United States
£ GBP
This exquisitely illustrated volume provides an accessible, in-depth introduction to spring-blooming wildflowers of the northeastern United States and Canada. Featuring more than 500 detailed colour photos and a large, beautifully designed format, Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast delves into the life histories of more than thirty-five wildflowers and their relatives, from common favourites, such as bloodroot and Jack-in-the-pulpit, to interesting, lesser-known species, including miterwort and featherfoil. Drawing on a wealth of personal experience and the latest scientific research, and presenting it all in terms anyone can understand, acclaimed naturalist and photographer Carol Gracie invites readers to enhance their appreciation of the beauty of these wildflowers by learning not just their names or how many petals they have, but what pollinates them, how their seeds are dispersed, how they interact with other plants and animals, how Native Americans and other people have used them, and other interesting facts.
Each species is illustrated with a range of detailed colour photos that not only capture its beauty but illustrate the features discussed in the text and show the plant in its environment alongside the pollinators, herbivores, or seed dispersers with which, in many cases, the wildflower has evolved. Other topics covered include the naming of wildflowers; pathogens and pests; related species in other parts of the world; and wildflowers in history, literature, and art.
Presenting authoritative information in an inviting style, Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast is an ideal volume for wildflower lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, naturalists, students, and more.
Foreword ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xv
Species Accounts
Baneberries 1
Bloodroot 7
Blue Cohosh 15
Blue-eyed Mary 21
Celandines 27
Columbine 33
Dutchman's Breeches 43
Early Meadow-rue 53
Early Saxifrage 59
False Hellebore 67
Featherfoil 75
Fire-pink 81
Fringed Polygala 85
Hepaticas 93
Jack-in-the-pulpit 101
Lady-slippers 111
Lesser Celandine 121
Lousewort 127
Mayapple 133
Miterwort 141
One-flowered Cancer-root 147
Skunk Cabbage 153
Spring Beauties 163
Squawroot 173
Trilliums 179
Trout-lily 189
Twinleaf 199
Violets 207
Virginia Bluebells 223
Wild Ginger 229
Glossary 235
References 243
Index 265
Carol Gracie is a naturalist, photographer, writer, and lecturer who has a special interest in plants and insects. She is the author of Summer Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History (Princeton) and a co-author of Wildflowers in the Field and Forest: A Field Guide to the Northeastern United States. She has also co-authored books on plants of tropical South America. Now retired, she worked for many years as an educator, research assistant, and tour leader at the New York Botanical Garden. Her work on tropical plant collecting expeditions has resulted in several new species being named for her.
"This is a fabulous, wonderful book that I am delighted to have read and one I will return to again and again. I recommend it to you unreservedly [...] This book is perfectly relevant [to] us at this side of the Atlantic and it would be a frightful oversight if you miss out on enjoying it."
– Paddy Tobin, Irish Garden Plant Society
"[An] in-depth reference."
– Margaret Roach, The New York Times
"This new guidebook from an expert botanist and accomplished photographer is a rare hybrid, offering a wealth of scientific information in a way that is accessible."
– Better Homes and Gardens
"Combines facts and trivia with luscious photographs [...] Gracie's conversational style makes this field guide not only useful but also an entertaining read as it describes these plants' features, habit, history, uses, and ecosystem associations."
– Caroline Bristol, American Gardener
"You will hurry outdoors at the first breath of warm weather to view for yourself the delicate wonders of the springtime blooms so eloquently chronicled in every entry [...] Brilliantly rendered photographs grace every page."
– Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History
"A wonderful resource [...] Let [Gracie] take you on a literary and photographic tour of our region's spring wildflowers, then go out in the woods and fields to enjoy them in the wild!"
– Susan Littlefield, National Gardening Association, New England Newsletter
"There is quite simply a wealth of information here; everything you ever wanted to know about wildflowers but maybe didn't know how or who to ask [...] [D]eserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone who wants to know more about these wonderful plants."
– Gardening with Nature
"Anyone with even the most casual interest in plants will be drawn to this book by the beauty, quality, and quantity of the author's photographs. As for the text, Gracie, a writer, naturalist, and educator, has wisely chosen depth rather than breadth."
– Choice
