When the first edition of this book was published in 1993, the popularity of cycads in the United States was just beginning to expand beyond public gardens and arboretums in the South. Today, with many species of these tropical plants readily available at local greenhouses and nurseries, cycads have become a favorite of many home gardeners; their palm-like appearance lends a taste of the tropics to any garden.
For this second edition David Jones has added information covering over one hundred new species and subspecies and updated his material on the two hundred species from the first edition. Each entry includes a full description, distribution and habitat information, and a detailed cultivation and propagation guide. The text is easily accessible for the home gardener yet maintains the highest standards of scientific accuracy. Over 360 color photographs plus many other illustrations and maps facilitate easy identification of all living species. Additionally, since cycads truly are living fossils- having existed for at least 250 million years-much information is provided on their prehistory and history.
This second edition of Cycads of the World makes a fine addition to the library of anyone interested in exotic plants, including gardeners, landscape architects, horticulturalists, and botanists.