Field Guides To Plants

These revised and updated field guides, originally published in the '70s, feature gorgeous, full-color illustrations and lots of detailed information on the physical characteristics of each plant and its uses. Edible Wild Plants contains information on over 130 wild plants in the U.S. and Canada. Each two-page spread contains information on the left-hand side and a large, full-page illustration of the plant on the right-hand page. Information includes the family, other names for the plant, a description of its appearance, distribution, and edibility. Although the type is small, the descriptions are easy to read and don't rely on scientific terminology. The "edibility" section highlights some of the parts of the plant that are edible, and ways they can be or have been prepared. These often highlight the ways that Native Americans and pioneers utilized the plant, which is fascinating. Medicinal Wild Plants looks very similar to its sister title and covers about 120 North American plants. The pages are set up in the same way, with each entry containing the plant's family, common names, characteristics, area/distribution, and uses. Like Edible Plants, the emphasis is on historical uses – no practical "recipes" are provided. Compared to Edible Wild Plants, above, these are more expensive, but offer some nicer features. The paper quality is better, the illustrations show the whole plant (while Edible Wild Plants relies on several "zoomed-in" photos) and the text seems more organized, with more historical information vs. the practical uses (and recipes) of Edible Wild Plants. 282 pgs and 258 pgs, respectively, pb. – Jess