Hawthorns and Medlars: A Royal Horticultural Society Plant Collector Guide (Hardcover)
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Description
Hawthorns and Medlars was the first in our Plant Collector Guide series, published in collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society. Ideal for the avid gardener, horticulturist, and plant collector, these inspirational books provide an opportunity to learn about some lesser-known, but increasingly collectable genera.
Most hawthorns are vastly underappreciated as ornamental subjects, but given their interesting biology, cultural history, and uses in cookery and folklore, these fascinating trees and shrubs are long overdue their own book. This book focuses on those hawthorns (genus Crataegus) and medlars (genus Mespilus) of greatest interest to horticulturists, some 70 wild species, many of which are seldom cultivated outside botanic gardens or arboreta. A substantial range of ornamental cultivars and the best-known horticulturally created hybrids are also treated, and the author provides detailed information on how to best grow, propagate, and hybridize these plants.
About the Author
James B. Phipps holds a post-retirement appointment in the biology department at the University of Western Ontario, where for many years he was also director of the Sherwood Fox Arboretum and maintained a research collection of about 300 hawthorns. He has conducted research on hawthorns for over 25 years, and has published extensively during that time. Phipps is also an editorial committee member for the Flora of North America. Dr. Phipps has long had a particular interest in hawthorns and is currently working on a monographic treatment of Crataegus and Mespilus. He is a native of Birmingham, England.
Praise For…
“An interesting discussion of hawthorns and medlars in folklore. . . . One of the most attractive features of the book is a series of 75 color plates of flowers and fruits of many species, as well as a few related subjects.” —Choice
“This book is a valuable reference, and a beautifully illustrated one.” —Canadian Botanical Association Bulletin
“Describes a wide range of the most attractive varieties.” —Newcastle Journal
“A lot of interesting information.” —Cottage Gardener
“Written in an easy to read, highly understandable style and contains interesting information as well as the expected content.” —E-Streams