Books: Plant Guide
Plant identification is vitally important when wildcrafting herbs and flowers. So is knowing the best way to garden for the herbs and plants you want at the ready. The following books will help you take a more active—and safe—role in gathering plants.
Heirloom Gardener by John Forti
Modern life is a cornucopia of technological wonders. But is something precious being lost? A tangible bond with our natural world--the deep satisfaction of connecting to the earth that was enjoyed by previous generations?
In The Heirloom Gardener, John Forti celebrates gardening as a craft and shares the lore and traditional practices that link us with our environment and with each other. Charmingly illustrated and brimming with wisdom, this guide will inspire you to slow down, recharge, and reconnect.
IWIGARA by Enriqe Salmon
Tap into thousands of years of plant knowledge
The belief that all life-forms are interconnected and share the same breath--known in the Rarámuri tribe as iwígara--has resulted in a treasury of knowledge about the natural world, passed down for millennia by native cultures. Ethnobotanist Enrique Salmón builds on this concept of connection and highlights 80 plants revered by North America's indigenous peoples. Salmón teaches us the ways plants are used as food and medicine, the details of their identification and harvest, their important health benefits, plus their role in traditional stories and myths. Discover in these pages how the timeless wisdom of iwígara can enhance your own kinship with the natural world.
Newcomb's Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb
An ingenious key system for quick, positive field identification of wildflowers, flowering shrubs and vines in Northeastern and North-central North America.
Amateur and expert alike can quickly and accurately identify almost any wildflower using Lawrence Newcomb's system, which is based on natural structural features that are easily visible even to the untrained eye. Every time you see an unknown plant, ask yourself the same five questions (related to the type of plant and the structure of its petals and leaves), and you will be directed to the page on which the plant can be found. Beautiful illustrations make confirmation easy.
Northeast Medicinal Plants by Liz Neves
Wildcraft your way to wellness!
In Northeast Medicinal Plants, Liz Neves is your trusted guide to finding, identifying, harvesting, and using 111 of the region's most powerful wild plants. You'll learn how to safely and ethically forage, and how to use wild plants in herbal medicines including teas, tinctures, and salves. Plant profiles include clear, color photographs, identification tips, medicinal uses and herbal preparations, and harvesting suggestions. Lists of what to forage for each season makes the guide useful year-round.
Thorough, comprehensive, and safe, this is a must-have for foragers, naturalists, and herbalists in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.