Common to This Country: Botanical Discoveries of Lewis and Clark

by Susan H. Munger, Verlyn Klinkenborg (Foreword), Charlotte Staub Thomas (Illustrator)

Lewis and Clark's 1804 to 1806 expedition to discover a direct water route to the Pacific Ocean resulted in accomplishments never imagined. Although they never found a water route west, they discovered and described more than 40 American Indian tribes, 122 animals unknown to science, and 178 types of plants. In exquisitely detailed watercolor illustrations and intriguing essays, Common to This Country explores more than two dozen of these plants' place in history and their significance. The book skillfully chronicles Lewis' obsession with plant collecting, often in his own words, and botanically accurate watercolors display the salient features often noted in Lewis's journal. This beautiful guide will appeal to natural history buffs and gardeners alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Plants, History, Gardening

114 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2003

Reviews

[Ryan H · Rating 3 out of 5]

2022 Huxley Public Library Dewey Decimal Challenge - Book #3 (581)
While I wasn't overly interested in the brief details of each featured plant, the brief notes of the Lewis & Clark expedition were quite interesting.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the people of the Pacific Northwest are justly proud of the achievements of the Lewis & Clark expedition, the botanical discoveries the group that they led may not be as well known. This book brings to light a few aspects of that expedition that many potential readers are not likely to be familiar with, including the role of Lewis as a skilled amateur botanist who ended up with several species (and one entire genus of portulaca plants which contains the bitterroot) named after him, while Clark himself also had a plant named after him. As the Louisiana Purchase had recently been made and the United States had inherited a solid claim on the Pacific Northwest as a result, Jefferson had wanted to have an accurate cartographic and scientific understanding of the United States’ new lands, especially given that there were widespread hopes of a passage to the ocean that were dashed when the group reached the Rockies. Clark handled the maps, and Lewis handled the scientific exploration of plants that were new to science, and in the process gathered hundreds of specimens, many of which became viable and increased the knowledge of the plants of the West within Western Civilization.

The contents of the book are straightforward, and follow the path of the expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific Coast of Fort Clatsop and back, pointing out some representative plants that were new to science but native to the region. Each chapter not only discusses a particular plant, its habitat, uses as food or medicine for human beings and other species, drawings, appearances in the diaries of Lewis or Clark, specimen collection and the fate of those specimens, as well as the uses of the plants for ornamental purposes, along with other plants of the same genus that Lewis and Clark found and discussed, summing up to a little more than 100 pages of material. Included in the selection of plants are the Osage Orange, the Bur Oak, Lewis’s Prairie Flax, the Prickly Pear, the Snowberry, the Camas, the Bearberry, the Ragged Robin, the Shrubby Penstemon, Bear Grass, the Ponderosa Pine, and the Gumbo Evening Primrose, among others. The end result is a lovely and entertaining book that contains beautiful drawings, a lot of excerpts from Lewis’ detailed diary, and some fascinating stories about how botany worked in the early 19th century, where talented and hardworking amateurs were still able to contribute to essential understanding among scientists.

The target audience for this book is perhaps an unusual one, but those people who have an interest in botany or gardening [1], are interested in American history, and have a fondness for ethnographic studies or reading diaries will find much to enjoy in this little book. The book is amply illustrated in gorgeous watercolors and contains maps that help the reader understand the geographical context of where the plant specimens were collected. The book not only gives credit to Lewis and Clark, but also to the other members of their party as well as their native guides, and is thoughtful in discussing both the commercial viability of some plants and the fragility of others with a plea to avoid overcutting. The book therefore combines a sound cultural and ecological approach with an intriguing focus on both history and botany, for an audience that finds the scientific terms and the historical context to be worthy of reading. For many readers, this book will likely encourage further reading about the expedition, such as the diaries of Lewis and Clark, as well as interest in the Lewis and Clark Herbarium that was filled with the specimens that they found on their epic journey of exploration.

[1] See, for example:

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[Bob Wernerehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful romp through the journey of Lewis and Clark, as well as the floristic highlights. Beautifully laid out and illustrated, and well-written, this book is a pleasure to read and a delight to enjoy. Even to font face is excellent. I read the hardcover version. There are many interesting stories behind the plant collections described. Worthy to keep on your shelf as a reference.

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covered a lot of areas, as my bookshelf tags show. I loved the book for many reasons, and am always happy to find a book like this, to add to my growing collection of historical, flora, travel books! It has beautiful illustrations, in an easy-to-read format.

[Jackie Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grateful for information, inspiration, and meeting my new neighbor 🙏

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps not for everyone but this was a sweet little book documenting the travels of Lewis & Clark. A nice addition to a plant library but not a stand alone reference book.