The Book of Field & Roadside: Open-Country Weeds, Trees, and Wildflowers of Eastern North America

by John Eastman, Amelia Hansen (Illustrator)

A guide to plant life in open dryland habitatsFascinating fact and folkloreDetailed, beautiful drawingsPicking up where typical field guides leave off, this handy reference takes an ecological approach, providing complete descriptions of 85 plants found in fields, open meadows, and along roadsides--from Ailanthus to Yucca--as well as wildlife communities associated with them. Written in an engaging manner, this book helps readers identify dryland plants, discusses what other organisms, plant and animal, might be found in the same area, and explains why.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Science, Field Guides

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2003

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

lots of interesting information on the "weeds" that grow beside the road or in your yard. I read it from cover to cover, though you could also just look up a favorite plant. It's in alphbetical order. Not very useful as a field guide. If you want to ID something, I'd recommend or . If you like this one, consider Eastman's other guides as well as , or

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reference packed with loads of information about weeds. Makes for entertaining reading in the winter, when there is nothing to do with weeds but plan my campaign. Lots of in depth discussion of beneficial properties (ie, lots of weeds seem to have potential for cleaning toxic sites, naturally many serve as habitat and/or food for critters, etc) and of botanical relationships with other plants. Fascinating!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not so great for identification, unless you can use the detailed descriptions to help you (I do better with a photo). Some profiles have a single black-and-white illustration. Really good resource for those interested in learning about what insects and other creatures are associated with a plant, or for learning how the plant reproduces. Some interesting info about plant lore and medical usage as well.