[.ca] Tropical Plants (ISBN 0500283419)

Showy Book Loses Stars for Imbalance, Lack of Variety:
Neither a good specimen guide nor glamorous coffee table showpiece, this nonetheless fills a gap in my growing library of tropical gardening books. It could be a nice introduction to tropical plants, but anyone who wants to actually garden with tropical specimens would be better served by other books, perhaps best of all, Gardening in the Tropics, ISBN: 0881923095 . As one reviewer points out, there are several silly mistakes. It is telling that the publisher is known for style & design books. It needed an editor with a little more botanical savvy. The format is clear and attractive, with huge photos and a little, nicely written text for each. The content is somewhat inconsistent. While many photographs are clear and nicely illustrative of the whole plant, some specimens are photographed in a massive mixed border some distance away. Identification, therefore, can be very frustrating. For every delight (there are, indeed, many gorgeous photos), there is a disappointment. Nomenclature seemed inconsistent, and local names (Indonesia, Malaysia, etc) could have been supplied by these contributors who spend much of their time in southeast Asia. There is no practical advice for a gardener (beyond the occasional note about something tolerating dry conditions or some such), but book doesn't pretend to be a guide book.

A good reference:
This book is a good reference for everyone who love tropical plant and garden, many beautiful photographs from good garden and healthy plant, I note some mistakes: (pg 50) pict 1 is not jackfruit or breadfruit (pg 50) pict 2 is not breadfruit, it's a jackfruit (pg 105) pict 2 is also Dracaena marginata, not a wild type (pg 226) pict 4 is Epidendrum radicans not a Dendrobium (pg 226) pict 3 is not Arundina, probably Arachnis hybrid (pg 228) pict 2 is not Phalaenopsis hybrid, probably Miltonia (pg 232) pict 2 is not Vanda tricolor (pg 236) pict 2 must be rotate clockwise

Tropical Plants : for Home and Garden:
Absolutely stunning. For the novice, do not be afraid to buy this book. This book is a delight and the photos are breathtaking. A must for the tropical plant enthusiast.

Beautiful & Informative:
I really loved this book. As a novice gardner I was able to learn more about plants, their correct names, how they reproduce and view spectular picturers. I keep wanting more and more. I've have read it several times and I refer to it frequently. It is informative without being too long winded. A must buy for the novice gardner.

A superb pictorial summary:
This book is the companion to 'The Tropical Garden' by the same author, and maintains the same high standards. The book is well-organized with a large selection of some of the best known species of tropical plants. Concise but informative descriptions of each species are provided complete with the scientific and common names. The highlight, however is the superb full-color photographs that accompany every entry. While lacking in hints for the budding gardener, this book provides plenty of inspiration as well as probably the best pictorial summary of the subject matter currently in print.