The Little Book of Cacti and Other Succulents

by Emma Sibley, Adam Laycock (Photographer)

Succulents and cacti make the perfect indoor plant pets. Inexpensive to purchase, easy to care for and resilient to the neglect of even the laziest of gardeners, growing these plants is virtually foolproof. The Little Book of Cacti and Other Succulents features a directory of 60 of the most popular varieties of cacti and succulents to own. The entry for each of the 60 plants is accompanied by a photograph and all the essential requirements for that variety in an easy-to-follow breakdown. This includes details on size, growth, spread and flowering, along with any extra tips on care for that specific plant.

Genres: Nonfiction, Plants, Gardening, Reference

147 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2017

Reviews

[Gwen]

Round 4 in "How do I keep my darn succulents alive?!"

Easy to follow, not overly technical, full of pictures, and includes the popular names of the plants: what's not to like? For each of the ~60 plants in the book, Sibley shares information about caring for each, including how much light and water is needed, best practices for care, potting needs, how to prune and propagate, things to watch out for, and any quirks.

Combined with The Complete Guide to Growing Cacti & Succulents , there's a decent chance I might actually be able to keep my succulents alive...

And thanks to this book, I've identified three more of the plants: String of Buttons, Money Tree/Jade Plant, and green echeveria.

For the haworthia attenuata aka zebra cactus:
- water about every 2 weeks during the summer
- prone to root rot

For the newly identified String of Buttons (Crassula perforata 'variegata'):
- avoid direct sunlight; indirect sunlight or light shade is best
- susceptible to mealy bugs (to combat, mix together 4 C water and 1/4 tsp dish soap; gently spray affected areas [but test this on a small area first])
- may need repotting every few years
- according to my green thumb coworker, these can easily be propagated by taking a cutting from the top of the stem

For the newly identified Money Tree/Jade Plant (Crassula ovata):
- best in sunlight but also fine in low light
- may need to repot every few years (uh, the one that I have hasn't grown at all in almost a year...hmmmm....)

For the newly identified green echeveria:
- good to have a few hours of direct sunlight daily (but if leaves start to brown, move out of the light)
- regular watering in summer months, only when soil is completely dry because prone to root rot

Succulents to add to my collection someday...
- Horn Tree (Crassula ovata 'gollum')
- Buddha's Temple (Crassula 'buddha's temple')

(All of the succulent books I've read lately warn that growing and collecting succulents and cacti is addicting. They didn't lie.)

[Kerry Crabbs]

Welp, time to go shopping for more plants.

[Samantha Kurtz]

A quick, fun read for any succulent lover! Easy to follow instructions for different succulents with gorgeous photos for each type. After reading this book I learned the name of two of my succulents that I own but never knew the name of. Will definitely be reaching for this book often.

[Colona Public Library]

This is a nice little book, It showcases each plant on each page and has a nice aesthetic. The plants look really showcased in the pots. I would recommend this book if you want a quick care taking or succulents that interest you.

~Ashley

[Emmy]

An EXCELLENT overview of all kinds of succulents, each providing just enough information without being overwhelming. I have so many ideas for new plants to purchase for my windowsill garden now!

[Sarah]

I don't know if I liked the contents or the package better.

[Katrine Solvaag]

A handy little guide accompanied by beautiful photography.

[Emily]

A good beginner's guide to succulents. I have a few, killed a few more, and want some others

I am not a good plant lady, but I want to do better. I have a few older cactus and succulents that I've had a few years now and now I have a good newer batch from a bridal shower's center piece.

Plants to get:
Burro's Tail - I killed one a few years back and I would love to try again
Mammillaria Backebergiana - I think this is the cactus in the photo at the end of my review and I love it
Mexican Fence Post Cactus - Was(is) used as fencing to keep cattle in pastures
Cereus Florida - It kind of looks like one of the poor CVS cactus that get plastic flowers glued to them
Old Man Cactus - We vibe
Eastern Prickly Pear - lump
String of Pearls - I want to clutch my pearls
Cobweb Houseleek - Halloween 24/7

I really want to have a lot of plants and a greenhouse one day
I'm really trying to not kill my plant bbs

[Haaike]

Fijn boekje met korte, to the point beschrijvingen van plantjes (verzorging, vermeerdering, evt. "speciallekes") en paginagrote foto's. Geen diepgaand naslagwerk, maar wel handig als eerste inleiding voor wie veel planten in huis heeft en dan plots beseft dat ze van sommigen misschien toch niet echt goed weet welke verzorging ze nodig hebben ;-)

[Harriet Lobegeiger]

A cute, quick and helpful little book. With lots of information about cacti and succulents. It’s super cute and I love the design.
It’s a basic intro into growing cacti and succulents which is super helpful to any novice. I think it would make a great gift for any cactus lover!

[NanaBasset]

Informative, straightforward book with information of various Cacti plants. It helped me out with learning more about the care for Aloe Vera, Mammillaria etc; of their individual watering schedules, preferred temperatures, what to avoid etc. The overall presentation of the book is good too.

[Ludovica]

Libro super carino per chi è alle prime armi e vuole capirne qualcosa in piú di piante grasse e di come prendersene cura. È una lettura molto leggera non troppo dettagliata ma ottima per addontrarsi in questo hobby

[Mystic & Noank Library]

"Good for beginners or people who just love cactus plants. Also good reference for the plants that are featured in the book."

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[Kelsey]

A simple and helpful guide to your household succulents.

[Rhythm]

As a beginner I found this book helpful. It has information about almost all types of succulents and cacti.

[Elias]

A very cute book about cacti and succulents! It was a quick read but the design was adorable and it helped me to identify some of my cacti!

[Marcy O’Dell]

Helpful in identifying and caring for plants!

[Myriam]

J’ai craqué pour le dollar d’argent, l’aloé vera, rose du désert, plante à monnaie chinoise...je vais finir par attraper le syndrome de la main verte !

[Chloe Simpson-White]

Pretty easy going read for a book of plant facts and care tips. I did find myself wishing for each plant to heave the "propagation" section instead of just selected ones, but otherwise it was a good read and my garden will benefit from the new knowledge that this book has provided.

[Eli]

A practical guide for plant enthusiast and black thumb like me. Clear and concise information about different species and their care requirements. Vibrant illustrations and accessible format making it nice to read.

[Courtney Coulson]

A cute picture book with very little information. It makes for nice decoration, an appealing coffee book filled with colourful photos, it's just a shame it doesn't provide much more than a list of cactus and succulent species.

[Jonathan]

Gives one-page instructions for taking care of most popular cacti

[Jo]

Stunningly beautiful photos.
Sadly, the introductory part on which soil mix to use and how to breed and repot succulents was too short.

[Sarah N]

🪴🎍REVIEW 🎍🪴REVIEW 🪴🎍

This is the cutest hand guide for all things succulents and cacti! I have always been a plant momma, having plants around is essential to my day to day living and keeping me sane! Especially in the winter when things are not as green. Who doesn't love to have little green and colorful buddies around?
🪴🎍
Reading this delightful and helpful on hand guide made me appreciate the work it goes into genuinely taking care of succulents and cacti and knowing which plants buddies are pet safe too.
🌿

Not to mention the photographs of each plant and their plant pottery is GORGEOUS! So much care and thought went into this book and I love it so much! Highly recommend this little book to all of the wannabe and current plant parents out there!
🪴🎍

[Daniel]

It was fun to learn about succulents and cactus. I liked the pictures of each plant. I like that the book was a fast read. I always like a book that is fast to read. I learned a new thing. I learned that the seeds of the twisted barrel cactus used to be ground for flour. I never thought that cactus seeds could be used for flour. I that that was great. Actually I leaned a lot of new things from this book. I just cant remember them all. I can't wait to grow cactus and succulents. What fun.

[Shamekia]

Pictures were pretty, but this was just a listing of various types of succulents. I'm looking for more in-depth trouble shooting info; what to do when things go wrong.

[Patrice Bear]

Parfait pour un débutant!

[Christa Van]

Love this helpful little book.