Book Description

A thorough yet user-friendly companion to the authors' popular paperback 'Sugarloaf: The Mountain's History, Geology, and Natural Lore' -- both books are the result of a ten-year collaboration -- this volume is an exquisitely illustrated guide to 350 eastern woodland wildflowers and trees found on site at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland. Many of these plants also thrive across a wide region of the eastern United States and Canada, making this guide a remarkably helpful resource for both mid-Atlantic naturalists -- amateur and experienced -- and botanical enthusiasts across North America.

Author Melanie Choukas-Bradley and illustrator Tina Thieme Brown have teamed up once again to create a practical tool for answering the age-old question frequently raised by visitors to the woods: "What is that plant over there?" At the same time, Choukas-Bradley and Brown aim to educate by presenting the plants grouped by family, so that the observer will learn to anticipate the presence of certain plants based on an understanding of their family characteristics. The text describes each plant's flower, leaf, and growth habit, gives its ideal habitat and range, describes similar species that might be confused with the plant, and gives an herbal history where applicable. And because plants are organized by family and genus, the scholarly reader can build on his or her botanical knowledge.

'An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees' includes a user-friendly key, an illustrated glossary of frequently used botanical terms, and is packed with nearly 400 elaborately and artistically detailed pen-and-ink drawings to make plant identification simple and fun. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Beautifully illustrated book on an equally as beautiful mtn
This is the second in a series of 2 books on the Sugarloaf Mountain region in Barnesville, Maryland. A must-have for any local resident to Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia, you will literally feel like you are up on the mountain in the pages of this book, whose gorgeous illustrations and writing bring the mountain to life in any reader's mind as vividly as the real thing! More importantly, the beauty throughout the pages of this book will drive you out Hwy 70 right over to and up the mountain to see it first hand. One of the North-east's best kept treasures, Sugarloaf Mountain was once the runner-up for what became Camp David, this field guide provides readers with a truely tangible appreciation for why it was also among FDR's favorite resting spots! Make it yours too, beginning with this book!

THE GOOD WORD
This is from the July issue of Pomegranate Seeds
pomegranateseeds@comcast.net

THE GOOD WORD:
A New Field Guide to Eastern
Wildflowers, Trees and Shrubs
by Jeri Metz

I just purchased the most authoritative and readable field guide to wildflowers, herbs, shrubs, vines and trees for the Mid-Eastern United States. An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees by Melanie Choukas-Bradley, illustrated by Tina Thieme Brown, is eminently readable and includes all the local native and naturalized species that grow abundantly here without any help from us. This is the perfect book for anyone who is interested in gardening with Mother Nature, creating a water-wise native plant garden, or just identifying the local plants while out walking and hiking. The author describes the plants with expert plant taxonomy, humor, and personal anecdotes, throwing in folklore and history where appropriate. She includes specifics on habitat and range, as well as bloom time and where the plants can be found when walking the trails of Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland. The illustrations, drawn from life, are simple and beautiful, appropriately delicate when describing fragile spring wildflowers, richly detailed and imposing when capturing the hardier species. They compliment every page they are on.

The book is a love letter from two naturalists to their adored Sugarloaf Mountain, where they spent ten years hiking and painstakingly identifying the plants. They view the mountain as a rare gift and "a learning laboratory." But this guide is so much more than the plants on Sugarloaf Mountain. It covers every plant I could think to look up. It includes a very readable botanical key and a comprehensive illustrated glossary. There are suggested readings. But what makes it unique and exceptional in my library of field guides, is the personal touch in both the writings and drawings. The love that Choukas-Bradley and Brown feel for these plants jumps from the pages and I can feel and see how wondrous and magical each plant is for them. By sharing their reverence and respect for all these plants, they inspire while they educate.

An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees; 350 Plants Observed at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland, by Melanie Choukas-Bradley. Illustrated by Tina Thieme Brown. University of Virginia Press. $39.95 through the Audubon Naturalist Society and bookstores and on www.amazon.com.

An excellent field guide with exquisite illustrations.
This book is far more detailed than any other wildflower guides I've seen but is written in simple language that I can understand. The illustrations are beautiful and so detailed that it makes it easy to identify wildflowers I find on Sugarloaf Mountain and in walks along the Potomac River. I like learning about medicinal uses of native plants and the book is filled with herbal lore. It's a friendly book that is scientifically accurate and detailed but also contains personal anecdotes in which the author's love of trees and wildflowers comes through. I carry both this book and the companion volume--Sugarloaf: The Mountain's History, Geology and Natural Lore on my hikes.

One of my favorite things about the book is that the plants are organized according to families, with information about each plant family. It's fun to find members of the lily family and the rose family growing in the woods. The book helps you understand relationships between plants in a meaningful way. I like thinking about how this onion that I'm eating is related to the trout lily that grows along Sugarloaf Mountain's streams! Plus, its illustrated glossary is an extremely helpful learning tool.

I recommend this field guide to everyone, from novice to experienced botanists. ... Read more

Book Description

Regional/Nature

New photography by John Gregor

The classic wildflower guide of the North, now in a long-awaited new edition!

For more than two decades the first edition of Northland Wildflowers has been the standard guide to wildflowers of the Upper Midwest and Canada, and has become an indispensable reference. Now, a substantial revision presents more than three hundred species of commonly found wildflowers, all stunningly captured in new full-color images by photographer John Gregor.

The most comprehensive and informative book on this subject, Northland Wildflowers is destined also to be regarded as the most beautiful. Its six sections are divided by the color of bloom, making it the ideal guide for the gardener, the hiker, and the roadside traveler. Each entry is highlighted with a photograph and description of the species and its habitat and a mention of related species. A thorough bibliography, glossary, and index make this an essential resource.

In addition to information on how to identify wildflower species, Northland Wildflowers recommends the best seasons for viewing each variety and suggest how to plant, grow, and preserve wildflowers. Notes on Ojibwe medicinal and culinary uses of flowers, such as wintergreen and milkweed, as well as a look at which plants are immigrants from Europe, such as the sow thistle and the dandelion, will fascinate all.

This spectacularly illustrated new edition of Northland Wildflowers is sure to become the key guide for gardeners and nature lovers of the North.

John B. Moyle (1909-1977) was a biologist and research supervisor at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and a frequent contributor to the Minnesota Volunteer. Evelyn W. Moyle is a longtime wildflower enthusiast, photographer, and gardener. She lectures and leads wildflower walks near her home in Excelsior, Minnesota.

John Gregor is owner of ColdSnap Photography. His photography has appeared in Growing Home: Stories of Ethnic Gardening by Susan Davis Price (1999) and in Trees and Shrubs for Northern Gardens by Leon Snyder (2000), both available from the University of Minnesota Press. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very Helpful, Compact Guidebook - Worth the Higher Cost
Over a period of six days we hiked 41 miles on Teton trails across open stretches in Jackson Hole and through dark forests and over high mountain passes. Everywhere we saw wildflowers - not the same wildflowers, but a changing mix reflecting differences in microclimate, especially as we climbed above the tree line.

Fortunately, my wife was well-prepared and carried a copy of A Field Guide to Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains, an excellent guidebook with full-color photos of 300 species of wildflowers scattered throughout the Rocky Mountains of North America. Only rarely did we encounter flowers that posed identification problems. (Useful hint: stopping to examine a particular wildflower is a perfect excuse for an unscheduled, but desperately needed rest break, especially at the higher elevations.)

Many guidebooks group the color photos together; the descriptive text is elsewhere and the reader is continually paging back and forth. The arrangement in Carl Schreier's field guide is especially useful for the hiker: the text and photo are on the same page making it possible to look at the wildflower, find the photo, and even read the text while continuing to move along the trail.

Ink drawings of each plant accompany the color photos to make identification easier. The relatively short overview (about 15 pages) highlights key anatomical features that help differentiate individual families and species of wildflowers. The detailed glossary of technical terms is quite helpful.

Schreier's guidebook (second edition, 2002) is widely available on the internet. Like many field guides, it is fairly expensive; used copies (1996 edition) can also be purchased.

In previous years we used guidebooks authored by Richard J. Shaw (Wildflowers of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks - ISBN 0-937512-05-2, and Plants of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks - ISBN 0-937512-02-8. They contain substantially fewer photos, but are less expensive. ... Read more

Book Description

Already a classic among lovers of Texas wildflowers, The Texas Bluebonnet has been expanded to include even more information on how to grow bluebonnets in your home garden. A useful bibliography of other wildflower publications has also been added for true wildflower enthusiasts.Of course, The Texas Bluebonnet still contains all the elements that have made it so popular both for owning and for gift-giving--lore and legend about bluebonnets and their place in Texas history and culture, driving tours to the best display areas, botanical information, gorgeous full-color photographs, and much more. In short, this is a book that every Texan or visitor to the state will want to own and consult. ... Read more

Book Description

The latest in the ROM’s acclaimed series of beautiful and authoritative field guides

Guaranteed to appeal to everyone from the casual Sunday stroller to the most dedicated amateur botanist, The ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario is researched, written, and designed specifically for the Ontario reader and visitor. It is the most authoritative, easy to use, and beautifully designed guide to Ontario wildflowers available, with a stunning selection of photographs unsurpassed anywhere.

This landmark publication features:
• Detailed and clearly written descriptions of 400 of Ontario’s most common wildflowers, including notes on habitat, characteristic features of each species’ leaves, flowers, and fruits; description of similar species; and in many cases interesting additional information about the plant, such as traditional uses, origin of its name, and biology.
• Approximately 1,000 stunning full-colour photographs drawn from the ROM’s celebrated collection of more than 50,000 botanical photos.
• Specially designed colour-coded key to assist identification.
• Handy size and format, with photos and description for each species all on one page.
• Sized to fit in a backpack or pocket, with stitched binding and rugged cover for extra durability.
• Glossary of botanical terms and index. ... Read more

Book Description

Both ornamental and food plants common to gardens in Hawaii are included in this easy-to-use book. You will find concise information about propagation, culture and pest control, as well as a description of the plant and its origins. Many gardeners in Hawaii are familiar with the name Fortunato Teho. The late Mr. Tehos gardening column was avidly read by plant lovers throughout Hawaii. The text has been updated to include new information on disease and pest control and plant culture. New illustrations by Sean G. Kimura accompany this guide for the home gardener. ... Read more

Book Description

In this pocket-sized book, the author combines his poetic appreciation for nature with superb photographs to produce a guide to more than 100 of Tahoe's most common wildflowers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A wonderful guide to identifying Tahoe wildflowers
There are several books available on California wildflower identification, but this is the only one that covers the Tahoe Sierra. Laird Blackwell, respected professor at Sierra Nevada College has dished up a wonderfullysatifying little book that is packed with beautiful photographs, helpfulidentification tips and humorous prose. As a plant identification teachermyself, I can attest to this books need and I warmly reccomend it to anyonewho wishes to walk though Tahoe's beautiful wild gardens and have at theirfingertips a fun and helpful guide to the wioldflowers of this region. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A handy guide you can carry in your daypack
The book describes 312 species of flowering plants, chosen from among about 2000 species of flowering plants native to a region that "includes the western parts of Minnesota and Iowa, all of North Dakota and South Dakota and Nebraska and the eastern parts of Montana and Wyoming." In other words, it's a guide to the most prominent flowering plants in the large geographic sector called the Grassland Province, which is a wide north-south belt of grasssland extending from Alberta and Saskatchewan south to Texas.

The books presents a color picture, usually about 2-inches by 2-inches square, for each species. It also gives the common name and scientific name, as well as a paragraph of the most important information about each species.

A particularly useful feature is that thebook is divided into separate sections for grasses and ferns, yellow flowers, white flowers, red flowers and blue flowers. So, if you find a plant whose name you don't know, all you have to do is whizz to the section for flowers of that color. And there you are, unless it's a rare plant.

There's a good index and a small but useful bibliography.

Excellent companion for wildflower walks in the high plains
The latest edition of l992 is an excellent companion for wildflower and grass identification on the high plains of Montana.The photos, descriptions, text and organization make it easy to use for the amateurwildflower enthusiast. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great for the novice
This is a great book for the novice botanist. As a person who just recently started trying to identify wildflowers in the Monterey area, I found this book a great guide. I already have a couple of other books, including the ones from the Audubon Society and from the California Native Plant Society, but this one is so simple and covers most of the flowers you commonly see. It's easy to flip through, the pictures are clear and in color, and it certainly doesn't overwhelm you with technical jargon. I was only sorry it doesn't include some of the smaller/tinier flowers I see around. Maybe in the next edition. A great gift! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Organization for the novice, folklore and fancy.
This book is orgranized for easy identification of over 200 wildflowers of the Inland Northwest. You don't have to know what you're looking for to find it. You first search by color, then by number of petals, then by picture (every flower has a photograph). It includes indexes by common names, scientific names, and by color.

The book also contains trivia and folklore associated with many of the flowers. For instance, in it you will find out how Strawberries and Mustard got their names, whose stems were used by the Native Americans of the Northwest to make arrows, and whose leaves' smoke was inhaled as a headache remedy.

On a personal note: This book was written by my parents, just everyday people with a genuine love and respect for nature. All photographs (but one) were taken by my father on his retirement excursions. Unfortunately, he did not live to see it published, but we all rejoice at their novel accomplishment. ... Read more