1584 pages
ISBN 0-88192-538-1 2003
I have had Botanica(Australasian edition) for several years and this Christmas I was given Flora,so it has been interesting to compare the two.
To me they do seem to be complementary. If I want a good illustration of any but the more uncommon species,I am likely to find it in Botanicaalong with considerable cultural detail. If, on the other hand, I need to find the less common species or even some unusual genera, Flora,has more information and always gives the Family beside each genus entry (an irritating lack in Botanica). While Floradoes list many more species it does seem, though, to have considerably fewer illustrations and is very sparing with cultural information. As a professional botanist who is also a gardener, I find the books admirably complementary, turning to Flora,for botanical information and to Botanicato find how and where to grow the plants (and in may cases exactly what they look like too).
Floraactually has more entries as listed on the cover with 20,000 compared to Botanicaat 10,000. They get these in without too much increase in size as far as I can see by reducing the number if illustrations and also leaving out most of the cultural information. As a sort of informal world flora of horticulturally valuable plants, to be used mostly for identification, Florais indoubtedly a good value, but it is much less of a grower's guide than Botanica. On the whole, though, for people who are mainly plain gardeners and not either botanists or specialist growers of unusual species, I would think Botanicais still the better and more useful book.
The only other comparison I must make is in the convenience of handling. Botanica,as far as I know, is sold only as one volume and this makes it quite uncomfortable to handle because of its bulk and weight. It also seems to be poorly bound to cope with this bulk, and though mine has received most careful handling, the back is half off it.
Floracan likewise be had as one book, but is also offered in two volumes and that is how mine is bound. Though these are still big books, I think they have a good deal more hope of surviving intact than my Botanica.
Review by Moira Ryan of New Zealand
Addendum by Charles E. Dills I would like to add that the two volume edition I have is placed in what appears to be a very sturdy box. I think the production of Florahas been done very well. But I agree that neither book is one that one can tote to the local garden shop, like the Sunset Garden Book.
I do wholeheartedly recommend these books.Florais published by Gordon Cheers, Chief Consultant is Sean Hogan. It was printed by the Sing Cheong Printing Co. Ltd. and dated 2003. It is available from Timber Press, Portland OR.