Palms For this section, I rather feel that I am teaching
granny to suck eggs; however, for anybody new to this arena, or
for any palm enthusiast who has been away from the planet for awhile,
here are a few trusty titles.
George B. Stevenson Palms of South Florida University Press Florida. ISBN 0813014417 Although aimed at the palm enthusiasts of Florida this book covers many palms that
are common in other areas of the world including Europe and Australia. It is a good beginner's guide that
gives ample detail and illustrations to enable the read to identify palms. In fact the bulk of the 250
pages (about 200 in all)provide detailed illustrations and notes on identifying specific palms and their
features.
The other pages cover palm botany, palm geography, care, salt tolerance and pests as well as a guide on
which palms grow best in the various climatic zones of Florida state.
The book was originally published in 1974 and appears not to have been updated since. Its presentation
is somewhat dated now given the old fashion font and lay-out, and, disappointingly, there are no photos
at all. This said, the illustrations are good and the content still relevant today. In all, I certainly
recommend this book.(Review by Ed Croft) This title
is available at amazon.com
or amazon.co.uk
Yoshihiro Okita and J. Leyland Hollemberg The Miniature Palms of Japan New Holland Publishers (UK). ISBN 0834801604 Everything you need to know about cultivating and propagating the Miniature Japanese
Palm - the perfect houseplant, beautiful, strong, and easy to raise. (Review by Keith Andrew) Out of print
but available at amazon.com
or amazon.co.ukandNational
Rhapis Collection
Robert Lee Riffle and Paul Craft An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms Hardcover, 2003, ISBN 0-88192-558-6
528 pp, 929 color photos, 1 b/w photo, 2 line drawings, 8 1/2 x 11"
Co-written by the author of the award-winning "The Tropical Look", "An
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms" offers a definitive account of palms that may be grown in the garden
and landscape. Because palms are often underutilized as a result of their unfamiliarity--even to tropical
gardeners--Robert Lee Riffle and Paul Craft have exhaustively documented every genus in the palm family.
Approximately 890 species are described in detail, including cold hardiness, water needs, height, and
any special requirements. No gardener or landscaper who reads this book should ever again lose a palm
solely because of lack of horticultural information.
Generously illustrated with more than 900 photos, An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms is as valuable as
an identification guide as it is a practical handbook. The volume even contains photos of several palm
species that have never before appeared in a general encyclopedia. Interesting snippets of history, ethnobotany,
and biology inform the text and make this a lively catalog of these remarkable plants. As well as all
of the tropical and subtropical palms, the encyclopedia includes many species that can withstand freezing;
thus it is applicable for areas where average low temperatures do not drop below 5ºF (-15ºC).
Many features of the book add to its usefulness for the amateur or professional grower. Extensive landscape
lists group together palms with special characteristics, such as drought tolerance, salt tolerance, and
slow growth, to name a few. A unique appendix with notes on germinating seed of selected palms will prove
invaluable to gardeners and nursery professionals who wish to grow palms from seed. In all, An Encyclopedia
of Cultivated Palms offers a wealth of information to horticulturists at every level of experience. This title
is available at amazon.com
or amazon.co.uk
Finn Borchsenius, Henrik Borgtoft Pedersen,
Henrik Balslev Manual to the Palms of Ecuador Department of Systematic Botany University
of Aarhus. ISBN 87-87600-53-6 Very good, a real diamond if you are
travelling in that part. (Review by Jan Andersson)
This title is available at Aarhus
Universitetsforlag
Broschat, T. Ornamental Palm Horticulture University Press Florida, 2000. ISBN 0813018048 A relatively new release from the States,
it covers palm biology, pests and diseases, landscape, and
interior uses. A useful addition to your collection.
This title is available at amazon.com
or amazon.co.uk
Gibbons, Martin Palms: the new compact study guide and identifier 1993. ISBN 1555218377 This one will satisfy the anorak' amongst
us. Gain points with other vacationers by remarking to innocent
bystanders that the palm they are looking at is actually a
Johannesteijsmannia altifrons.
This title is available at amazon.com
or amazon.co.uk
Jones, David L. Palms Throughout The World Reed Books, 1995. ISBN 0730104206 This book has everything you ever wanted
to know about palms and probably more, and the illustrations
from the Botanical Magazine are just exquisite. You cannot
possibly be without this one.
This title is available at amazon.com
or amazon.co.uk