With the literally thousands of different types and varieties of houseplants available on the market, it's no surprise that there are some that are missing from this book. However, most (all?) of the main ones are here, and so too is a wealth of information on how to grow them. I bought this book 10 or 15 years ago, and it helped me go from perennial plant killer (it was the killing that was perennial, not just perennials that were killed), to a reasonably green thumb. I'm not a super gardener or anything. I just like houseplants and needed some basic info on how to care for them. It's all here.

I just love this book. I can't imagine having houseplants without it. I have it all marked with the Post-it flags so I can find my plants quickly. I'm going to get a little wordy here, but this is a great book with a lot of great features. I use it more that any of the other plant books I own.

The book has 4 sections: Introduction, The Color Plates, Encyclopedia of Houseplants and Appendices. The introduction runs you through the basics. It gives you a botany lesson that is neither too detailed nor too short. It gives the basics of the book. It tells you how to care for your plants (from water to reviving to saying good-bye to repotting when your plants out grow their current container) and how to propagate and have MORE plants. The Introduction also has a Plant Chart that shows you all the things you need to have healthy happy plants in one convenient easy to read chart. The only catch to using the Plant Chart is knowing the scientific names of your plants.

Don't know the name of your plant (let ALONE the scientific name!)? No problem, just look at The Color Plates. These pictures are wonderful. I have identified MANY of my plants with these pictures. Sorted into sections by type (Hanging Plants, Small Foliage Plants, Orchids, Bromeliads & Flowers, Showy Foliage Plants, Lacy Leaves, and Succulent & Other, you are sure to be able to find your plant quickly. The pictures show something that you would see in someone's house. If the plant flowers they will show it with the flowers (just so you can see it). The scientific name, the common name, plant height, light, temperature, how easy the plant is to grow, and the Encyclopedia section page reference.

The Encyclopedia of Houseplants has a short biography of the plant, How to Grow and Species information. I wish this section was combined with the pictures, but since many plants have many species - one encyclopedia reference may have several pictures. This section gives good information on how to grow your plant. It tells you if you plant likes to have a lot or little sun, a lot or little water, when to water, what kind of soil to use, and when and what kind of fertilizer to use. It also gives you a description (average size, flowering potential, foliage coloration, etc.) of the most popular species and a small black and white drawing.

The Appendices include sections on Orchids, Decorating with Plants, Buying Plants, Pest and Problems, Glossary and Index. The Orchid section tells you all about orchids and how to get more information on them (I haven't read this part). The Decorating with Plants give you tips on where to place your plants, how to use your plants, and give you tips and ideas on using a group of plants together. The Buying Plants section tells you what to look for when you shop for your plants. Pest and Problems is a handy section that gives you a background on pest and plants diseases. It tells you how to control the problems and how to recognized signs of plant distress. It has a handy chart with black and white drawings. The chart tells you the pest/disease name, a description of the pest or disease, the damage the pest can do and how to control the pest or disease. This is a very handy section (hopefully you won't ever have to use it) and I suggest reading it. The Glossary is a handy list of terms used through out the book. Last but not least is the index of both common and scientific names of the plants.

An excellent & concise houseplant reference. It will show you what is commonly done wrong with plants and what you can to to promote growth/flowering. Also included is a cross reference for temperatures and other environmental variables that you may wish to choose plants for. There are also many good quality pictures that can help you immediately identify 'that plant you've killed over & over' and a reference to the instructions that can make the difference. Good book.

I would like to be able to rate this book at 4.9 stars, because, in my opinion and by way of usage and reference, only one other usually supercedes it (the comprehensively illustrated "AHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants"). Yet the Wyman's remains a valuable reference that I consult as a second (and often first) source of botannical and gardening information.

The other readers' reviews here should give ample incentive to buy this book. Their words-"well researched" [the book is thorough in its descriptions and definitions], "full and opinionated" [the writing is colorful and makes for interesting reading] and "comprehensive" [Wyman even gives the correct Latin pronunciation of each listed genus (I wish the AHS book did)]-affirm the book's usefulness.

I have many gardening books and catalogs in my library, however, Wyman's is the one I refer to time and again because of its comprehensive discussion of each plant. If I could only have one reference, this would be it.

Offering more information than you'll find anywhere else, this encyclpedia does NOT read like a pretty plant catalogue filled with the usual tired (and brief) descriptions. This book is a labor of love: full and opinionated, proof that a picture is not worth a thousand, well-researched words.