The Palm Collection of the Durban Botanic Gardens by Ann Lambert

The Palm Collection of the Durban Botanic Gardens by Ann Lambert is an authoritative and highly informative guide to one of South Africa’s most significant botanical collections. Published by the Durban Botanic Gardens in 1994, this detailed work serves as both a practical handbook for palm enthusiasts and an important record of a renowned South African botanical institution.

The book explores the history and development of the Durban Botanic Gardens’ celebrated palm collection while providing extensive information on palm cultivation, identification, morphology, pests and diseases, and horticultural practices. Readers will find detailed descriptions of the many palm species cultivated within the gardens, making this volume a valuable reference for botanists, horticulturists, landscapers, gardeners, and collectors of botanical literature.

Particularly useful are the sections devoted to palm identification and cultivation, offering insights applicable to both amateur gardeners and professional horticulturalists. The inclusion of garden plans, species lists, glossaries, and recommended reading further enhances the book’s value as a practical reference source.

Durban’s subtropical climate has allowed the Botanic Gardens to establish one of the most impressive palm collections in Africa, and The Palm Collection of the Durban Botanic Gardens captures that achievement in a concise yet comprehensive format. Today, copies are increasingly difficult to locate, especially in such well-preserved condition, making this an attractive acquisition for collectors of South African botanical works, palm specialists, and anyone interested in the history of the Durban Botanic Gardens.

A desirable and increasingly scarce regional botanical reference documenting one of South Africa’s premier living plant collections.

Condition – Near Fine

1994 paperback. Clean, bright covers and contents. No notable defects observed.