Bizarre Botanicals: How to Grow String-Of-Hearts, Jack-In-The-Pulpit, Panda Ginger, and Other Weird and Wonderful Plants

Gardeners love tulips, lilies, and pansies — the common, but beautiful, plants found in the average garden. But there are realms in the plant world far beyond these familiar favorites. In Bizarre Botanicals, plant experts Larry Mellichamp and Paula Gross take readers on a curious botanical journey of weirdly wonderful plants that can be grown at home.

Bizarre Botanicals features over 75 astonishing plants that have extraordinary abilities — from pyrotechnic spores that can burst into flame when ignited to flowers that lure insects to their deaths. Each plant profile includes essential care and cultivation information. A difficulty scale alerts gardeners to how easy (or difficult) it is to grow the plant at home.

There's no reason to forsake lilies and petunias. But after reading Bizarre Botanicals, gardeners will want to take a walk on the weird side and try a few of these peculiar plants for themselves.   

This beautifully illustrated work presents the fascinating stories of the world's strangest plants, with specific practical tips on how to grow them at home. A lengthy introduction describes the basics of plants, their evolution, and the authors' criteria for making their selections. Entries for individual plants include a color photo to accompany the story of the plant's discovery, its habitat, fun facts, and growing tips. The authors are with the U. of North Carolina botanical gardens. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Paula Gross is the assistant director of the University of North Carolina Charlotte Botanical Gardens. She has a masters in horticulture from the University of Georgia, and teaches courses on horticulture and plant identification. In addition, she writes a periodic column on horticultural issues and provides information on gardening questions.

Larry Mellichamp is a professor of botany and horticulture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he has taught for over 30 years.  He is also director of the University's botanical gardens. He has written many technical and popular articles on plants and gardening, appears regularly in the local media, and has co-authored three other books.