Flowers of the Southwest Deserts

Rating:
Summary: Excellent day-hiker's guide to Sonoran desert plants
Review: This Sonoran desert guide to common plants is published by the Southwest Parks and Monuments Assoc. It is an excellent guide to keep in your day pack as you hike southwestern deserts. Black and white illustrations are well done and are a great help in identification. Plants are organized by color of flower blossoms which makes it easier for the everyday hiker who is not familiar with botanical taxonomy. The book includes commons species of cacti, desert trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials. I particularly enjoy the inclusion of details about medicinal and/or edible uses of the plants by native Americans of the area. My appreciation of our desert plants is greatly enhanced when I understand how the plants have been used -- and can still be used today. I am a 30-year veteran educator, and use information from this book regulary when on nature hikes with students of all ages. The book has only 4 pages of color photos of plants. I would rate the book as 5-star if it had more color-photo pages. Other desert plant I.D. books have more color pages, but are also much more expensive.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent day-hiker's guide to Sonoran desert plants
Review: This Sonoran desert guide to common plants is published by the Southwest Parks and Monuments Assoc. It is an excellent guide to keep in your day pack as you hike southwestern deserts. Black and white illustrations are well done and are a great help in identification. Plants are organized by color of flower blossoms which makes it easier for the everyday hiker who is not familiar with botanical taxonomy. The book includes commons species of cacti, desert trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials. I particularly enjoy the inclusion of details about medicinal and/or edible uses of the plants by native Americans of the area. My appreciation of our desert plants is greatly enhanced when I understand how the plants have been used -- and can still be used today. I am a 30-year veteran educator, and use information from this book regulary when on nature hikes with students of all ages. The book has only 4 pages of color photos of plants. I would rate the book as 5-star if it had more color-photo pages. Other desert plant I.D. books have more color pages, but are also much more expensive.