Weeds in the Urban Landscape: Where They Come from, Why They're Here, and How to Live with Them

by Richard Orlando

A comprehensive identification guide to 189 common weeds in the urban environment, explaining their families and characteristics, with strategies for managing their presence in the garden and fieldsThis engaging field guide for the urban explorer, gardener, or armchair enthusiast traces the history of weeds as they migrated out of the Middle East with human tribes and spread across Europe and the Americas, details the folklore surrounding them, and explains their role in the evolution of agriculture and human civilizations as well as their many uses for medicine, food, animal fodder, and soil enhancement. Richard Orlando provides detailed descriptions of 189 common weeds—found across the U.S.—describing their families and characteristics, and suggesting strategies for managing their presence in the garden and field. Abundant illustrations enhance the text and facilitate plant identification. An annotated bibliography and index of botanical names, in addition to a detailed explanation of Integrated Pest Management, make this an essential reference for anyone with an interest in the world outside our doors.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

376 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 22, 2018

Reviews

[Deidra Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Weeds are our familiars.” This is well written and pleasant to read. It was perfect for me since I’m in California. Just when it was feeling too dense, he would add in some memorable experience or historical fact, and it was easy to continue on. Now to keep those yellow star thistles in check.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A comprehensive identification guide to 189 common weeds in the urban environment, explaining their families and characteristics, with strategies for managing their presence in the garden and fields."

This was written more in appreciation for weeds (with elegant, black & white line drawings) and their histories than a guide to removing them, though there is a chapter in the back dedicated to finding the least toxic way of controlling them (which I didn't read).
I did find out that the thing I call "rock creeper" is probably some type of spurge (or a couple types of spurge), and what I call "chicken foot" is one of many types of crab grass.

[Diana madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Specialist book, but if you are at all involved in landscaping or horticulture work, its both informative and readable. Beautiful illustrations as well.

[Mark Banaszak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book for everyone, but definitely a book for those who love to grow plants outside and fight the plants that were not planned to be there. The single problem of the book is that the second half’s descriptions of common weeds is focused on weeds that grow in a different region. I wish the descriptions at the end including weeds by region.

[Mills College Library]

632.50978 O714 2018