The Ultimate Book of Cacti & Succulents [Hardcover]

Miles Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

This is the perfect reference book to help the reader identify and understand cacti and succulents, and cultivate them with ease.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Lorenz/ Select Books (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1859674607
• ISBN-13: 978-1859674604
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #973,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Plants > Cacti & Succulents

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good reference for many hard to find and unique succulents., February 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ultimate Book of Cacti & Succulents (Hardcover)

A very succinct listing of many common and some rare cacti and succulents. The best thing about this book is the vibrant and beautiful pictures that accompany the sometimes sparse text. The author gives a good general background on cacti and succulent origins, makeup, and care. One of the better books that I have come across in this genre.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kill Your Lawn - Part 1, July 31, 2001

By 

Bruce Crocker "agnostictrickster" (Whittier, California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ultimate Book of Cacti & Succulents (Hardcover)

For many years my students heard me say that when I bought my own house, I would kill my lawn and plant a cactus garden. Three years ago, I bought my very own California bungalow here in Whittier and began to convert the front yard into a cactus garden. One of the most helpful references in the process has been The Ultimate Book Of Cacti And Succulents by Miles Anderson. This book is not an encyclopedia nor is it meant to be. This book is a comprehensive introduction to cacti and succulents. It covers subjects such as planting and care and it also covers a selection of representative plants. The style of the book is similar to all the great books put out by DK. The garden is still a work in progress, but if you saw it you'd know how much this great book has helped.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate? Not Quite, October 27, 2004

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Book of Cacti & Succulents (Hardcover)

To give this book the title "Ultimate" is stretching the point a little. The subject of cacti is far too vast for any book on the subject to call itself ultimate. OK they had to call it something.
On the serious side the book is excellently produced, well layed out and informative. The author knows his subject and presents it in an enjoyable and easily readable format. For those cactophiles who like their photographs, the ones in this book are hard to beat. The genera that are described in the book are described in some depth (not one species from each genus, a style I personally hate). There are symbols to tell you whether the plants are suitable for outdoors, greenhouse or windowsill. Each description of a species gives the natural habitat for the plant, average size the plant may attain and flower colour.
The Cacti and Succulents have separate sections (good idea), and there are chapters on grafting (excellent photographs); pests and diseases; seed sowing and soil mixtures etc.
Because the book covers both Cacti and Succulents, only the more popular species are catered for, but there are many specialist books on single genera for those who need them. After all a book is similar to a dog, a friend for life, and you can't have too many of those.
This book contains all the information any hobbyist would need to grow cacti successfully and to keep them looking healthy for many years to come. It's in my collection.
P.S. This book has appeared under several titles, so check before you buy, you may find you already own it.