Synopses & Reviews
Steppes—semi-arid biomes dominated by forbs, grasses, and grass-like species, and characterized by extremes of cold and heat—occupy enormous areas on four continents. Yet these ecosystems are among the least studied on our planet. Given that the birth and evolution of human beings have been so intimately interwoven with steppe regions, it is amazing that so few attempts have been made to compare and quantify the features of these regions. In this ground-breaking volume, five leading voices in horticulture—all staff members of Denver Botanic Gardens—examine the plants, climate, geology, and geography of the world’s steppes: central Asia, central and intermountain North America, Patagonia, and South Africa. Drawing upon their first-hand experience, the writers illuminate the distinctive features of each region, with a particular emphasis on the striking similarities between their floras. Each chapter includes a primer of species of horticultural interest—a rich resource for readers with an interest in steppe plants.
Synopsis
Steppes are giant grasslands, defined not only by their plants but also by the geology and climate that created them. They comprise enormous areas on four continents and are the origin of a huge number of staple crops and garden plants. Despite the importance of these regions, both horticulturally and in terms of human evolution and development, remarkably little has been written about them.
Steppes surveys all the world's steppe regions, including areas in North America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America, and highlights the plants in each, along with climatic and geological descriptions of each area. The plants of these regions have inspired some of the most important garden designers of our time, including Piet Oudolf, Tom Stuart Smith, Wolfgang Oehme, and James Van Sweden.
This important reference is for professionals in botany and ecology, highly knowledgeable gardeners, and students of botany and horticulture.
About the Author
Michael Bone has focused his work on seed collection and the study of steppe plants and ecology. Most of his fieldwork has been in western North America, but he has traveled to Central Asia to study plants from the steppes and mountains there.
Dan Johnson travels throughout the West and Southwest in search of unusual and underused native plants for trial in Colorado’s semi-arid steppe climate. His forays to similar regions of the world help further broaden the palette of plants suitable for western gardens.
Panayoti Kelaidis represents Denver Botanic Gardens in educational, professional, and promotional endeavors as an expert in horticulture, science, and art. He has traveled to South Africa on seven occasions over the last twenty years. He is the recipient of the American Horticultural Society’s 2009 Liberty Hyde Bailey Medal and the 2000 Arthur Hoyt Scott Medal from Swarthmore College.
Mike Kintgen oversees the Alpine Collections at Denver Botanic Gardens including the Rock Alpine Garden and South African Plaza. He has traveled widely both researching and lecturing internationally on Denver Botanic Gardens and its focus on semi-arid steppe and high-elevation floras of the world.
Larry Vickerman manages the 700-acre Chatfield site for Denver Botanic Gardens, which features a working farm, historic buildings, native plant gardens, and habitat restorations. He spent 10 years managing a botanical garden in the Great Plains propagating and growing the indigenous plants for introduction into the horticultural industry. A self-described prairie enthusiast, he recently visited mountain and desert steppe environments in Mongolia.
The mission of Denver Botanic Gardens is to connect people with plants, especially plants from the Rocky Mountain region and similar regions around the world, providing delight and enlightenment to everyone.