The Tropical Look: An Encyclopedia of Dramatic Landscape Plants - Tapa dura

This new encyclopedia is the most updated guide to these lush plants. Who knew an encyclopedia could be so much fun! -- Mike Peters "Gardening on the Gulf Coast" (02/01/1998) The essential book for anyone interested in tropical plants. -- John Van de Water "Newark Star-Ledger" (10/07/1998) This compendium of nearly 2000 plants is an excellent resource for learning about hundreds of tropical plants and their cultural needs. This is an informative guide of nearly 2,000 such [tropical] plants that can add drama and excitement to the garden. -- Ethel Fried "Manchester (CT) Journal Inquirer" (12/14/1998) From Acacia to Zombia, this hefty volume lists basic descriptions for nearly 2,000 plants... and color photographs of many. The author shares his extensive knowledge enthusiastically. It's margarita time! If you're looking for a banana that can bounce back from zero-degree temperatures or plants that merely look tropical, this book has them, along with 400 color photographs. One of the most excellent sources for unearthing specific plants and determining whether or not they will suit your needs and growing conditions. -- Lynette Walther "Palatka Daily News" (03/10/1999) Although "The Tropical Look" is directed for Zone 8 and higher, those of you with greenhouses, or who are adventurous may want to try the unusual as annuals or 'die-back' plants. -- Marty Figley "Garden Spot" (01/29/1999) "The concepts are Brilliant and are very well explained." And..."It stands head and shoulders above all other books in its field. This book would be cheap at double the price." -- Clear Englebert "FungShway.com" (06/22/2001) Gardeners and horticultural professionals alike will find much to be excited about in this expansive and significant resource. Riffle's effort will contribute immensely to the development of many fantastic indoor and outdoor displays around the country.... Timely, comprehensive, and beautifully produced -- Alice Joyce "American Gardener" (02/01/1998) "It's margarita time! If you're looking for a banana that can bounce back from zero-degree temperatures or plants that merely look tropical, this book has them, along with 400 color photographs." --Boston Globe, December 3, 1998 "The essential book for anyone interested in tropical plants." --John Van de Water, Newark Star-Ledger, October 7, 1998 "This new encyclopedia is the most updated guide to these lush plants." --American Gardener, September/October 1998 " It's margarita time! If you're looking for a banana that can bounce back from zero-degree temperatures or plants that merely look tropical, this book has them, along with 400 color photographs." -- Boston Globe, December 3, 1998 " The essential book for anyone interested in tropical plants." -- John Van de Water, Newark Star-Ledger, October 7, 1998 " This new encyclopedia is the most updated guide to these lush plants." -- American Gardener, September/October 1998 In the context of the scores of books on horticulture that I own or have seen, Riffle's comprehensive work is 'truly unique.'......What makes this work so unusual is not so much its superb, lavish illustration, 409 color photos (their captions happily with Latin names)... but rather its inclusion of many horticulturally 'obscene' or little-known taxa treated only in the specialist literature... ...This horticultural encyclopedia is destined to become a classic. -- Rudolf Schmid "Taxon" (11/01/1998)

"The Tropical Look" is a truly unique compendium of nearly 200 plants that evoke languorous landscapes of swaying palms, dripping banana leaves, and vibrant frangi-pani blossoms. However, this book is not just intended for gardeners who live in the tropics; it is also written for those of us who live in the land of freezes and frosts and want to steal a bit of tropical magic. The author draws a clear distinction between tropical plants and "tropical looking," some of which originate on colder climates far from the tropicals but have foliage or flowers that wouldn't look out of place under a Costa Rican sunset or next to a Balinese waterfall.