Tempting Tropicals: 175 Irresistible Indoor Plants

A must have for anybody who grows houseplants and is tempted to grow something unusual, without a greenhouse. Lots of practical advise for an average indoor gardener.

This is a great index for any plants you wish to decorate with. 5 stars.

If you're into growing indoor plants this book must be in your library for both information on varieties as well as cultural information. I consider myself very knowledgeable gardner, yet find myself researching things in this book often--especially when adding a new plant species. I'd highly recommend it to anyone whether they had a few plants or a greenhouse full.

Tempting Tropicals by HortResources member Ellen Zachos is clear and concise, easy to read and understand even by those who do not have a degree in horticulture. It is a great reference for 175 tropical plants that are not grown as often as they should be. Each plant profile contains light, temperature, fertilization, and propagation information. There is also a section on winning attributes alongside each plant profile that will make it easier to decide if that is a plant you wish to grow. Ellen Zachos has taken all her own photographs unless otherwise stated. One section that caught my eye was on clivia. I have grown a blooming-size specimen for five years now and have not been able to bring it back into bloom. After reading Tempting Tropicals, I now have an understanding of what I have been doing wrong. I will be trying the technique mentioned in this book and do expect great success. One thing that Ellen mentioned in her book was to water once a week during the growing season, which I did and to water once every two weeks in the fall until you see a flower spike. I had been withholding water from my Clivia from November to March. I also was not feeding my Clivia weekly during the growing season. One plant that tempted me was Lithops marmorata. "Living stones" can be tricky to grow. Tempting Tropicals explains how often to water in each season, as well as how to water should you decide to give the plant a winter rest. This is an area most books do not cover. Other tempting plants include Ceropegia (rosary vine or parachute plant), Costus malortieanus (Spiral Ginger), Dischidia (also known as an ant plant, watermelon leaf or ravioli plant), Hoya (wax plant), Nepenthes hybrids (pitcher plants), Passiflora (passionflower), Plumeria (frangipani) and Vanilla to name just a few. Most of these plants caught my eye because I have either tried to find them to grow them or am currently growing them. Ellen's book is full of wonderful information that I feel will make my growing experience more rewarding because of knowing exactly how much light, water and fertilizer each plant needs. Tempting Tropicals is a must-have reference in cooler zones for growing houseplants as well as in warmer zones to understand the requirements of tropical plants.

Tempting Tropicals is a horticultural tour de force, packed with detailed information about growth habits, propagation tips, and the soil, temperature and light requirements of more than eight score tropical plants. The fascinating, well written text is ornamented with full color photographs of these exotic beauties that marvelously display each plant's unique attributes. The superb text and photos are presented with the exacting production values that the publisher is well known for in the gardening community. This book is a must for all real phytophiles.