to come. - Lucy Watson

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

One of the best!
If you are interested in cyclamen, you have to have this book, and you will enjoy reading it. It is easy to read, but also provides a lot of information. Those wonderful pictures are very clear and helpful.