A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-Central North America

Peterson Field Guides #14

by Roger Tory Peterson, Margaret McKenny

A guide to wild flowers arranged for simple identification in 6 color sections

Genres: Reference, Field Guides, Nature, Nonfiction, Science, Plants, Gardening

420 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Roger Tory Peterson was an American naturalist, ornithologist, artist, and educator, and held to be one of the founding inspirations for the 20th century environmental movement.

Reviews

[Michael Kocinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I read this like a regular book. I think reading field guides add texture to our daily lives—knowing the names of things we see gives the world depth. And in this one in particular so many of the entries read like pure poetry. It was lovely. And useful. It’s a little old bit still relevant. A good laypersons guide to wildflowers.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. Purchased for homeschooling and quick reference for us when we are exploring. I wish it had more information per each plant but still a great guide for a quick reference when needed.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have an older version also. I think this book is excellent for identifying wildflowers but I wish they would do away with the drawings and replace them by pictures. Would also liked to have more information for each particular flower; I know that some are poisonous but this guide fails to mention. Also would have liked to have some info as to whether or not the flowers contain any medicinal properties or have edible parts, such as ground dried chicory roots that can be used as a delicious alternative to coffee. Overall an excellent field guide.

[Gord · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent guide to wildflowers. Very well illustrated, with hundreds of illustrations, I haven't been stumped on a flower yet.

[Russ Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't bad, however I feel Newcomb's Wildflower Guide covers the same information but does so with better illustrations, text and higher quality construction. If I didn't own Newcomb's I might have rated this book a 4, but I can't give it the same mark because it simply lacks what Newcomb's offers. Interestingly, my copy actually feels (and looks) cheaper than the rest of my Peterson guides.

My copy is still in near new condition because I don't use it with so many better options out there.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roger Tory Peterson and Margaret McKenny write an illustrated identification guide to wildflowers of Northeastern and North-Central America. The book includes 1344 (of the original 1500+) drawings by Peterson. With novice readers in mind, rather than use a systemic botanical identification system, the authors use a 3-tier system (color, structure, and field marks distinguishing each species). Within the six color categories (white/whitish, yellow, orange, pink to red, violet to blue, green and brown), flowers are further arranged by families thereunder. Each family section is presented in two-page displays, with common names, scientific names, and descriptions on the left-hand side, and drawings on the right-hand side. Sometimes, the flower descriptions include citations for more information in other books. Despite the arrangement of the book into color categories, most illustrations are uncolored although the limited colored illustrations are helpful when available. While some readers might be frustrated that color illustrations are limited, other novice readers seeking a reliable resource for identifying most regional wildflowers should enjoy the enduring value of this text and its clever reader-friendly design.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Peterson guides. The medicinal , edable and wildflower are all my constant go to for identifying as well as always finding new species, that I've never seen or overlooked. I like the color coding bc itade it simple for me especially when I was just beggining. I've been using these field guides for 20 years now and they are my favorite reference books bc not only are they detailed but they are concise yet contain, region found, species, family, warnings of similar poisonous plants, as well as a brief note of the uses of the flower and sometimes historical mention, what habitats and it has great pictures.

[Miles Vorkosigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book changed my life! I cannot possibly do justice to the influence this book has had on my appreciation of natural history in southern Ontario. Like my compatriots, my guide is full of scribbles - checkmarks, notes about which habitat at which conservation area, blooming dates, reminders about similar species, reminders about those "purple flowers" (see blue/violet, see red/purple, see family description, etc. etc.).

I have to be very careful with my original copy these 5 decades later so that I don't lose pages. I even picked up an extra copy or two at silent auctions and used bookstores so I could protect the original. Very very highly recommended!

[Vasha7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it seems this venerable guide has finally gone out of print after half a century. Inevitable, but it had a good run. There's been a considerable reorganizing of botanical knowledge during that time, with some species being split or merged, and more importantly the landscape keeps changing -- habitats for plants shift (not usually for the better), climate change and human activities change their ranges, and invasive species keep spreading and new ones arrive. Time for a fresh take, but I hope the new will learn something from the old.

● The thing I like most about "Peterson's Guide": the stylized illustrations. They're not as pretty as those in other books, but they show you exactly and clearly what identifying features the author is pointing out. Down with modern guides that rely on photos--at least with the internet, you can get lots and lots of different photos, which is no doubt even better, but it takes time and effort to figure out what to look for there.
● The thing I hate about it: no key! Within sections organized by color, the plants are further organized with "similar" ones on each page, but the only way you can find the right page is by flipping through.
● Lesser problem 1: tries to cover too large of a geographic area, simply can't fit in enough species to do justice to the variety found in any one place.
● Lesser problem 2: arbitrarily includes a few shrubs (particularly showy-flowered ones), but should have stuck to non-woody plants only, not made just a few exceptions.
● Nostalgia factor: I have an affection for the icons placed next to each entry to indicate the plant's family, even if today's system of families is a bit different!

Footnote: Some internet resources, even if using photos, at least provide good closeups. Two that excel are Minnesota Wildflowers and Missouri Plants. Though I say it with some reservations (species descriptions very hard to read, photo quality variable [with a few drawings included, hooray!]), GoBotany is the resource for New England. All those sites cover trees, grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants as Peterson didn't. The first two sites don't have a key, the third has one but it's kind of aggravating to use.

[Numberbox]

Beautifully illustrated guide, pocketbook size, paperback. Cover is blue and white with three plant images on the cover. Pictorial glossary of flowers on front end-pages and ruler printed on inside back cover. A keeper.

[Deborah Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took this book with to a class in Grand Marais, it was very well organized and useful.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love field guides. Being outside and enjoying the challenge of identifying something in nature, in this case wildflowers.

[LadybugPJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive guide, I just wish the illustrations were in in more Comprehensive color for better identification.

[Kayla Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently taking an edible plant course at my local college and this small booklet is very helpful as an additional reference to the material provided in class

[Kokkonuts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved carrying this book with me everywhere I went this summer. I would pick plants, try to figure out which one was what then dry them in between the proper pages for fun. It was nice to flip through it with dried flowers that kept falling out of the book and staining the pages. Nice pictures and quick overview of the plants.

[Scott Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a farily extensive introduction to the wildflowers of the Northeastern & central United States. The descriptions, illustrations and characteristic indicator arrows typical of the Peterson guides are very useful. I have used this guide frequently while on business trips to North Carolina, the southern limit of its range.

[Gennadyi · Rating 3 out of 5]

my least favorite of the peterson guides that i've used.
great illustrations and descriptions but the plants are arranged based on the color of the flower, which makes identification rather difficult outside the blooming season if you don't know at least the family the plant belongs to.

[Thelma Kastl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Peter White's Wildflowers of the Smokies for identification of wildflowers within the Appalachian Mountain Range; of course, Peterson's book is for a larger geographical area than White's.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up with this book - it is my first go to for wildflowers.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic reference. I bring it camping and consult it whenever I want to type out a plant. Love it.

[Jobiska (Cindy)]

I own an earlier edition; Peterson Field guides are always useful. I like to combine their drawings with a guide that has photographs for ultimate identification.

[Andria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these kinds of books, even though I have a hard time doing the identification. I like having the books to try to do so.

[Dolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I own this book!

[Alex Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the Petersons pocket Guide to wild flowers. It's a beginers guide to identifying flowers and was a great read over breakfast. A more in depth edition is also available.

[Dyann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrations and information. Peterson Field guides of all kinds are excellent.