Edible Plants: A Photographic Survey of the Wild Edible Botanicals of North America

by Jimmy Fike

For over a decade, artist Jimmy Fike traveled across the continental United States in an epic effort to photograph wild edible flora. Edible Plants is the culmination of that journey, featuring over 100 photographs that Fike has selectively colorized to highlight the comestible part of the plant.

While the images initially appear to be scientific illustrations or photograms from the dawn of photography when plants were placed directly on sensitized paper and exposed under the sun, a closer look reveals, according to Liesl Bradner of the Los Angeles Times , "haunting [and] eerily beautiful" photographs. Beyond instilling wonder, Fike's contemporary, place-based approach to landscape photography emphasizes our relationship to the natural world, reveals food sources, and encourages environmental stewardship. His clever and beautiful method makes it easy to identify both the specimen and its edible parts and includes detailed descriptions about the plant's wider purposes as food and medicine.

Sumptuously illustrated and delightfully informative, Edible Plants is the perfect gift for anyone curious about unlocking the secrets of native North American plants.

Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, Science, Gardening, Plants, Nature

248 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2022

Reviews

[Chelsea | thrillerbookbabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Kaye Publicity for my copy of Edible Plants. The book is just STUNNING. I mean every single page is so beautiful it really sucks you in. It is a great coffee table book and I spent more time than I thought I would paging through the book. The book has over 100 pictures of beautiful edible plants in the wild. I love how the book emphasizes our relationship to the world, reveals food sources, and encourages us to take care of our environment. Just stunning- I recommend this book to anyone who likes beautiful natural food or stunning plants!

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a hard one to review, because it is trying to serve a worthy purpose, but I think it falls short.

Yes to beautiful pictures of plants with edibility info!
However, these pictures are not always clear in what they are trying to portray. At least for the plants I am familiar with, they were not always even a good representational specimen. The pics also seem to sometimes confuse which parts are edible and which not in how things are highlighted.

Also, the accompanying information for the uses of the plants often fell short of what all is known or helpful.

Overall, it seems like in trying to serve dual purposes - being photogenic and being useful - neither one was wholly successful.
Oh well. It was a good effort.
And if you know of any plant books that do a better job towards the goal than this one, do let us know.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like other reviews have said, this is meant to be a coffee table photography book and not a reference guide. The way the plants are photographed, with some parts colored and others x-rayed, makes it very confusing and unhelpful to identify any of these plants (especially when so many say "similar to deadly hemlock, make sure to identify correctly"!)

Many of the plants are also arguably NOT edible and can cause illness when eaten. Or they require particular care in their preparation (which would require consulting a different resource) to be edible. It also feels irresponsible to say the plant is used for X, Y, Z in traditional medicine but without explaining how it is prepared for those things.

Also, lol @ the author mentioning that American ginseng is endangered and a protected plant and thus "take care" when harvesting. It's protected by US Fish and Wildlife and illegal to harvest!

Pretty but not useful.

[Melanie | addictedtobooks86 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a photographic book and it is so absolutely STUNNING! Fike's work is pure talent, and it is amazingly beautiful. This big, beautiful hardcover book features a collection of over 100 photos that Fike took and collected on his journey while traveling across the United States. His work is breathtaking and makes for an amazing gift for yourself or anyone! I have it featured on my coffee table and am in awe of the photos everyday.

Thank you so much @KayePublicity for gifting me with this stunner! I absolutely love it! Also, I am so looking forward to seeing what other captivating work Fike has in store for us.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had intended to use this for foraging ideas, but it is really not a useful reference book. Many of the photos are beautiful to look at but they are not at all helpful in identification as it is not always clear which plant parts are being highlighted. There's a lot of "You can use the leaves to make tea! Tinctures! POULTICES!" which is just not very interesting or useful unless you are well and truly lost in the wilderness with no other options than to eat stinging nettle leaves. As always, maps would be useful. Also, many of the captions say things like "It was an important food for Native Americans" which sounds dismissive and condescending.

[Raven]

"Angelica often grows near, and vaguely resembles, deadly poison hemlock, so great care is recommended before harvesting."

"[Wild asparagus] is the same plant as the cultivated version found at your local grocery store but has escaped from the garden since originally being imported from Europe in the 1600s."

"The flowers are edible raw, though fuzzy and tasteless." [on Ballhead Waterleaf]

"The green, immature catkins can be eaten like corn on the cob." [on Cattail]

"Often the plant is discovered after one inadvertently steps on it then smells pineapple." [on Pineapple Weed]

[Megsbookclub · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge coffee table book fan! I just got this new one called Edible Plants! Not only is it beautiful, with gorgeous pictures, I learn something on each page!

If you are looking for something completely different, especially for that outdoor, wilderness loving friend of yours be sure to check this one out!

[Carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the intersection of art and science, this leans more towards art. It is beautiful, don't get me wrong, and the compositions are lovely, but don't use it as your main plant identification source. It is a fantastic introduction, but without being able to see more parts of the plant up close, I cannot recommend it for ID. It is still absolutely worth reading, though, and certainly looking.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful coffee table book that brings to mind the Audubon bird books. It isn't a field guide, and I'm not sure I'd want it as my only means of identifying a plant, but it provides some basic information and beautiful illustrations.

[Leticia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's alright. It's 100% a coffee book and not a field guide book - it's heavy as heck. There's a review on the back that describes it as "botanical pageantry" and that's the perfect way to describe it. Just an artistic way to photograph edible plants and not much else.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice photos and pretty standard info. Nice coffee table book but not particularly useful since it’s not divided taxonomically, geographically or otherwise. Photos with highlighted sections is unique but technical plant information should be accompanied with technical drawings to be truly useful.

[Kayla Zabcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

80%

The key words here are "photographic survey" making this book more of a love letter to edible plants more so than an informational encyclopedia. That being said, it is a lovely love letter and it highlights the uniqueness and beauty of often-overlooked plants.

[Rachel Rosolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a work of art. The photography is stunning, and it's such an interesting concept. The author selectively colorized the portions of the plant that are edible. I'm in love.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. gorgeous photographs. Beautiful coffee table book.

[Halley · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful. informative. amazing!

[Julie Trapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

For over a decade, artist Jimmy Fike traveled across the continental United States in an epic effort to photograph wild edible flora. Edible Plants is the culmination of that journey, featuring over 100 photographs that Fike has selectively colorized to highlight the comestible part of the plant. His clever and beautiful method makes it easy to identify both the specimen and its edible parts and includes detailed descriptions about the plant's wider purposes as food and medicine. [amazon synopsis]

Great coffee table book. Beautiful photographs.