Reviews
"Sally Weeks states in the preface that 'our personal landscaping goals have always revolved around attracting wildlife to the area and improving the landscape from an aesthetic as well as a diversity standpoint.' The book's content clearly reflects these ideas. The volume is divided into four main sections: "Native Shrubs," "Native Vines," "Introduced Shrubs," and "Introduced Vines." Every entry includes scientific/common names along with three to eight excellent photographs, a detailed range map, and a note regarding distinctions between similar species. Flowers and fruits are very good identifiers for plants, but are not typically present in the off-seasons (early spring, late fall, and winter). This book includes helpful photos of bark and terminal buds as well as form and size descriptions. An extensive index, a list of native-plant nurseries, and a dichotomous key support the text. Given the book's size, it may be considered a little heavy for field use, but the value of the content makes it wotih taking along. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Regional collections serving all general, academic, and professional audiences." -- CHOICE, "This book makes identification as easy as it gets. The authors combine original keys and easy-to-use classifications in the table of contents with abundant gorgeous color photographs."-- Indiana Native Plant and Wildlife Society, The Herald Times [Bloomington, Indiana; May 5, 2012; by Bob Baird] It was refreshing to run into a naturalist who knows her stuff and backs it up with a definitive volume with more than 1,000 color plates (her own) of leaves, stems, flowers, berries and landscape settings of shrubs and woody vines native to Indiana and surrounding states. Sally proved to be a personable, knowledgeable speaker who doesn't drift into horticultural babble. Her writing style is equally fresh and engaging. Besides identifying my mystery shrub, she and husband Mick, a retired Purdue wildlife biologist, brought wonderful insights to our neck of the woods., The dedicated authors have created a field guide for the Midwest, focusing on desirable native shrubs and vines for the landscape. "Our personal landscaping goals have always revolved around attracting wildlife to the area and improving the landscape from an aesthetic as well as a diversity standpoint." They point out that these native plants are not only hardy, but also have many attractive characteristics. An illustrated glossary introduces readers to the particular plant parts that differentiate species. The plant directory is first divided into sections covering native versus introduced plants; these, in turn, are further divided by type. Summer and winter key guides assist the reader. Narrative passages for individual species include such characteristics as form and size, habitat, wildlife use, and landscaping value. Photographs of high clarity, locator maps, and tips on similar species are additional aids in identification. - Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden., Indiana Native Plant and Wildlife Society [Indianapolis, Indiana; Vol. 19, No. 2, Summer 2012; by Barbara Plampin, Ph.D., field botanist, and Life Director of the Shirley Heinze Land Trust] This book makes identification as easy as it gets. The authors combine original keys and easy-to-use classifications in the table of contents with abundant gorgeous color photographs., "It was refreshing to run into a naturalist who knows her stuff and backs it up with a definitive volume with more than 1,000 color plates (her own) of leaves, stems, flowers, berries and landscape settings of shrubs and woody vines native to Indiana and surrounding states. Sally proved to be a personable, knowledgeable speaker who doesn't drift into horticultural babble. Her writing style is equally fresh and engaging. Besides identifying my mystery shrub, she and husband Mick, a retired Purdue wildlife biologist, brought wonderful insights to our neck of the woods." -- The Herald Times, "The dedicated authors have created a field guide for the Midwest, focusing on desirable native shrubs and vines for the landscape. 'Our personal landscaping goals have always revolved around attracting wildlife to the area and improving the landscape from an aesthetic as well as a diversity standpoint.' They point out that these native plants are not only hardy, but also have many attractive characteristics. An illustrated glossary introduces readers to the particular plant parts that differentiate species. The plant directory is first divided into sections covering native versus introduced plants; these, in turn, are further divided by type. Summer and winter key guides assist the reader. Narrative passages for individual species include such characteristics as form and size, habitat, wildlife use, and landscaping value. Photographs of high clarity, locator maps, and tips on similar species are additional aids in identification."-- Marilyn K. Alaimo , garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden., This book is a wonderful marriage of information for both hmiiculturalists and those whose background is primarily in wildlife and forestry, the same background as Sally Weeks and Harmon Weeks, longtime educators at Purdue. Sally Weeks states in the preface that "our personal landscaping goals have always revolved around attracting wildlife to the area and improving the landscape from an aesthetic as well as a diversity standpoint." The book's content clearly reflects these ideas. The volume is divided into four main sections: "Native Shrubs," "Native Vines," "Introduced Shrubs," and "Introduced Vines." Every entry includes scientific/common names along with three to eight excellent photographs, a detailed range map, and a note regarding distinctions between similar species. Flowers and fruits are very good identifiers for plants, but are not typically present in the off-seasons (early spring, late fall, and winter). This book includes helpful photos of bark and terminal buds as well as form and size descriptions. An extensive index, a list of native-plant nurseries, and a dichotomous key support the text. Given the book's size, it may be considered a little heavy for field use, but the value of the content makes it wotih taking along. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Regional collections serving all general, academic, and professional audiences. --C. M Caretta, Rochester College ( CHOICE )
Table of Content
Foreword Preface Introduction Illustrated Glossary Native Shrubs Conifers: juniper, yew Broadleaf Evergreen, opposite branching, simple leaves: partridgeberry, mistletoe Evergreen, alternate branching, simple leaves: downy bog rosemary, bearberry, leatherleaf, trailing arbutus, wintergreen, mountain laurel Deciduous, opposite branching, simple leaves: buttonbush, bunchberry, dogwood, bush honeysuckle, wahoo, hydrangea, St. Andrew?s cross, St. John?s wort, honeysuckle, buffaloberry, coralberry, viburnum Deciduous, opposite branching, compound leaves: elderberry, bladdernut Deciduous, alternate branching, simple leaves: alder, serviceberry, chokeberry, barberry, birch, New Jersey teas, hackberry, sweetfern, dogwood, hazelnuts, hawthorn, leatherwood, huckleberry, witchhazel, false heather, hollies, sweetspire, spicebush, pachysandra, ninebark, cherries, oak, buckthorn, gooseberries, raspberry, willows, spireas, snowbells, blueberries Deciduous, alternate branching, compound leaves: false indigos, cinquefoil, hoptree, sumac, rose, blackberry/raspberry, poison sumac, prickly-ash Native Vines Evergreen, opposite branching, compound leaves: crossvine Evergreen, alternate branching, simple leaves: cranberry Deciduous, opposite branching, simple leaves: honeysuckle Deciduous, opposite branching, compound leaves: trumpet creeper Deciduous, alternate branching, simple leaves: raccoon grape, pipevine, bittersweet, moonseed, greenbrier, grape Deciduous, alternate branching, compound leaves: Virginia creeper, poison-ivy, wisteria Introduced Shrubs Deciduous, opposite branching, simple leaves: burningbush, privet, honeysuckle, buckthorn Deciduous, alternate branching, simple leaves: barberry, autumn olive, buckthorn Deciduous, alternate branching, compound leaves: rose Introduced Vines Evergreen, opposite branching, simple leaves: wintercreeper, periwinkle Evergreen, alternate branching, simple leaves: English ivy Deciduous, opposite branching, simple leaves: honeysuckle Deciduous, alternate branching, simple leaves: bittersweet Deciduous, alternate branching, compound leaves: kudzu, wisteria Other Introduced, Escaped Species in the Midwest Native-Plant Nurseries in the Midwest How to Use Keys Summer Keys Winter Keys Species Keys Plant Hardiness Zone Map Bibliography Index About the Authors
