Tempting Tropicals: 175 Irresistible Indoor Plants [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Ellen Zachos (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2005

Original and unique, this guide to luscious, choice indoor plants will convert anyone to a passion for gardening indoors. The possibilities presented are dazzling — lush flowering vines or petite carnivorous plants, intoxicating fragrant jasmine or spiky sculptural succulents. Included are chapters on sustenance, container choices, light, water and temperature requirements, propagation, pests and diseases, even how to summer plants outdoors and travel with them on holidays. Over 200 gorgeous color photographs round out the detailed descriptions of 175 choice plants native to both tropical and temperate regions. In her entertaining style, plant fanatic Ellen Zachos invites everyone, from the horticulturally clueless to the avidly addicted, to share her passion for exotic and unusual indoor plants.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gardeners living in the country's warmest regions can grow and enjoy tropical plants as they please, but in most areas, they are only grown seasonally. Zachos, a zealous collector with an encompassing knowledge, provides a comprehensive growers' guide that shows the way to cultivating tropicals indoors so that one can enjoy the delightful fragrances and exotic beauty year-round. A well-rounded reference, the book conveys all the necessary practical information relating to feeding, care, growth cycles, and light and moisture requirements along with troubleshooting for pesky insects and vexing diseases. Mainly, Zachos introduces a wealth of wonderful specimens to consider, giving a concise description of each species, its requirements for culture, and propagation tips. Accompanied by color photographs, entries include something for every taste, from oddly alluring species to dramatic, architectural selections and beguiling flowers. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"If you want to create a windowsill collection to rival any outdoor garden in beauty and personality, read Tempting Tropicals."
—Meghan Lynch, Horticulture, Fall 2006 (Horticulture )

"A well-rounded reference ... entries include something for every taste, from oddly alluring species to dramatic, architectural selections and beguiling flowers."
—Alice Joyce, Booklist, October 1, 2005 (Booklist )

"Thorough practical advice on 175 plants that are native to both tropical and temperate regions encourages the houseplant enthusiast to experiment with flowering vines, petite carnivorous plants, maples, palms, and many more."
—The Bookseller, April 15, 2005 (The Bookseller )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press (October 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881927325
• ISBN-13: 978-0881927320
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #922,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tempting Tropicals: 175 Irresistible Indoor Plants, December 12, 2005

By 

Sheri Ann Richerson "ExoticGardening.com" (Marion, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tempting Tropicals: 175 Irresistible Indoor Plants (Hardcover)

Tempting Tropicals by HortResources member Ellen Zachos is clear and concise, easy to read and understand even by those who do not have a degree in horticulture. It is a great reference for 175 tropical plants that are not grown as often as they should be. Each plant profile contains light, temperature, fertilization, and propagation information. There is also a section on winning attributes alongside each plant profile that will make it easier to decide if that is a plant you wish to grow. Ellen Zachos has taken all her own photographs unless otherwise stated.
One section that caught my eye was on clivia. I have grown a blooming-size specimen for five years now and have not been able to bring it back into bloom. After reading Tempting Tropicals, I now have an understanding of what I have been doing wrong. I will be trying the technique mentioned in this book and do expect great success. One thing that Ellen mentioned in her book was to water once a week during the growing season, which I did and to water once every two weeks in the fall until you see a flower spike. I had been withholding water from my Clivia from November to March. I also was not feeding my Clivia weekly during the growing season.
One plant that tempted me was Lithops marmorata. "Living stones" can be tricky to grow. Tempting Tropicals explains how often to water in each season, as well as how to water should you decide to give the plant a winter rest. This is an area most books do not cover.
Other tempting plants include Ceropegia (rosary vine or parachute plant), Costus malortieanus (Spiral Ginger), Dischidia (also known as an ant plant, watermelon leaf or ravioli plant), Hoya (wax plant), Nepenthes hybrids (pitcher plants), Passiflora (passionflower), Plumeria (frangipani) and Vanilla to name just a few. Most of these plants caught my eye because I have either tried to find them to grow them or am currently growing them. Ellen's book is full of wonderful information that I feel will make my growing experience more rewarding because of knowing exactly how much light, water and fertilizer each plant needs.
Tempting Tropicals is a must-have reference in cooler zones for growing houseplants as well as in warmer zones to understand the requirements of tropical plants.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tempting Tropicals is a horticultural tour de force..., December 2, 2005

By 

tesseractive - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tempting Tropicals: 175 Irresistible Indoor Plants (Hardcover)

Tempting Tropicals is a horticultural tour de force, packed with detailed information about growth habits, propagation tips, and the soil, temperature and light requirements of more than eight score tropical plants. The fascinating, well written text is ornamented with full color photographs of these exotic beauties that marvelously display each plant's unique attributes. The superb text and photos are presented with the exacting production values that the publisher is well known for in the gardening community. This book is a must for all real phytophiles.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must have plant book, February 10, 2007

By 

James H. Mortensen (Oxford, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tempting Tropicals: 175 Irresistible Indoor Plants (Hardcover)

If you're into growing indoor plants this book must be in your library for both information on varieties as well as cultural information. I consider myself very knowledgeable gardner, yet find myself researching things in this book often--especially when adding a new plant species. I'd highly recommend it to anyone whether they had a few plants or a greenhouse full.