The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants

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The Savage Garden:
Cultivating Carnivorous Plants
The Savage Garden (1998).jpg
Cover of first edition, showing a Sarracenia
Author Peter D'Amato
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Ten Speed Press
Publication date
May 1, 1998
(reprinted in 2004)
July 2, 2013 (revised edition)
Media typePrint (softcover)
Pagesxxii + 314 (first edition)
x + 374 (revised edition)
ISBN 0-89815-915-6
OCLC 473718060
Cover of the revised edition. The Savage Garden, Cultivating Carnivorous Plants 2nd edition.jpg
Cover of the revised edition.

The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants is a carnivorous plant cultivation guide by Peter D'Amato, horticulturist and owner of California Carnivores nursery. It was originally published in 1998 by Ten Speed Press, [1] [2] and reprinted in 2004. [3] A revised edition was released in July 2013. [4] [5] [6]

The book won the American Horticultural Society Annual Book Award [7] and the Quill & Trowel Award from the Garden Writers Association of America, both in 1999. It has been called "the carnivorous-plant grower's bible" [8] [9] [10] and had sold 25,000 copies as of 2002. [11]

Reviews

Barry Rice reviewed the book for the September 1998 issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter : [12]

There are already several full-sized books on growing carnivorous plants. Granted, Slack's works are very hard to find, but Cheers wrote a fine volume. Do we really need another? In answer, I tell you to run, not walk, to the nearest bookseller and buy D'Amato's new book, The Savage Garden.

Rice praised the book's cultivation information, writing: "At no point did I disagree substantially with his cultivation prescriptions—with thirty years of experience, he knows his subject matter." [12] He added that "what really sets D'Amato's book apart is his ability to bring across a sense of gothic fun". [12] However, he identified a number of errors in the text: [12]

The Savage Garden does have flaws. Some are minor but oddly consistent spelling errors (e.g. " N. bicalcurata ," " U. reinformis ," " U. humboltii ," "thripes," and others). More significant is D'Amato's confusing use of a flurry of unpublished cultivar names. It is hoped these are mended in future editions.

Rice concluded: "The Savage Garden is informative, accurate, entertaining, and at $19.95 it is a bargain." [12]

A reviewer for the American Horticultural Society wrote of The Savage Garden: "D’Amato writes with authority, passion, and humor—a winning combination." [7] The Los Angeles Times called it an "exhaustive work". [13] Jerry Williams of the Richmond Times-Dispatch also gave a positive appraisal of the book. [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Heliamphora</i> Genus of carnivorous plants

The genus Heliamphora contains 23 species of pitcher plants endemic to South America. The species are collectively known as sun pitchers, based on the mistaken notion that the heli of Heliamphora is from the Greek helios, meaning "sun". In fact, the name derives from helos, meaning marsh, so a more accurate translation of their scientific name would be marsh pitcher plants. Species in the genus Heliamphora are carnivorous plants that consist of a modified leaf form that is fused into a tubular shape. They have evolved mechanisms to attract, trap, and kill insects; and control the amount of water in the pitcher. At least one species produces its own proteolytic enzymes that allows it to digest its prey without the help of symbiotic bacteria.

<i>Drosera adelae</i> Species of carnivorous plant

Drosera adelae, commonly known as the lance-leaved sundew, is a carnivorous plant in the genus Drosera that is endemic to Queensland, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrian Slack</span> British botanist (1933–2018)

Adrian Slack was a landscape gardener, plantsman, author and authority on carnivorous plants. He won 5 gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, and authored two books: Carnivorous Plants and Insect-Eating Plants and How to Grow Them.

<i>Carnivorous Plant Newsletter</i> Academic journal

The Carnivorous Plant Newsletter is the official publication of the International Carnivorous Plant Society (ICPS), the largest such organization in the world. It is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California.

<i>Drosera binata</i> Species of plant

Drosera binata, commonly known as the forked sundew or fork-leaved sundew, is a large, perennial sundew native to Australia and New Zealand. The specific epithet is Latin for "having pairs" - a reference to the leaves, which are dichotomously divided or forked.

<i>Sarracenia alata</i> Species of carnivorous plant

Sarracenia alata, also known as yellow trumpets, pale pitcher plant or pale trumpet, is a carnivorous plant in the genus Sarracenia. It is native to North America.

<i>Drosera zonaria</i> Species of carnivorous plant

Drosera zonaria, the painted sundew, is a perennial tuberous species in the carnivorous plant genus Drosera and is endemic to south-west Western Australia from near Perth southeast to near Esperance. It grows in a tight rosette approximately 5 to 7 cm in diameter with 20 to 30 green to red leaves that are arranged in concentric layers. The leaves are typically 1 cm wide and are usually described as being "kidney-shaped" with crimson leaf margins. It grows in deep silica sands in open woodland or coastal heathland and only flowers after a bush fire, which is speculated to be caused by the release of ethylene. Its white, sweetly perfumed flowers, which are very similar to those of D. erythrorhiza, emerge on 4 to 5 cm tall scapes. As with most other tuberous Drosera species, D. zonaria will die back during the dry summer months and retreat to the fleshy tuber 10 to 30 cm below ground.

<i>Drosera slackii</i> Species of carnivorous plant

Drosera slackii is a subtropical sundew native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. It forms rosettes that range from to two to four inches in diameter, and produces pink flowers. It is named after the British plantsman and author Adrian Slack (1933-2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter D'Amato</span>

Peter D'Amato is an American author, businessman, and carnivorous plant authority. He is the owner of California Carnivores, located in Sebastopol, possibly the largest nursery of carnivorous plants in the world, and the author of The Savage Garden, a book on the cultivation of insectivorous plants. His book won the American Horticultural Society Book Award and the Quill & Trowel Award from the Garden Writers Association of America, both in 1999.

<i>Drosera gigantea</i> Species of carnivorous plant

Drosera gigantea, the giant sundew, is an erect perennial tuberous species in the carnivorous plant genus Drosera that is endemic to Western Australia. It grows in sandy soils at the margins of swamps and near granite outcrops along the Western Australian coast from Albany north to just south of Geraldton. D. gigantea produces small shield-shaped leaves along many lateral branches that look like a small tree. Individual plants can grow up to 0.2–1 m (0.7–3.3 ft) tall. Because of its tall, tree-like form, it is considered one of the largest Drosera species. It is also easily cultivated and enjoys damp, humid conditions often provided in greenhouses. White flowers emerge from August to November. The red tubers of this species can grow to be 3.8 cm (1.5 in) in diameter and may be a metre below ground.

<i>Drosera macrantha</i> Species of carnivorous plant

Drosera macrantha, the bridal rainbow, is a scrambling or climbing perennial tuberous species in the carnivorous plant genus Drosera that is endemic to Western Australia. It grows in a variety of habitats, including winter-wet depressions in sandy, loamy, laterite, or quartzite soils. D. macrantha produces small, cup-shaped carnivorous leaves along a long stem that can be 0.16–1.5 m (0.5–4.9 ft) high as it climbs. Its 1 in (2.5 cm) white or pink flowers emerge from June to November, blooming earlier in the more northern range.

<i>Drosera microphylla</i> Species of carnivorous plant

Drosera microphylla, the golden rainbow, is an erect perennial tuberous species in the carnivorous plant genus Drosera. It is endemic to Western Australia and grows on granite outcrops or in sandy or laterite soils. D. microphylla produces small, circular, peltate carnivorous leaves along erect stems that can be 10–40 cm (4–16 in) high. It blooms from June to September, displaying its large golden sepals and smaller, variably-coloured petals. In populations near Perth, the petals are red, whereas petal colour near Albany tends to be orange. Some plants east of Esperance have white petals.

Drosera modesta, the modest rainbow, is a scrambling perennial tuberous species in the carnivorous plant genus Drosera. It is endemic to Western Australia and grows on granite outcrops or stream banks in laterite or sand-clay soils. D. modesta produces shield-shaped carnivorous leaves with longer than normal tentacles. The scrambling stems can be 0.3–0.8 m (1.0–2.6 ft) long. White flowers bloom from October to November.

Drosera moorei is a scrambling or climbing perennial tuberous species in the carnivorous plant genus Drosera. It is endemic to Western Australia and grows near granite outcrops in sandy loam. D. moorei produces small, circular, peltate carnivorous leaves along glabrous stems that can be 12–35 cm (5–14 in) long. Inflorescences have two to ten yellow flowers and bloom from September to October.

<i>Drosera dilatato-petiolaris</i> Species of carnivorous plant

Drosera dilatato-petiolaris is a carnivorous plant in the genus Drosera and is endemic to Australia, being found in both Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Its leaves are arranged in a rosette and commonly produces plantlets, eventually forming large clumps that can be over 1 ft (0.3 m) across. Green petioles emerging from the center of the rosette are typically 3–5 mm wide, but can vary. Red carnivorous leaves at the end of the petioles are small and round, with most resting on the soil surface. Inflorescences are 18 cm (7 in) long with white flowers being produced from April to May. It has a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 12.

<i>Drosera falconeri</i> Species of carnivorous plant

Drosera falconeri is a carnivorous plant in the genus Drosera. It is endemic to the Northern Territory of Australia.

<i>The Carnivorous Plants</i>

The Carnivorous Plants is a major work on carnivorous plants by American botanist Francis Ernest Lloyd. It was first published in 1942 by the Chronica Botanica Company as the ninth volume of A New Series of Plant Science Books. It was reprinted in 1976 by Dover Publications of New York and Constable of London. Although primarily dealing with plants, the book also briefly covers carnivorous fungi. The chapter describing the structure and functioning of Utricularia traps is particularly detailed. Lloyd's book was the most important scientific work on carnivorous plants since Charles Darwin's Insectivorous Plants of 1875.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American Sarracenia Conservancy</span>

The North American Sarracenia Conservancy (NASC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to habitat conservation. Founded in 2005, the Conservancy was granted tax-exempt status in January 2009. The main focus of the Conservancy is the conservation and preservation of the natural habitats and genetic diversity of the Sarracenia pitcher plants. Sarracenia is a genus of carnivorous plant that trap prey in tube-shaped, hollow leaves, which in some species hold rain water. Species range from the southeastern United States, up the coastal plain, and into the Great Lakes and Canada. Within their range the plants naturally occur in sphagnum bogs, swamps, fens, and flooded plains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Carnivores</span>

California Carnivores is a plant nursery in Sebastopol, California in the United States. Specializing in the cultivation of carnivorous plants, CC is home to one of the largest collections of imported carnivorous plants in North America, and possibly the world, with more than 1,000 types of imported plant and dozen of varieties for sale in the retail section of the nursery.

Savage Garden was an Australian rock band.

References

  1. D'Amato, P. 1998. The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley.
  2. The savage garden : cultivating carnivorous plants. WorldCat.
  3. Formats and editions of The savage garden : cultivating carnivorous plants. WorldCat.
  4. Review: The Savage Garden Revised: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants by Peter D’Amato. Texas Triffid Ranch.
  5. Mey, F.S. 2014. The Savage Garden by Peter D'Amato, revised. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, February 3, 2014.
  6. The savage garden : cultivating carnivorous plants. WorldCat.
  7. 1 2 1999 AHS Book Awards. American Horticultural Society.
  8. Van Cleef, L. 2002. Animal-Eating Plants: Carnivorous-plant growing tips from a local expert. San Francisco Chronicle, February 6, 2002.
  9. Coffey, G. 2002. Weird world of the bug eaters: Carnivorous plants nibble at gardeners' sense of curiosity. San Francisco Chronicle, November 6, 2002.
  10. Van Cleef, L. 2004. The Savage Garden. San Francisco Chronicle, July 21, 2004.
  11. Lee, L. 2002. Sonoma's little shop of horrors: The world's largest public collection of carnivorous botanicals lurks in Sebastopol. San Francisco Chronicle, October 25, 2002.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Meyers-Rice, B. 1998. Book review. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 27(3): 72–73.
  13. Smaus, R. 1998. Stop Breaking Ground, Brush Up on Books. Los Angeles Times, September 06, 1998.
  14. Williams, J. 1998. Book reviews. Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 23, 1998.