# Sticky  Favorite I.D. books?



## Hears The Water

Ok folks, I was thinking it would be fun for us all to list our favorite books for identifying "weeds", plants and trees. Here is my list.

Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plats in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places by "Wildman" Steve Brill with Evelyn Dean.
This was my first book that I owned. There are wonderful drawings that give you some of the best details. It also breaks down into locations and seasons. There is a great resource that tells of any toxic or poisonious look alikes. There are also recipes in the back.

Missouri Wildflowers (5th edition) by Edgar Denison. This has wonderful color photographs and lists the plants in order of appearance. I have my "life list" in this one! 

Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons. I don't actually own a copy of this one, but my local library usted to have one and it was the first book that I read that got me hooked on this hobby. Hmmm, I think I need to head over to ebay or amazon to find me a copy of this book! LOL

God bless you and yours
Debbie


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## inc

peterson guide to north american edible plants. probably got ti sometime after graduation. few color plates but excellent pen & ink drawings. only id basic representative species, but covers all the plants that most people would have a question about.


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## marvella

another vote for petersens!

then again, the very first one i bought was about 20 years ago, from rader's digest. i still use it. over the years i have been surprised how many plants and animals it manages to pack into less than 300 pages. all the most common stuff is in there.


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## Cabin Fever

We use the National Audubon Field Guides for all kinds of identification questions. They have a field guide for almost every subject imaginable:

*National Audubon Society Field Guides to North American ... *  

Birds: Eastern Region (Rev. Ed.). ISBN 0-679-42852-6 
Birds: Western Region (Rev. Ed.). ISBN 0-679-42851-8 
Butterflies. ISBN 0-394-51914-0 
Fishes, Whales, & Dolphins. ISBN 0-394-53405-0 
Fossils. ISBN 0-394-52412-8 
Insects and Spiders. ISBN 0-394-50763-0 
Mammals (Rev. Ed.). ISBN 0-679-44631-1 
Mushrooms. ISBN 0-394-51992-2 
Night Sky. ISBN 0-679-40852-5 
Reptiles and Amphibians. ISBN 0-394-50824-6 
Rocks and Minerals. ISBN 0-394-50269-8 
Seashells. ISBN 0-394-51913-2 
Seashore Creatures. ISBN 0-394-51993-0 
Trees: Eastern Region. ISBN 0-394-50760-6 
Trees: Western Region. ISBN 0-394-50761-4 
Weather. ISBN 0-679-40851-7 
Wildflowers: Eastern Region. ISBN 0-394-50432-1 
Wildflowers: Western Region. ISBN 0-394-50431-3


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## GeorgiaberryM

For anyone in the south, _Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of East Texas_ by Elray S. Nixon, illustrated by Bruce Lyndon Cunningham, is a great resource. Instead of photos, this book has fabulous botanical drawings. The benefit of this is that the artist can show what is really typical of a plant. Also various stages of flower and fruit development are illustrated, as well as wintertime leafless budding twigs - often a very useful aid in identification. There are easy to use simple keys and an illustrated glossary that provide an excellent introduction to keying for those who are a little afraid to try it.

I live in Arkansas, and rely heavily on the late great Carl G. Hunter's guides, including _Wildflowers of Arkansas_, _Trees, Shrubs and Vines of Arkansas_, and _Autumn Leaves and Winter Berries of Arkansas_. I am sure these would be useful to most southerners. They are published by the Ozark Society Foundation and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

My mushroom book is Roger Phillips' _Mushrooms of North America_. It has good photos with very true color and two keys, one being for beginners.

Georgiaberry
www.HGDesignBuild.com


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## mzzlisa

American Hort Society "Great Plant Guide". Its small, green, and lists 3000 plants with color photos and lists in the back for color schemes, dry climates, etc. Its great to take to the nursery when you're shopping for plants.

And anything by Michael Dirr- "Hardy Trees and Shrubs", "Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates", and my favorite- "The Manual of Woody Landscape Plants". They are expensive books, but worth every penny if you're seriously into identification and care.


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## MelissaW

I like the Golden fieldguides best. The illustrations are good, and in full color. For more obscure herbs, I have a book called the Encyclopedia of Herbal medicine (DK I think) that has great pictures and descriptions.


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## shorty'smom

Hears The Water said:


> Ok folks, I was thinking it would be fun for us all to list our favorite books for identifying "weeds", plants and trees. Here is my list.
> 
> Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plats in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places by "Wildman" Steve Brill with Evelyn Dean.
> This was my first book that I owned. There are wonderful drawings that give you some of the best details. It also breaks down into locations and seasons. There is a great resource that tells of any toxic or poisonious look alikes. There are also recipes in the back.
> 
> Missouri Wildflowers (5th edition) by Edgar Denison. This has wonderful color photographs and lists the plants in order of appearance. I have my "life list" in this one!
> 
> Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons. I don't actually own a copy of this one, but my local library usted to have one and it was the first book that I read that got me hooked on this hobby. Hmmm, I think I need to head over to ebay or amazon to find me a copy of this book! LOL
> God bless you and yours
> Debbie



I like my little copy of Roadside Flowers of Oklahoma by Doyle McCoy for common flowring plants here in the southern Great Plains. The audobon books are nice to be able to see a picture of the plants, once you have keyed it out. I use A Manual of the Flowering Plants of Kansas by TM Barkley published by the Kansas State University Press. I also use Keys to the Flora of Oklahoma by U.T. Waterfall, published by Oklahoma State University press. I also use Fruit Key & Twig Key to Trees & Shrubs by Wiliam M. Harlow, PH.D, How To Identify Plants by H.D. Harrington and L. W. Durrell, and finally the large Flora of the Great Plains by the Great Plains Flora Association, University of Kansas Press.

The Reader's Digest Magic and Medicine of Plants has excellent drawings of plants also. Take a sample of the whole plant with flowers and fruit(seeds) with the root. The root is important.

For "tame" non-native plant identification, try your local extension office's Expert Gardener. I've been told that there is a good demant for taxonomists in the ornamental plant industry. If you like taxonomy, check it out.

One cannot beat a visit to a herbarium to compare plants for positive identification though. Most agricultural extension offices have folks who can identify your "weeds" for you too.

My botany Prof. gave us this definition of the word "weed." A weed is a plant that is growing where you don't want it to grow.


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## NativeRose

I like "Edible and Useful Plants of Texas and the Southwest" it is a really interesting book with information that is helpful to me as I am interested in wild edibles. I also have a field guide "Broad-Leaved Herbaceous Plants of South Texas" (used by livestock and wildlife) I have a few other and am always scrounging around looking for others.

Thanks Debbie for posting this. I love all the information and will be looking for some of the books that y'all have posted here.  

Rosemary


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## Wildcrofthollow

Hands down the best book for identification of herbaceous plants, vines and some shrubs in the Eastern US for the beginner/intermediate is Newcomb's Wildflower guide. The key is easy to use and will get you there almost every time. The number of plants it contains is remarkable. I always look in Newcomb's before I go looking in something heavy.

Heavy things:
Grays manual of botany 5th ed. God help you if you must venture here. The plant you are looking for IS in there but you better have a degree in botany before you go looking in it. The folks that use this tome are either very educated or really nuts about learning about plants (that would be me)

Vascular Flora of the Carolinas If you live near the Carolinas, It will be in there, unfortunately, again, you need that botany degree. (or the aforementioned insanity)

For Trees and Shrubs... I agree with the other folks here, Peterson's Field Guide to Eastern Trees is better than the Field guide to Trees and shrubs, but I carry the one for Trees and shrubs. (I run into more shrubs that I am unfamiliar with than trees)

Great thread, thanks for posting it. I'm sorry it took me so long to say anything.


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## woodspirit

Any of Michael Dirr's books.
Resident of Athens Georgia too for all our southern neighbors.
IMHO the best in the world at identifying plants.
P.S. Mr Dirr you can send the money to my website when I get one.


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## Susan4

Another vote for Audubon's guides here, mine are well worn. I especially find the eastern region trees helpful. Dirr's is helpful for landscape varieties and shrubs too.

Susan4


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## TrailDog

I'll submit another vote for Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. I've had mine since 1995 and have never found another field guide that I like better.

TrailDog


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## doodlemom

Newcombs wildflower guide and William M Harlow's Fruit Key and Twig key


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## Zuska

Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Pojar and McKinnon.

The best I've seen for us Pac Northwesterners. Also:

Plants and Animals of the Pacific Northwest by Eugene Kozloff.....I had his daughter in one of my wild foraging workshops last year.

Mountain Plants of the Pacific Northwest by Taylor and Douglas


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## Junkmanme

"Organic Plant Protection" Rodale Press ISBN 0-87857-110-8
Edited by Roger B. Yepsen, Jr.


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## Windy in Kansas

Weeds of the Great Plains published by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

Wildflowers and weeds of Kansas by Janet E. Bare.

Weeds in Kansas by Frank C. Gates Ph.D.


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## homegrownlovin

I see a lot of good books listed here that I've looked at and used. I also like:

Wildflowers of the Big Thicket, East Texas, and Western Louisiana; as well as Wild Flowers of Texas, both by the same author, but I can't remember how to spell her last name. She's Cherokee.

Edible Native Plants of The Rocky Mountians, by H. D. Harrington.

American Indian Food and Lore.

Edible Wild Plants by Thomas S. Elias and Peter Dykeman. 

Reader's Digest North American Wildlife. This was my first book.

There are also many many good websites. One of my favorites is: www.swsbm.com. The plant pics are great.


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## sage_morgan

Windy in Kansas said:


> Weeds of the Great Plains published by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.
> 
> Wildflowers and weeds of Kansas by Janet E. Bare.
> 
> Weeds in Kansas by Frank C. Gates Ph.D.


I officially *puffy heart* love Weeds of the Great Plains! I have the older white copy, and the green is better. I grew to love roadside weeds and native plants using this as one of my texts several years ago.

I also love Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie, an ethnobotanical guide; and Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie, an ethnobotanical guide, both by Kelly Kindscher.

Cool comment about using a flora to identify plants (the "god help you" comment). Some plants its a snap; other plants (distinguishing between 18-odd types of solidagos), a PAIN!


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## kypossumdog

I love and reccomend as often as I can, the handbooks from Dorling Kindersly
such as http://www.amazon.com/DK-Handbooks-...r_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196968094&sr=8-11 All of their books have the best pictures. I love their kids books too.


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## ROSEMAMA

Another vote for the Audubon series! I've had about 1/2 of them for twenty years (need to get the rest). Cross referencing is easy, photos are awesome, and the books are well made. With reasonable care they will last a very long time.
I have:
Mammals
Trees
Insects and Spiders
Butterflies
Wildflowers
Birds (eastern region)
Reptiles and Amphibians

Also small enough to add in a day pack.


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## Eunice

My most favorite plant identification book is WEEDS OF THE WEST, published by The Western Society of Weed Science in cooperation with the Western United States Land Grant Universities Cooperative Extension Services. It was given to me as a friendship gift.


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## pinemead

For those living in the Mid-Atlantic and north, I highly recommend "Weeds of the Northeast" by Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal and Joseph M. DiTomaso. It's an excellent weed ID book.


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## airotciv

I have to agree with the Petersons guides, but also look in to the Nature bound Pocket Field guides by Ron Dawson.


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## John David

I'm going with the "The Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants" by Steven M. Still. Recommended to me by my college horticulture teacher in the 90's. Not necessarily a book on herbs or medicinal plants (though many are included) but great info on plants that are adapted to most climates of the U.S. and Canada.
Beautiful line drawings and tons of info about id characteristics and cultural features.


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## theroots

Have several favorites on edible plant identification in hardcover but our favorite online database would have to be - 

Plants for a Future

They are a non-profit oreganization located in the UK and they have an amazing searchable database of over 7000 plants. The results can be tailored to edibility rating, habitat, uses, etc... Lots of good images as well. 

A couple of other good websites with free resources are - 

free-wild-edibles-books

and 

free-wildcrafting-books


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## jenisis77

Foragers Harvest- very informative book choc-full of information. The pictures are great and the corresponding description as well as seasonal chart provides an easy identification guide. I just wish it was full of more info.


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## botanygal

Plants of the PNW Coast by Pojar is probably one of the best (if the not the best) out there. Every plant ID book should be designed like this one. 

Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia and the Inland Northwest by Parish et al. is a close second but doesn't have the distribution maps

Those two are my favorites but it really depends on what you are using it for. 

Wildflowers of the PNW is pretty but useless if you need to ID vegetative structures. 
The Field Guide to Forest Plants of Idaho is useful but would be great with color. 

I have a bit of "problem" with collecting plant ID books.


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## MNMamaBear

The Forager's Harvest and Nature's Garden are two of my favorites so far. I also have a couple of books on mushroom ID but can't remember the names.


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## Karin L

For where I'm located, my favorite plant ID books are:

Common Plants of the Western Rangelands Vol. 1 "Grass and Grass-like Species"
Common Plants of the Western Rangelands Vol. 2 "Trees and Shrubs"
Common Plants of the Western Rangelands Vol. 3 "Forbs" 
All by Kathy Tannas, and through Olds College, and Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.

Plants of Alberta by France Royer

Plants of the Western Forest: Alberta, Saskatchewan & Manitoba, Boreal and Aspen Parkland, by Derek Johnson.

Flora of Alberta by E. H. Moss. (No pictures, but a whole lot of descriptions for many, many plants in Alberta)

Weeds of the Prairies, publication by AAFRD (Alberta Ag)

I haven't come across a good Peterson or Audubon guide yet that is as good as the books I've listed, although that's just me personally.


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## wildmansteve

inc said:


> peterson guide to north american edible plants. probably got ti sometime after graduation. few color plates but excellent pen & ink drawings. only id basic representative species, but covers all the plants that most people would have a question about.


Unfortunately, this book is full of mistakes and omissions. Don't follow Peterson's recommendations for skunk cabbage, Jack-in-the-pulpit, common reed, or water lily, or you'll regret it.


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## ed/La

I like to mushroom hunt. Simon & Schuster's Mushrooms. I also have National Audubon Society Field guide to Mushrooms .


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## chappell

This is prolly a dumb question but what plant is this? Found in my woods in SW WI. There is a lot of it and wondering if safe for my cattle. I'm very green at plant ID and can't find it. Thanks


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## Fennick

chappell said:


> This is prolly a dumb question but what plant is this? Found in my woods in SW WI. There is a lot of it and wondering if safe for my cattle. I'm very green at plant ID and can't find it. Thanks


That is Alliaria petiolata, a member of the mustard family. It's most commonly known as garlic mustard. You can read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliaria_petiolata

Welcome to the forum. 

Just so you know for future reference - you asked your question in the wrong place. Further down on the Plant ID forum page is the section designated for posting any questions about plants. If you have other questions about plant identifications you should start a new, separate thread of your own about it there instead of posting it in this topic. This particular topic is an old sticky topic regarding recommendations for Books, it's not actually about identifying plants and not many people read here unless they're suggesting or looking for plant books.

.


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## longrider

I found a guy on youtube that has a great hour long video of walking around the backyard and around town explaining all the edible weeds in every neighborhood. I bought his book and have watched several of his videos. His book is very well done and is better than most of the others. 


Sergei Boutenko Wild Edibles.


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