Canadian Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Rev. ed.

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

The precursors of this volume are the 1989 Royal Horticultural Society
New Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers and the North American edition,
The Gardeners’ Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Billed as “the
first truly Canadian edition” by editor Trevor Cole, this book has
been “extensively adapted for Canadian gardeners.”

Hardiness is one of the primary considerations when Canadian gardeners
make their plant selections. Plant hardiness zone maps, based on
Agriculture Canada mapping, have been added to the (although only for
woody plants). The maps lack detailed information (particularly for the
North), which is puzzling given the fact that detailed maps have been
available through Agriculture Canada’s Web site for some time.

Also problematic is the lack of variation between the collections of
roses depicted in this edition and those in the Royal Horticultural
Society edition, in spite of the fact that the growing conditions for
roses in the United Kingdom are much more favorable than those in most
of Canada. For example, the subzero line of roses, which are virtually
the only ones guaranteed to grow in Edmonton, are represented in the
plant catalogue along with a few images; the rest are simply listed in
the plant dictionary. On the other hand, cacti, which do not generally
do well in cold climates, are given their own chapter.

Comprising an impressive 4000 images and 8000 descriptions, this
handsomely produced book has few competitors. Recommended for gardeners
and public and academic libraries across Canada.