Book Description

Wildflowers of the Adirondacks, the only field guide for the Adirondack region, is now in a revised and updated edition (c) 2000 and under a new publisher (EarthWords). This popular guide has 120 color photos of both common and rare flowers, arranged by both color and season. There are also drawings of leaf styles, an index of current botanical names, descriptions of the flowers and where they may be found, and space for the reader's own field notes and drawings. The book is a must for wildflower lovers of New York State and New England. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Extremely helpful
While trying to identify some slides that I shot during June of some wildflowers in Colorado, I tried to use Peterson's Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. I had a very difficult time trying to identify anything. I picked up Guennel's guide (for both prairie and mountain) and within minutes I had EVERY wildflower slide identified. I'd like to see more information about each plant, such as when it indicates 'poisonous' for the plant, is it for the whole plant, root, petals, ??? But the ease in identification more than makes up for the lack of additional info. I definately recommend this book.

Excellent - just like it's companion book
See review for Guide to Colorado Wildflowers: Mountains for this review. Same author and same style applies to this one. Excellent resource with ease of use.

I'm Not Wearing Any Pants!
Nice guide, grouping by color helpful for identification. Could use more detailed anatomical descriptions and photos are a bit small. ... Read more

Book Description

Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers is the ultimate field guide towildflowers of the midwestern tallgrass prairie.This valuablereference enables all prairie enthusiasts to quickly and accuratelyidentify hundreds of tallgrass prairie plants. More than 320 colorphotographs Precise descriptions of 295 species Habitat/rangeinformation Historical and cultural notes Educational glossary Completeindex of scientific and common names Directory of tallgrass prairies in13 states ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Excellent reference
This book set a high standard for the soon-to-be Falcoln series. The stunning photographs complement the confident text. Ladd's book has been a constant companion when I search out prairie remnants. A professional, consummate work that should find a place on every botanist's bookshelf.

These are all native plants
I felt I should comment on one part of Rissa's review. She mentions that Queen Anne's lace is not in this book, and feels this is a detriment. On the contrary, this is one of the best features of the book: it contains only NATIVE plants, and not many of the invasive, non-native weeds, like Queen Anne's lace, which are very difficult to control in prairies.
If you don't see a common plant in this book, it's likely because it is an imported weed.
There are many, many "wildflower" identification books that include everything-and-the-kitchen-sink, adding to the common confusion about what a 'wildflower' is. (For instance, Dame's Rocket should be on the 'weed' list, but it's in most of the 'wildflower' mixes.)
If you are looking for an all-inclusive book, the Golden Press,"A Guide to Field Identification of Wildflowers of North America", ISBN 0-307-13664-7 is helpful because it includes the weeds, but tells where they came from and how far they have spread across North America. Of course the USDA's PLANTS website (plants.usda.gov) is the best internet source for this technical information.

This book makes it easy
Just as it is hard to look up the spelling of a word in the dictionary, until you know how it is spelled, it can be hard to identify a plant until you know what it is. This book of photographs of common prairie flowers, grouped by color, is pretty easy to flip through until you find the plant at hand. The caveat is that many 'pink' flowers are in the 'purple' section, but this is true of many flowers (few people really consider 'purple coneflower' to be purple.)
If you want just one field guide to get you started with these gorgeous plants, this is the one I would recommend.

"the iridescent glow was beautiful and wondrous"
I really like the fact that this book is laid out according to flower color, it makes it so much easier to find the plant I'm trying to identify. I also liked the clear, beautiful photographs as well as the detailed text that provides common and Latin names, family, description and habitat or range for each plant. The book seems very complete with 295 species listed, but I was surprised to find that Queen Anne's Lace isn't in it, which, although it may not be native, is certainly ubiquitious here in the tallgrass prairie where I live.

There is a ten-page chapter on how to use the book, a sort of Botany 101, which is very helpful in explaining how to identify prairie plants via what the author calls their "diagnostic features" -- leaves, flowers, overall shape, scent and, in some cases, the sap. The book's cover is sturdy and water-resistant which is nice if you need to set it down on the ground while you take pictures. Also included is a very useful directory of many of America's remaining tallgrass prairie preserves and parks with descriptions plus phone numbers of the government agencies, universities and organizations that oversee them (I was pleasantly surprised at how many times The Nature Conservancy is listed). The book ends with a short bibliography and a very complete index.

I bought this book as a companion to "Birding Illinois," by Sheryl De Vore (from the same publisher). De Vore's book covers various Illinois parks and wildlife areas, many of which are prairies and woodlands. I figure I can take both books and look for birds as well as beautiful prairie flowers.

THE book to have for identification of Tallgrass Wildflowers
This book has fabulous photos and excellent descriptions to aid in the identification of tallgrass prairie wildflowers. Its a must have for any prairie enthusiast. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A Good Beginner's Reference
This is a good, inexpensive book with basic information on how to set up a planted aquarium. I'd recommend this book in conjunction with Barry James' A Fishkeeper's Guide to Aquarium Plants. Although there are a few mistakes (photos of Riccia fluitan and Java moss have been switched), you can't beat the amount of info you get for the price.

Well worth the price 4++ stars
This little book is a very good value. It covers more than 40 different plants in its encylopedia section in addition to its glossary and several different info sections, including info on lighting, nutrients, selection and care. It gives more info about plants than can be obtained in the more general information books and is very inexpensive. It could be organized a little better but it is still very useful and very much worth the price.

Where Are The Fish Supposed To Go?
There are books out there that are sensitive to the interaction of fish and plants. This is not one of them. Please invest a little more money and purchase one of those other books. The sample layouts are incredibly overcrowded. Even some of the photographs reflect the overcrowding!

Best planted aquarium book [for this amount]
Please excuse me, I'm about to gush. If you are just going to buy one book, and you have [little] to spend, buy this one. (If you have unlimited funds, buy this one plus Aquarium Plants by Christel Kasselmann).

As the planted aquarium chairman at our aquarium club, I get a lot of questions. The answers to most of them are in this book. It is a great beginner reference, but be sure to go back and reread it after you've been in the hobby for six months, because you'll learn a lot more about pruning, aquascaping, trimming, etc.

Just buy it!

great for the beginner
I started my aquarium hooby when i was 8 and i'm now 32 so i think my opinion counts for something. this book is well priced and gives a significant amount of information in a small package. the more advanced enthusiasts may find it lacking in detailed information and setups using plants. My rating is based on audience targeted and price. Great value for around $5-$10! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A GREAT Key to Wild Plant Identification
I highly recommend this book, no get two because if you are like me-dragging one into the field-you are going to need a second copy for your reference shelf. With 1300 references to flowering plant life of Eastern North Amercia this author leaves almost nothing to doubt. This book has made all the difference to me in identifying native plants. That's because the author gives clear identifing features and details in his short descriptions, including bloom time, habitat, range and distinguishing plant characteristics. I found the book very easy to navigate because of the illustrations. It is well organized by GENERA and thumbing through the book will help you navigate to the correct species and type of plant. I can't recommend this book highly enough, especially for the advanced plantsman!!! You do need to have familarity with the difference between a daisy and a trillium, botanically speaking, to put this reference to work for you.
This is an outstanding guide to plant identification, not a gardening book. However you can use the habitat information and the bloom time for use in planning.
I am a member of the Georgia Native Plant society. I go out to rescue native plants from development sites and reestablish them in my home garden. I am very pleased with being to rapidly identify anything I come across thanks to this excellent reference.

Very good book, with limitations
This volume is similar to the authors earlier work, "The Illustrated Book of Trees," which was (and is) a valuable resource for many people (including me). The books even look the same, in terms of binding, fonts, and form of illustrations. A large number of flowering plants and shrubs are presented with a short description of each one together with a black and white drawing of the critical features needed for identification (there are no color illustrations in this book). This is not a professional field guide, and there is no provision for "keying out" a specimen for positive identification. As far as I could tell, there is no attempt to provide a systematic approach to identify a specimen. As with the popular field guides for birds, species are listed in groups that share superficial properties that make them seem similar to a person encountering them in the field. Furthermore, the brief descriptions and illustrations are very good, and interesting. Additional positve features include a glossary and several other ancillary tables of information. The index is not exhaustive, but has almost everything I looked for. I only had access to this book for about one hour, but I can see spending lots of time with it and I am about to make the purchase. If you spend much time in the out of doors, and wonder about the identity of plants you encounter, this book belongs on your shelf (its a little heavy for the backpack). ... Read more

Book Description

This profusely illustrated field guide covers the 31 species of orchids that grow wild in California. The first book on California's native orchids, it will be a valuable resource for professionals and hobbyists alike. The Wild Orchids of California is an impressive extension of Ronald A. Coleman's wide fieldwork, literature review, and herbarium research. Written in a clear narrative style, Coleman's species accounts describe the plants and flowers, their habitats, distribution, pollinators, and blooming season. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

More Information Amazon!
Have not actually read the book or ever seen such.

amazon.com needs to more prolific with its printed description of the WILDFLOWER book by F Venning and M Saito. Such as illustrations per page, quality of illustration, any geographical zone in North America not covered, flower type breakdown style such as species, genus, family, etc or is that random. Generally the discription in the web site does not tell much of a story. More please. Tell me about that. ... Read more

Book Description

How do you know when you're face to face with a fringe-leaf ruellia? Is that particular flower button gayfeather or dotted gayfeather? And what about the pod clinging to your pants-could it have come from a pointed-leaf tick-trefoil?

For anyone venturing out into the wilds of Kansas and contiguous states, identifying plants just got a whole lot easier. This is the first book on Kansas wildflowers or weeds to appear in 25 years. It supersedes earlier guides not only in the number of species it includes-plus its coverage of grasses-but also in its spectacular, true-to-life color photos.

Michael Haddock has assembled a guide to 264 wildflowers along with 59 grasses, sedges, and rushes. These comprise many of the state's most common and conspicuous species-as well as some seldom encountered or listed in field guides-and include many that are found throughout the Great Plains.

Wildflowers are arranged first by dominant color groups for quick identification, then by family within each color category so that the user can compare a species with similarly colored flowers. Each entry for flower or grass includes a complete profile for any given plant: scientific name, family, common name(s), flowering period, height, distribution and habitat, life span, basic morphological characteristics, and notes on historical food and medicinal uses where applicable.

The book also features "finding aids" that allow one to narrow a specimen to a smaller number of possible matches-sometimes more quickly than by comparing it to the photos. These lists were created with the non-specialist in mind and are based on basic vegetative and floral features that are usually easy to determine.

Perfect for backpack or glove compartment, Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas offers a wealth of quick-access information graced with color that leaps off the page, making plant identification a joy rather than a chore. It's a book guaranteed to send even chronic homebodies out into the Great Outdoors in search of these elusive blooms. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Awesome Guide for Plants that are "In Bloom".
This is a fantastic book for those that love the wildflowers of the Kansas Prairie.I have not found and easier guide to help me learn and ID Kansas wildflowers.However, if you are interested in the taxonomy and ID prior to or beyond the flowering stage, of those plants that interest you, this book may disappoint you.I would not fail to recommend it to like minded associates.Peace! ... Read more

Book Description

Dendrobium and its Relatives (the subtribe Dendrobiinae) is one of the most popular groups of orchids in the world. This book surveys them from the viewpoints of both the hobby grower and the scientist. There are more than 1200 species in the group, spread over the area from India to the Pacific Islands. They grow in the hot, steamy lowlands, on cool, misty mountain ridges and in hot, seasonally dry savannas. The widespread range which includes many different habitats has resulted in an extremely diverse group of plants with a multitude of plant forms featuring interesting, exquisite, colourful flowers.

Part 1 of Denrobium and its Relatives explores the classification, conservation, evolution, biology and ecology, traditional use, and cultivation of this group in scientifically accurate but readily understandable terms. As well as growing dendrobiums, each of the three authors has had a lifetime of experience with these plants in the wild and this experience is reflected throughout the book. The ideas presented on cultivation are based not only on experience of the authors in their orchid houses, but also on an understanding of the biology of the dendrobiums in their natural habitats.

Part 2 describes and illustrates in colour 411 species, including for the first time in a book, at least one species from each of the 48 subgroups that have been recognised in the dendrobiums. Amongst the species illustrated here are most of the horticulturally popular species, along with some rarely seen but spectacular plants. The island of New Guinea is the home of the dendrobiums and this book illustrates 189 New Guinea species, more than have been published in one place before. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Awesome!!!!
I am an avid Dendrobium orchid grower.

Absolutely love this book, there are few orchids books around that go this indepth into any genera of orchid keeping. It's good to see a detailed book which give plenty of cultural information on each species. I particularly liked the descriptions of the natural growing environments, it helps me with their cultural requirements so I can grow them in my glass house.

This one is a most own book for any Dendrobium grower or any orchid show judge.

It's really A To Z Dendrobium species book!
This book really help me to identify Dendrobium species and its relative like Epigenium and Flickengeria, almost all popular Dendrobium species from India, S.E Asia and some Pacific island included. Good color plate and description about plant origins and distribution. A must have book for Orchid lover.

First rate super buy!
Having grown orchids for more than 20 years, this book is outstanding in it's treatment of the genus Dendrobium. There are lots of superb features which are helpful the novice and the scientist. Particularly useful are the tables denoting geographic distribution, sectional division of like-groups of Dendrobs, and individual color-plates with information on hundreds of plants.

Must have for any serious grower. Can be a great coffee table book as well. Why did I just by one for a gift?... James Roberts --- Roberts Orchids

Excellent Resource for Dendrobium Growers
This book covers every aspect of Dendrobium culture, from the plant origins, biology, conservation, cultivation and hybridization.

The chapter on cultivation goes into great detail about growing Dendrobiums from seed including flasking and caring for the seedlings.

Approximately 175 pages are then devoted to photos and detailed information on 413 species of Dendrobium.

The Dendrobium family is very large and hard to generalize, making this book a big help in locating information about your specific orchids. ... Read more

Book Description

Admired by plant enthusiasts, botanists, and nature lovers of all ages, wildflowers comprise one of the most beloved—and diverse—groupings of flora in South Carolina. Although relatively small in size, the Palmetto State hosts a remarkable variety of wildflower species, from the trillium and bloodroot that brighten its forests to heliotrope and common toadflax that dot the state's roadsides and fields. With color photographs (all by Richard D. Porcher) and extensive descriptions of more than 680 species, A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina offers a complete and indispensable reference for finding and appreciating these natural treasures.

Employing the same innovative approach Richard D. Porcher used in Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry, he and Douglas A. Rayner simplify the task of identification by grouping species according to habitat. For each species identified, the authors include interesting facts—many not widely known or readily available—about rarity, suitability for garden cultivation, and origin of common and scientific names.

Of added interest, the botanists share itineraries for more than fifty wildflower expeditions and short essays on a variety of topics, including carnivorous plants, Carolina bays, native orchids, medicinal plants and folk remedies, poisonous plants, edible plants, and the role of fire in natural communities. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very Informative
I took a class this summer and one of the Text we used was the Guide to Wildflowers of South Carolina. This book is very informative and gives many different topics for each plant listed. Later I met Dr. Porcher and he really knows his stuff.

Beautiful WildFlowers in The Country
My husband and I moved to the country,living on 5acres surrounded by woods.We have all kinds of beautiful wildflowers growing here.A guild to wildflowers in s.c.has helped us to identify alot of these flowers.what a wonderful book to have around.Its just full of helpful information on these plants. ... Read more

Book Description

This beautifully illustrated work is an invaluable reference which includes entries on more than 300 families of flowering plants, from Acanthaceae to Zygophyllaceae.Entries on each family consist of concise and readable accounts of the distribution, diagnostic features, classification, and economic uses of its members.More than 200 family entries are illustrated in full color, as are the comprehensive glossary and the informative introduction to the forms, structure, ecology, uses, and classification of flowering plants. Originally published in 1978, this new edition has been updated and corrected by Professor Heywood--one of the world's top authorities-- and is arranged taxonomically.The book serves as a classic reference that will be valued by naturalists, horticulturists, botanists, and everyone who enjoys the colorful elegance of plants. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great general reference
The book is a good, fundamental reference for flowering plants. I use it to supplement courses in botany and find it popular with my students. Indices & glossary are excellent, as are the figures for identifying features of reproductive and vegetative anatomy of plants. ... Read more

Book Description

The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents features the history, cultivation, and imaginative use of more than 300 plants -- in step-by-step color stages. This is a feast of in-depth information and eye-catching photography.DK's new line of paperback titles combines all the qualities of its hardcovers with the advantages of the soft cover format. Each of these already popular books will now be available to a large new readership who will delight in the essential elements of every DK title: clarity, educational value, and visual appeal. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Not the "Complete" Book without Yuccas!
This is a georgeous book, but it doesn't mention Yuccas at all! There is very little on Agavaceae in general.
The outstanding photography makes it somewhat worthwhile. All of the plants are photographed on white seamless, so they really pop off the page.

Excellent reference, not just for beginners
If you had to limit yourself to just one book, this should be that book.

For novices, this book has excellent basic advice for getting started, including many pictures and of how to display and plant them. For those with more experience, the book is a handy first reference before searching a specialized botanical tome.

This book makes the specific point that (popular, commonly available) cacti are no more difficult to grow than any other house plant.

The book thoroughly covers the needs of these plants, including what kind of soil, how much water, what temperature and amount of light they prefer.

The largest section has all of the popular genera, including the tropical varieties. This section has excellent photography of the plants at their best. If a person had a cactus that's in this book, that person would very likely be able to identify it from the descriptions and pictures. The book usually describes the distinguishing feature that classifies the plants of that type.

Typical and maximum sizes are given, along with the plants' growth habits and the age at which they first flower (some varieties do not flower until they are many years old).

Also included in this section is the hardiness, or how cold the plants can get before they die. If you don't live where these plants naturally grow, this is very important information. For instance, many kinds of cactus grow where it snows in the winter and can be grown outdoors in most of the USA.

At least one of each of the different general forms of cactus is shown: columnar cacti, prickly-pear types, barrel types, etc.

Following the section on specific cacti is a fairly representative section on popular succulents. There are so very many different kinds of succulents in the world, even a book ten times thicker would barely scratch the surface. This book concentrates on those species which are most commonly planted alongside cactus.

The lists at the back of the book are almost worth the price of the book itself. There are lists that categorize cacti and succulents in every which way, including many species that were not pictured or discussed in the main sections. There are lists by how easy the plants are to grow ("easy", "moderate", "difficult"), lists by temperature range ("cool", "temperate", "hot"), and other useful groupings. These lists help make this book continually valuable, even as one's experience and knowledge grows beyond the basics.

This author (Terry Hewitt) has written other books on cacti and succulents. Those books are also excellent, and worth purchasing for the unique information that they contain, but mainly as supplements to this book.

There are also other excellent cactus books that are more complete, but also more technical - or more specialized (for instance, there is an entire reference work on just the "opuntia" (prickly-pear) species).

This book is perfectly written for the average amateur cactus lover.

Kill Your Lawn - Part 2
Several years ago I converted my front lawn into a cactus garden. Actually, it's a hybrid cactus/zen garden. It has the requisite stream [dry of course] and dry pond. The buddhas have been replaced by coyotes and the lamps by Mexican-style chimneys. My neighbors seem to like it [at least they haven't tried to run me out of town]. Terry Hewitt's The Complete Book Of Cacti and Succulents has been an invaluable reference in my cactus education. It's a DK book and therefore has the killer DK style that I love so much. It's not as comprehensive as Miles Anderson's The Ultimate Book Of Cacti And Succulents [which Terry Hewitt consulted on], but it is still an excellent reference. My rating is actually higher than 4 stars, but not high enough to make it a 5 star book.

Excellent book- great info.- great photos!
Terry Hewitt's Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents may not exactly be complete (it is not an encyclopedia), but it is thorough and is an excellent book especially for beginners. Hewitt discusses the anatomy and discovery of cacti/succulents, how to plant them, propogate them, how to keep them healthy, and even discusses how best to display the plants. And of course the most important part: the plant catalog. He covers hundreds of cacti and succulents in full color. In addition to the many desert cacti I'm happy to say that Hewitt also covers epiphytic cacti including aporocactus, aporophyllum, epiphyllum, and the Christmas cacus. In the back of the book the author includes Plant Selection Lists. In these lists he lists the plants that are best for beginners, as indoor pot plants, those that are easy to flower, those that grow best in the different climates, etc. And I again want to stress the many, many beautiful, clear full color photos throughout the book.

One of the best succulent books I've seen
Beautiful pictures and helpful information are what makes this such a fantastic book. Descriptions of individual species is a bit sparse, but this doesn't detract much from the overall appeal of this book. ... Read more

Book Description

From the Big Bend to the Big Thicket, from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley, Texas is blessed with a dazzling array of wildflowers. Of the many species that adorn the state, Texas Wildflowers provides clear and concise descriptions for more than 300, complemented by 381 stunning full-color photographs. Not only the most prevalent species but also rare and unusual plants of startling beauty are illustrated and described.For more than three decades Campbell and Lynn Loughmiller have photographed the wildflowers of Texas, and their most exquisite photographs are reproduced here. The loveliest flowers from all regions of the state are represented, from the graceful calopogon orchid of the Big Thicket to the surprisingly delicate blooms of the Trans-Pecos cacti. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Still the best, after all these years.
I received a copy of "Texas Wildflowers" when I was in middle school, in preparation for a class assignment to collect, identify and preserve a variety of Texas wildflowers. I have held on to my copy for the past 18 years, and it's still the best book for identifying Texas wildlflowers! The photos are superb, and the location and identifying information for each flower is informative and interesting.

My only complaint is the book isn't bound in a weatherproof binding so I can bring it along on my annual wildflower photography visits to Texas locales such as Lyndon B. Johnson State Historical Park; McKinney Falls State Park; Inks Lake State Park and Burnet, Texas.

Un excelente libro de campo
Texas Wildflowers es un excelente libro para el biologo de campo, ya que cuenta con bellas fotografias de los ejemplares revisados en el libro. Es una ayuda para los estudiantes de botanica de Texas y el Noreste de Mexico. Solo le falta un indice por especie y uno por color de flores para su mejor manejo en campo. ... Read more

Book Description

Peterson First Guides are the first books the beginning naturalist needs.Condensed versions of the famous Peterson Field Guides, the First Guides focus on the animals, plants, and other natural things you are most likely to see.They make it fun to get into the field and easy to progress to the full-fledged Peterson Guides. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Wild Flowers of NC
Excellent reference book for use in describing flowers growing in North Carolina at certain times of year.

Wild flowers of North Carolina
This is a good book to bring along on day hikes. Clear photos and identifying information. It is not about gardening wildflowers. ... Read more

Book Description

The Plant-Book is widely accepted as an essential reference text for anyone growing or writing about plants. In over 20,000 entries this comprehensive dictionary provides information on every family and genus of seed-bearing plant (including gymnosperms) plus ferns and other pteridophytes, combining taxonomic details with invaluable information on English names and uses. In this new edition each entry has been updated to take into consideration the most recent literature and over 2,500 new entries have been added, ensuring that The Plant-Book continues to rank among the most practical and authoritative botanical texts available. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Just the Best!
I purchased this reference a few years ago. Once I received it and began using it, I wondered how I'd ever gotten along without it. The author's British and so the dictionary's common names are more often "British" than "American", but it is still the handiest plant dictionary I have. It is a little larger than pocket size, but it is still small enough to be held comfortably in one hand.

A review is superfluous
This book does not need a review. Anybody who is involved in plants, other than the garden kind, knows full well that this is an essential reference. Quite up to date too, which is pretty amazing in view of the pace that science sets. There is an enormous mass of data in here, printed on very thin paper, making for a very handy book that will fit a spot near where you need it, which is likely to be often.

My most used reference book
As a graduate student in ecology I often encounter unfamiliar genera in the literature, and a quick peek in Mabberley gives me enough taxonomic grounding to keep plowing ahead. By constantly referring to this book, I have greatly improved my knowledge of plant relationships. ... Read more

Book Description

This guide, covering 1,505 species of wildflowers, groups flowers by color and plant characteristics for easy matching of pictures with specimens. With descriptions facing the more than 1,500 illustrations, all the information you need can be seen at a glance. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Revised edition with wildflower walks
This book was originally published in 1985, and my copy belongs to the eighth printing in 1999. Its popularity is well-deserved. Author and photographer, Harry C. Lund has spent many years hiking through bogs, forests, meadows, and sand dunes in Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas and its off-shore islands in order to put together this book for us. I have yet to find a Michigan wild flower that isn't listed in this guide. The book is well-bound and would easily fit into your backpack for a walk through the wild.

The flower photographs are grouped by color for ease of location. They are then listed in the order in which they appear during the growing season, which is a little trickier to use. I basically start at the beginning of a color group and page through until I find the flower I'm trying to identify. There are generally six photographs to a page, with the text on the facing page. In some cases, the photographs are a bit too small to easily recognize the flower, but when combined with the text there should be no identification problem.

At the beginning of "Michigan Wildflowers in Color," the author has illustrated textual terms such as 'stipules' or 'basal leaves' with a collection of line drawings. The plant descriptions include location, seasonal display, height, and information on whether the flower is protected and should not be picked or moved.

There is a quiz at the back of the book to test your 'flower power.' There is also an 'Observer's List' to keep track of the flowers you do find. Unfortunately, the first entry I wanted to check off wasn't on the list! Perhaps this is because Crown Vetch is not really a wild flower, although its photograph and description appear in the main section of this book.

The author has also mapped out eight wildflower trails in various Michigan habitats, plus the seasonal species of flowers that can be found there.

In total, "Michigan Wildflowers in Color" is a very helpful guide, especially when used in combination with a book like the Peterson "Field Guide to Wildflowers" where the drawings might serve as a confirmation or a backup to Lund's photographs. Leaves in particular are easier to identify through Peterson's drawings.

Michigan Wildflowers in Color
I have found this guide extremely helpful in identifying species found near our summer home in Michigan. It has excellent photographs, arranged by color, and a chart showing habitats, seasons, and growing conditions. There is a blank chart for entering your own finds. It is informative and user friendly. I would recommend it highly to both novice and experienced wildflower lovers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A superb regional guide
All field guides should be like this book, which gives details about habitat types and plant communities. For individual plants, the blooming periods are given, along with other information. A winner! ... Read more