Terry Hewitt (1943–2006)

Living in Phoenix, AZ as I do, I burn through quite a few cacti related books. This one was surprisingly decent. I dare say that it was one of the better ones that I've read recently. Pictures were fantastic and the write ups were inspiring enough that I went to the internet quite a few times to learn more about certain species. Climate change might make more of us appreciate drought tolerant plants, and this book is a good place to start learning about some of the most popular cacti and show more succulents. show less

Over 145 photographs are in this introduction to succulents, which includes chapters on indoor as well as outdoor cultivation, routine maintenance, repotting, propagation, managing pests, and more. Most of the book serves as a full-color identification guide. The sections on pruning and watering are useful enough, but like all such books, the most common admonition is (in my own words) “it all depends on the situation.”

Those just getting interested in succulents will enjoy perusing show more through this beautiful guide. show less

Useful info on maintenance and care. The plant catalog is well laid-out, organized by genus with striking reference pictures. Not a comprehensive identification aid; a susbset of species are presented for each genus.