Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Wildflowers: A Guide to Familiar American Flowers by Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin

Wildflowers: A Guide to Familiar American Flowers by Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin

Wildflowers: A Guide to Familiar American Flowers (2002) is a Golden Guide from St. Martin’s Press by Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin and illustrated by Rudolf Freund. The book was revised by Jonathan P. Latimer and Karen Stray Nolting with Dr. Robert A. Defilipps.

I enjoyed reading this helpful guide to American wildflowers. It has beautiful illustrations of flowering plants that we often take for granted or overlook. The book is divided into four sections that organize wildflowers by their predominant color: red to pink and magenta, purple to blue, orange to yellow, and cream to white. The top corners of the pages are color-coded in four corresponding shades, so it’s handy to flip through the guide to locate a specific plant by flower color.

I learned a lot of new things about various wildflower species and their geographic ranges. I also came to know many facts that I was unaware of before. For instance, I never knew that clovers were part of the pea family. The authors have some preferences for wildflowers that don’t align with mine. I love Queen Anne’s Lace, and I think orchids are a bit overrated.

Yellow Orchids in Wildflowers: A Guide to Familiar American Flowers by Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin

Queen Anne's Lace in Wildflowers: A Guide to Familiar American Flowers by Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin

Other than those quibbles, the book is a great reference guide for anyone wanting to learn about wildflowers.

Purchase and read books in the Golden Guides series by Herbert S. Zim:

Wildflowers: A Guide to Familiar American Flowers by Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin Trees by Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin Birds by Herbert S. Zim


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