technology~ imagine someday being able to scan a plant we are unfamiliar with, upload it to a web site and have it identified within minutes.....
or take a photograph of the bloom, pre bloom, leaf and stalk structure, upload it and have it identified......
like a fingerprint match or dna match....... it could happen!
until then........
i have a friend who is a horticulturist and a forester, i have also used the county extension agents of various departments to help me identify different plants and trees. all i do is send them an email with a photograph, bloom or pre bloom, leaf and stalk structure and they tell me what it is.
we have spent a great deal of time planting fields for honey bees and other pollinators, done a great deal of research for this and have been fortunate with the advice given to us with prairie moon nursery in minnesota.
i have some books also, so i am asking everyone to post what has been helpful to them in the past to help identify wildflowers, or what books you use in your area for identification.
i use/have used the following guides:
Wildflowers of Wisconsin Field Guide by Stan TekielaWildflowers Of Wisconsinthis is a great little field guide for wisconsin with great color photographs and is grouped by color of the plant, and also gives pertinent info on the plant and the author's notes or knowledge of it.
What's Doin' the Bloomin'? A Pictorial Guide to Wildflowers of the Upper Great Lakes Regions Eastern Canada and Northeastern U.S.A.
by Clayton & Michele OslundWhat's Doin' the Bloomin'?great color pictorial guide by season, and also wections on grasses and sedges, vines, flowering woody plants and ferns (plants without flowers) and other great useful info.
Wildflowers in the Field and Forest A FIELD GUIDE TO THE Northeastern United States
by Steven Clemants and Carol GracieWildflowers in the Field and Forestthis is an awesome more in depth and comprehensive color field guide by color of the plant, and insets of photographs of other identifying features of a plant with maps of range and bloom time. very descriptive, very useful. easy to use.
last but not least, i like to know the value of a plant especially to honey bees, for nectar and pollen and other great info. for that resource i have :
Honey Plants Of North America
by John H. Lovell 1926Honey Plants of North Americai own this in a reprint in softcover, would like to have the hardcover, but they sell for a few bucks. although this book contains black and white photographs, there is great in depth information on all plants valuable to honey bees whether it be for pollen or nectar, or propolis and other great info, like color and taste of the honey produced. a great read and a great valuable reference book to have. most bee suppliers carry the softcover reprint.
share what field guides or books you use or have used in your location to help identify wildflower plants!
