The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents

This book has it all! The best photos, instructions for planting, growing and propagation. As a cacti and succulent grower I recommend it highly.

Terry Hewitt's Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents may not exactly be complete (it is not an encyclopedia), but it is thorough and is an excellent book especially for beginners. Hewitt discusses the anatomy and discovery of cacti/succulents, how to plant them, propogate them, how to keep them healthy, and even discusses how best to display the plants. And of course the most important part: the plant catalog. He covers hundreds of cacti and succulents in full color. In addition to the many desert cacti I'm happy to say that Hewitt also covers epiphytic cacti including aporocactus, aporophyllum, epiphyllum, and the Christmas cacus. In the back of the book the author includes Plant Selection Lists. In these lists he lists the plants that are best for beginners, as indoor pot plants, those that are easy to flower, those that grow best in the different climates, etc. And I again want to stress the many, many beautiful, clear full color photos throughout the book.

I'm an amateur cacti/succulent gardener here in Japan. It's somewhat of a challenge, as Japan is far away from their natural habitat. I've bought half a dozen books to help me in my task, and The Complete Book of Cacti and Succulents is far and away my favourite. Why? Mainly because it's not loaded with technical information, yet everything an amateur gardener could need is there. Plus it's well organised and easy to find information. The big, beautiful, gorgeous color photos makes it easy to find what I'm looking for, e.g., if I see a cacti in a shop I'm not sure of, I'll surely find it by just thumbing through the pictures this book. From there, I can find more detailed information on the Internet, if necessary. It may not be for everyone, but (so far) it's the best cacti/succulent reference book for me, bar none.

I've read this book from cover to cover a number of times, always exposing more useful information. Particularly of interest are the many excellent photographs, which help us longtime cactus fans who've bought various cacti through the years without knowing what we've bought, or purchasing packets of mixed seeds, stand a chance of identifying these plants. Even in the photos that suggest planting possibilities, the plants are identified. Perhaps the most useful suggestion is the purchase of an inexpensive moisture meter (I picked one up at a ubiquitous discount chain for less than $5 that is a marvel of invention), which showed me that my watering habits needed rethinking. The book is printed on heavy stock, loaded with luscious photographs and details concerning the needs of any particular group of cacti/succulents - yes, there are omissions - the book covers; also there are planting tips, information on growing medium, fertilizing, etc.. Overall, this is a very worthwhile and valuable book for the cactii/succulent enthusiast.

This book has taught me so much about my cacti and succulents and how to care for them. A must read

Great book. Well detailed. Pictures are brilliant. Love the history part at the beginning.Recommend highly.Islington

Needed info

Love all the pictures and information given in this book! It is very informative!