Edible Houseplants

This is my new favorite gardening book! I'm an avid gardener (Zone 9) and I love to grow exotic edibles in my yard. I currently have calamondin, kumquat, starfruit, passionfruit, bananas, loquats and my towering 40 ft. avocado tree...but this book also suggests options I had not previously considered.

I would love to try my hand at growing chocolate, black pepper, vanilla and cinnamon in containers. I am so impressed by the in-depth coverage in this book, ranging from growing conditions to potential problems and pests. It also touches on the pros and cons of container types, potting mixes and propagation tips. If you are new to gardening, no worries, this book has you covered.

I AM IN LOVE WITH ALL THE ILLUSTRATIONS!!! This book is great and even though I probably won't grow any of these plants, I would like to think I will just from the sheer perfection of this book, though.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook!

If you are looking to grow edible tropical fruits and how to grow them in planters/in your garden, this is the book! It is quite detailed and educational, and as a beginner gardener I felt like I've learnt a lot from this book. I love that it comes with a plant care guide which included pests and diseases, and even pros/cons of types of pots! The drawings and photos are big bonus points as words can only describe so much when it comes to a plant.

The only thing that took me by surprise is that I'd assumed "Edible Houseplants" meant herb or leafy greens (I literally only read the title, saw the cover, and as a newbie gardener I am eager to read anything about growing edible plants) and was surprised to find a very detailed information on lots of different kinds of citrus and tropical fruits, some of which I am not even sure if I can find seeds for in Australia but still enjoyed learning about.

All in all - Would recommend for any beginners looking to grow tropical fruits in the house! A star off because I wish the book had even more fruits LOL!

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

Beautiful illustrations, fantastic starting point as someone who knows next to nothing about growing things (though I'm trying my best!) It demystifies the process to me, which is a key to a great book!

This book is so exciting because I love to eat and I have no idea how to grow things but I find myself increasingly motivated to grow things I can eat! I also have very little garden space and would prefer to be able to grow things in pots - so this book is perfect! It's got very cute illustrations and lovely photos - which is essential for me because I'm a very visual learner. All of the instructions are simple and easy to follow which is also an essential requirement for me!

What a marvelous discovery! This houseplant how-to goes beyond any other. The well organized, beautifully illustrated book guides the reader through the steps to grow lemons, limes, avocados, figs and much more indoors. It discusses the pitfalls of using various types of planters, gives recommendations for adding nutrients and warns against pests and how to control them.

This was a very informative book. I highly enjoyed learning about all of the fruit bearing plants, now I need to add to my collection. This was so good and helpful.
I just reviewed Edible Houseplants by Laurelynn G. Martin; Byron E. Martin. #EdibleHouseplants #NetGalley
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Wow a book which gives us city flat dweller's an option to grow plants which not only look good indoors but taste good too. Why only have attractive plants to look at in your living room, now you can taste them as well. Great info in the book, easy to understand too.

This was a very useful book on edible plants that we can grow in our homes. It helped me rescue my dwindling coffee plant and inspired me to try and grow more exotic fruits by myself. I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in growing these plants.

Edible Houseplants is really informative. I honestly had no idea so many edible plants can be grown at home and I was fascinated at the information on how to grow and harvest the plants. Although the information for each plant is very brief just knowing its possible allows for further research if I decide to try growing some of my favorites. It’s a very interesting read.

As an enthusiastic gardener with over 80 houseplants and two outdoor gardens, I must say this book is truly amazing! It provides detailed insights on a variety of plants that I never would have considered growing. Being in hardiness zone 8A, I have always been hesitant to try growing more tropical plants, but this book has given me the confidence to give it a go.

The illustrations in the book are beautiful and are my favorite part. The plant-specific chapters provide fairly detailed information; however, they may not be detailed enough for beginners. The plant care section at the end is great and makes everything very beginner-friendly, but it would be helpful if this section was at the beginning of the book to avoid newbies being intimidated at first.

I am excited to try my hand at growing these plants! It's still early in the spring, and I'm optimistic that I can get a lot of growth going outside this summer before moving them inside or hopefully establishing them outside!

Thank you Netgalley, Storey Publishing, and the Martins for this book. I will be buying a hardcopy as soon as it’s available!

For any gardener interested in fruiting plants, this book really meets a all expectations, and then some. The information, layout and photographs are excellent, and it covers a large range of fruit that can be grown indoors or in outdoor room . The information about each plants growing conditions, and attributes are well explained and there are a large range of fruit trees, some of which sound intriguing.
I really like this book, and I really recommend it to any gardener to use or maybe just dream about the fruit that can be grown as houseplants. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC

What an amazing book that is so educational in all the information that it gives. The illustrations are such a fabulous bonus. This is the best gardening book that I have ever seen and just to browse and learn about all the edible plants makes it worth looking at for non-gardeners.
Thank you so much for letting me have a copy of such a wonderful book.

This book gave me the confidence that I can grow my own citrus tree and I can't wait to get one. It's full of information on how you can grow different kind of edible houseplants so I think anyone can do it.

This is such a wonderful book. It's beautiful to look at, informative, and opens up a whole new dimension of gardening, and is complete with recipes and useful information such as how to use each part of the banana plant. Perfect!

An excellent reference book. Helpful in an age where tiktok has a class of influencers who are showing people there are different edible plants in the the world than what is found in our grocery stores. This updated reference guide is sure to appeal to younger generations with it's useful, user friendly information and layout.

Edible Houseplants by Laurelynn G. Martin is an excellent reference book for anyone who wants to grow their own citrus, coffee, vanilla, and other tropical plants indoors. It is particularly useful for beginners who may not have outdoor space to garden in. The book provides complete care guidelines and colorful photos for 46 food-bearing plants, including lemons, limes, grapefruit, cherries, olives, passion fruit, and papaya. Each fruit receives a two-page spread, with information that is broken down into easily consumable pieces.

The book is broken down into five parts, with Part 1 (Citrus Fruits) and Part 2 (The Rest of the Tropical Fruit Basket) making up the bulk of the book. In fact, 80% of the fruits listed in the book are covered in these two sections. Part 3 (Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate), Part 4 (Sugar and Spices), and Part 5 (Plant Care) are smaller portions of the book, and I was a bit disappointed with this because not everyone wants to grow entire citrus trees in their home. However, there are many books that already discuss what herbs can be grown indoors, so I don't blame the Martins for leaving those out.

While this book covers a wide variety of edible house plants, there are many that are left out. The book heavily features citrus and tropical fruits. This book is best suited for beginners. it's a great starting point for those interested in indoor gardening and will provide a solid foundation of knowledge. The information is presented in a clear and concise manner that won't overwhelm those just starting their gardening journey. However, experts or those studying botany or similar subjects may find that this book does not offer much new information. Also, this book probably isn't the best for those in growing zones 9 and 10, as there will likely be a lot of overlap between the plants in this book and outdoor gardening books for those zones.

It's worth noting that Laurelynn and Byron Martin are the owners of Logee's Plants for Home & Garden. This store is pretty well-known within the plant community and has a positive reputation and reliable quality of plants and information.

If I were to suggest any changes, I would've loved for the watercolor-style artwork of each fruit to be bigger on their respective page.

Overall, I would recommend Edible Houseplants to beginning hobbyists, public libraries, and those in larger city areas where typical outdoor gardening space may not be available.

I love the idea of having houseplants that help to fuel your kitchen! One of my favorite houseplants is my lime tree! Watching it grow is my favorite thing, that’s increased by using the limes for cocktails and recipes! Edible Houseplants is a great guide to growing houseplants that seconds as gardens! I loved this book and found it incredibly informative and interesting!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the eGalley to review!

I'm honestly in love with this book. It's exquisitely comprehensive compared to other books on the market (and even the Internet) and has everything you need to know about the plants in it, like common name(s), scientific name (and pronunciation), history, place of origin and other particulars like average growth size and growing season(s), growing conditions and care, potential problems, and even recipes! I also love love love that it has different photos (and lovely illustrations) so you can recognize the plant, its blossoms, and its fruit. The layout of each entry is so good, consistent, and easy to follow. The entire book is also split by category, with each plant entry going in alphabetical order, so it's easy to find the plant you're looking for. It even tells you which plants are good for beginners!

I absolutely want it not just for our library because our patrons just adore growing their own food, but for myself, because I've been considering growing some of these plants for a while and this is simply the most perfect guide I've come across. 100% a recommend.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of Edible Houseplants by Laurelynn G. Martin and Byron E. Martin. All opinions are my own.

This lovely book covers different houseplants and the different fruits possible. Such a fun read and the photos are beautiful. This would make a great gift too!

I always wanted an Orange tree in my house but never knew how to make it possible, but knowing the pruning technique here I realize I was wrong at some place there.

I really loved the 'Tropical Fruit Basket'. I wonder how come there is a pineapple guava? But I have eaten most of the mentioned fruits here. I must go with avocado too as it is so much expensive compared to other fruits available in market.

This is a lovely guide on the edible plants and how to nurture them and what else we could have/made from fruits if not just to eat. I believe I must spread words, now when I have read it all, to make me a proven horticulturist. LOL.

This is such an interesting book with lots of useful and interesting information about growing edible plants indoors.
I was amazed to see the array of plant options to grow in your house, I am not the best plant owner, but I am feeling inspired to try a coffee plant or how cool would it be to have a cinnamon plant which the book reassuringly tells me is easy to grow!

I received a free review copy of this on NetGalley. It is already on my book wish list. I very much need a copy of this to keep long term. This is a glorious reference book for how to properly care for fruiting tropical plants as container/porch plants. You get a discussion of varietals, feeding schedules, pruning instructions, and recipes for each plant. Honestly, if you can look through this and not want to have lemons and guavas in your living room, I don't think we can be friends, because I already got my lemon tree.

Absolute coolest book ever! Teach me how to grow my own coffee and chocolate at home? I'm sold! ❤️❤️❤️

Okay, other than my two favorite things on earth (besides my family, of course!), this book is full of great information on how to grow citrus fruits, many other tropical fruits, tea, sugar and spices in the comfort of your own home, even if you live in a cold climate! They explain how to get started from the bottom up, maintaining and taking care of your plants, and taking care of pests and other problems. The pictures and images are beautiful. Definitely a must-have if you are interested in any type of house plants and/or gardening!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

I am not shy about having giant trees inside. we have a pretty minimalist house, without much extra furniture, or paintings, or photos around. instead, we have plants. When Edible Houseplants by Laurelyn G. Martin came up on Netgalley I was intrigued. The subheading is Grow Your Own Citrus, Coffee, Vanilla, and 43 Other Tasty Tropical Plants and this books tells you how to grow and care for all these plants, in pots. It also provides recipes and other ideas what you can use the produce for. It's quite inspiring, and I'd quite like to grow my own coffee and vanilla, to go with the lemons, bay leaves, rosemary and other herbs I already grow. This book is a good general guide and would make a lovely gift for anyone who has a growing interest in plants.

Edible Houseplants by Laurelynn G. Martin and Byron E. Martin is a wonderful starter guide for anyone interested in unique houseplants. Full of drawings, photos, and recipes that all complement text which details the background, origins, and growing guides for various plants.

Anyone interested in growing edible plants will walk away with plenty of information on how to get started. Who knew you could grow your own coffee plant inside your home?! I’m inspired to try!

The shape, size, and layout of this book is also very easy to navigate. For me, that’s a big selling point in a reference book. The book lays flat and the pages are easy to read. Color photos and hand drawn illustrations are plentiful for each plant.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for an ARC of this title, in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Growing plants outside or inside is incredibly gratifying. As a master gardener I garden in both zones 2a and 8b and am always thrilled to learn more about new-to-me techniques, plants and inspirations. The photographs are glorious and illustrations so accurate identification is a breeze.

Some examples of lovely fruits to grow indoors are Calamondin Orange, Sunquat, Naranjilla, Acerola and Peanut Butter Fruit, none of which I have seen or grown. The names along sound mouthwatering! But there's more to these plants than the fruit...they all have intriguing properties and are suited for container growing. Many are wondrously scented, have beguiling foliage and surreal blossoms.

Not only are specific fruits highlighted along with size and form, bloom and fruiting seasons, family, care and origin but also ways to set yourself up for success. Delectable recipes are included as well (think Pink Grapefruit Granita, Balsamic Fig Reduction and Ponderosa Lemon Bread). In the Mediterranean I have experience growing some of the fruits mentioned in this book such as olives, figs and citrus but the information here really opened my eyes more than ever before.

Whether you dream about unusual houseplants or are pursuing it, do read this book. Beginners and experts alike are bound to be mesmerized by the information here. This book actually inspires me to pursue this unusual hobby and indulge in a cornucopia of unique tropical plants, full immersion.

My sincere thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this stupendous book.

Edible Houseplants is a tutorial and gardening guide for raising tropical plants like coffee, vanilla, and citrus as houseplants written and curated by Laurelynn and Byron Martin. Originally published in 2010, this reformat and re-released edition was released 12th Sept 2023 by Hachette on their Storey imprint. It's 160 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a well written, accessible, and fun guide to growing tropical plants in the home/garden. The author does a great job explaining the challenges and tricks involved in an enthusiastic and "can-do" manner.

The book is arranged in thematic chapers: Citrus fruits, other tropical fruits (acerola, avocado, banana and many more), coffee tea & chocolate, sugar & spices, and general tropical plant care & propogation (including one of the better all purpose troubleshooting and pest control chapters I've seen). The author/publisher have also included a good abbreviated glossary and resources and links lists.

Five stars. I think most readers will understand that nobody is going to be able to grow enough of anything to make a significant addition to their food and/or resources balance, but as a fun and education experiment and for bragging rights, it's a very very cool book.

This would be a great choice for home use, gardening groups, and public and school library collections.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

One of the highlights of "Edible Houseplants" is the variety of plants covered. From the familiar, like citrus and herbs, to the exotic, such as coffee and vanilla, the Martins introduce readers to detailed information on each plant's cultivation requirements, tips for troubleshooting common issues, and, most importantly, imaginative culinary uses. Very handy guide for homesteaders!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

My sister in law and I have now potted and are growing many of these plants. It has been fun and educational and we are not finished yet. Someone you love needs this book.