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Book Review

Tropical Foliage Plants

by Lynn F. Griffith

Lynn Griffith has written a fascinating and indispensible guide to growing tropical foliage plants on a commercial basis. Just a couple of decades ago the production of these plants was a black art - with this book growers have a complete, concise handbook. No vague generalities or fuzzy instructions here - specific tips, tricks, warning and remedies are provided for over 75 species. The book has a structured format that makes locating information simple. It is organized by species with a chapter dedicated to each plant (or group of related plants). Each chapter is divided into standard sections: "Use" (in landscape and interiors), "Varieties", "Propagation", "Culture", "Nutrition", "Diseases", "Insect and Mite Pests", "Disorders", "Tricks" and "Interior Care".

Those of us who are not commercial growers will find this last section especially useful - you can find out why your Majesty palm is looking so crappy (it's because they're not particularly good house plants - provide as much light as possible and let them "vacation" out on the patio for the summer!). Lot's of tidbits, trivia and interesting facts are scattered throughout the book make for an interesting read.

All of our favorite houseplants are covered in this book including Ficus, Dracaenas, Schefflera, Philodendron and Yucca to name just a few. A delightful bonus is the forword which is a six page history of the foliage industry in the U.S. written by the late Jim Vosters, one of Florida's pioneer growers.

Commercial growers should have this book to help ensure their survivability and improve profitability. I also recommend this book to landscapers and other gardening professionals who work with these plants. Amateur gardeners with a technical bent and a love of tropical plants will be fascinated with this book and intrigued by this inside look at the industry. Tropical Foliage Plant: A Grower's Guide is one of my favorite plant books and I reference it often!

Jack Scheper 5/26/00