Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska

by Jim Pojar, Andy MacKinnon

This best-selling field guide features 794 species of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, aquatics, grasses, ferns, mosses and lichens found along the coast from Oregon to Alaska. Color photographs and line drawings help you identify and learn about the fascinating plants of the Pacific Northwest coast. Engaging notes on each species describe aboriginal and other local uses of plants for food, medicine and implements, along with the unique characteristics of each plant and name origins.

Genres: Reference, Nature, Nonfiction, Science, Plants, Field Guides, Natural History

528 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1994

Reviews

[Karen Erdmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my "go to" book for all plants I find on the farm, in our woods and on my walks. It gives a balance of identification, uses and local culture. It will always occupy a prominent place on my current bookshelf and I will never be finished reading it.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only gripe with this book is that it does not include the scientific name of the family in the plant profiles.

[Tess Lockhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

My holy bible 🙏🏼

[Kylie Stoneburner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have I read this cover to cover? No. But this is my go-to guide for PNW plant ID. While I was an undergraduate at the University of Washington, Bothell campus, this was my textbook in a number of nature and field based classes. This is the text I learned to ID wetland and forest plants, in the winter by their buds no less. I still have my Pojar on my shelf and frequently bring it along on camping trips or out to my “mobile office” at work in the field with WDFW. I particularly love the dichotomous key for trees. I also have a fond memory of frantically flipping to the page on snowberries after a classmate and I snuck a berry while touring plots in the wetland because we’d heard they ferment on the vine. At first we felt like Charlie and Grandpa Joe sneaking a sample in Willy Wonka’s bubble soda room, until the classmates leading the tour mentioned that they were toxic. I don’t think I’ve flipped through a book so fast, looking for the edible information on snowberries, worried I’d just made a stupid mistake, to find out that aboriginals used to eat one or two berries to settle upset stomachs. Relieved I wasn’t about to die, and vowing to NEVER eat something in nature before doing my due diligence again, we scurried on to the next plot to catch up with the rest of the class!

[Adrienne Pop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my bible

[Cameron Kobes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plenty of great information in this book, but reading it cover-to-cover is not an easy task. It took me four and a half months to finish this book. I've brought it on hikes to try identifying some of the plants I've seen, and now that I've finished it I think I'll have a much easier time with that. There were dozens of plants in here that I know I've seen, but I never knew their names before.

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are my favorite field guides. I learned about the Lone Pine field guides during my environmental science field camp during the summer of 2007 and got very enthusiastic about keying out plants. Now I'm in Alaska and have tried many resources to get to know the plants around here and this guide remains the best one. It makes me want spring and summer so I can get outside and watch things grow!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reference book for those who wish to hike with their encyclopedias. A good cover of the PNW plants but not too heavy to bring along. Nicely organized and even if I am totally unfamiliar with the plant I can find it pretty easily in the book. Otherwise, I have read the book back to front several times looking for plants and enjoyed every minute of it.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

not only is it an awesome and thorough field guide (that includes lichens and bryophytes, a rarity) but a crucial ethnobotanical reference. knowing the indigenous uses of the plants is so helpful in committing them to memory; I’m so much more likely to remember a plant if I know I can use its berries or roots medicinally or if it makes a sturdy whittling wood. It’s so vital to create a working knowledge of plants that acknowledges the ecological relationships indigenous cultures have cultivated for centuries

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful compendium of plants in the PNW. This is a book you keep referring to, not to read and shelve! I look at it on a regular basis as I try to reorganize my plantings and make my garden more native to help the birds and wildlife.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and informative.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite field guide and I thoroughly geek out with it on every camping trip. Highly recommended for anyone interested in local flora.

[Sally Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

indispensable. Includes some ethnobotany.

[Degan Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource of our flora.

[Sissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indispensable.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legit the Alaskan Park/Forest Ranger bible. No seriously...thank God for this book lol

[outdoortype · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you live on, or travel through a lot, the coast of the West Coast (B.C., Washington and Oregon - I don't know about Alaska yet): it is an excellent reference.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE book for identifying plants in the PNW. I take it hiking with me all the time.

[Sarah Ehinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great pictures and descriptions of the flowers, fruit, leaves, and ecology of each plant.

[Tara Tiger Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book during a plant id course and it's fantastic. I would like to see better photos and illustrations for every plant.

[Bhan13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A guidebook but so very good to read straight through.

[bibliophagy · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this one. lives in the truck, always ready to go.

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

only missing a taxonomic key

[Joseph Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is loaded with crisp, clear info and indexed categorically from taxonomy to ecology and many traditional indigenous uses for specific resources . Vivid illustrations too and a color-coded placement for each species and where you’re apt to find it in the region.

[Nia · Rating 5 out of 5]

| My Review | A must have on any trip through the Pacific Northwest!

[Elizabeth Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Constantly referred to this book when living on the Olympic Peninsula for 7 years. A real gem.

[Shawn Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guide is so dense with information that if it didn't have a well written information introductory a person would be lost reading it.

I loved comparing this book to another book "The new whole foods encyclopedia" by Rebecca Wood.

I can walk outside and forage for whole foods. That wasn't the original intent but that's how the idea started. Could I take a hike, identify the plans around me and if I was hungry have a snack? How would I know if it was safe to eat.

This great little guide is so dense with information every backpacker (or mom trying to open up the world to her kids) should have a copy.

[Pentti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up years ago when I was teaching plants at a summer camp in the Oregon coast range, near the southern end of this books range. It was fantastic. Sure, the experts out there will use the Jepson guide, but this book hits the sweet spot for casual naturalists like me. The dichotomous trees are simplified so normal people can use them, and the full color photos are beautiful and really help with identification. Most importantly though, the authors have a knack for choosing the most interesting species and sharing just the right details... ecological, historical, cultural, etymological.. to give each species some unique character and bring the forest alive.

[Nathan Waldren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of 3 books I keep in the truck with me no matter where I go. The other two are a field guide (noted elsewhere) and a USFS forest pathology text for this area. I ain't gonna be stumped by nothin', nohow! This book has been a standard of mine since 1996. My original copy is battered and beaten but still readable; the revised version is what I carry today. The "revisions" are mostly taxonomic or superficial, and I'm not greatly affected by either.

[tmll · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is invaluable and friggin' hilarious. lots of solid information for accurate plant id'ing, tips and pointers for medicinal and edibles and thorough resource listings for more information. I particularly love the entry about wapato, a riparian root, that when improperly roasted, causes horrific farts.