The books listed below were used extensively in identification of the plants in my photographs and as sources of information about the plants for this web page.

Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon. Lone Pine Publishing, Vancouver, BC, 1994. 524 pp.

This is the most comprehensive book for Western Washington, but lacks coverage of the shrub steppe and other plants peculiar to Eastern Washington. It features 794 species. It covers the flora on the west side of the Cascade Mountains from Cook Inlet near Anchorage, Alaska to Eugene, Oregon.  It is organized by family with color photos, descriptions of the plant, flower and fruit, and ecology.  It also tells about uses of the plant by Native Americans and possible origins of the name.  There is a 16 page introduction and a 7 page illustrated glossary.

Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest, Mark Turner and Phyllis Gustafson. Timber Press Inc, Portland, Oregon, 2006. 511 pp.

This book has been the most comprehensive book field guide for wildflowers found in the State of Washington. It features 1200 species. It has a 43 page introduction, including a section on plant families. The book is organized by flower color, number of petals, and ovary position. The color photographs are excellent, the description of the flowers concise, and has useful maps showing where each plant occurs.  (A link to Mark Turner’s web site is listed under ‘Resources: Internet Links’.)

Flora of Mount Rainier National Park, David Biek. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, Oregon, 2000. 506 pp.

Although the range is very limited, Mount Rainier National Park has a great diversity of habitats. This book covers 871 species with excellent line drawings, concise descriptions and a guide to plant locations. It is organized by family and is an excellent cross reference. The introduction includes a section on plant communities.

 

Trees, Shrubs and Flowers to know in Washington and British Columbia, C.P. Lyons and Bill Merilee. Lone Pine Publishing, Vancouver, BC, 1995. 375 pp.

This book covers more than 600 common trees, shrubs and flowers. It has some small color photos, but the detailed line-drawings, especially when contrasting two species, is the best feature of this book.  The author emphasizes distinctive features by highlighting them in the description. The book is organized by flower color and number of petals.

Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary, Ronald J. Taylor. Mountain Press Publishing Company, Missoula, Montana, 1992. 211 pp

This book is not very comprehensive in plant coverage, but is the best I have found for Eastern Washington wildflowers. It has excellent photos and a brief description of some of the plants east of the Cascade Mountains. It covers parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado.  The book is organized by family. It has an excellent introduction about plant zones, plant adaptations, pollinators, animals, a key to plant families, a glossary, and illustrations of flower types and leaves.

Wayside Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest, Dee Strickler. The Flower Press, Columbia Falls, Montana, 1993. 272 pp.

This books covers 400 species found in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and southwestern British Columbia. It has beautiful photographs and informative paragraphs about the wildflowers, a glossary, and a visual guide (plant key with page references) to the wildflowers.  The flowers are organized by plant family.

Flora of the Pacific Northwest, C. Leo Hitchcock and Arthur Cronquist. University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington, 1973. 705 pp.

This book is THE reference for northwest botanists, but it has become out of date. It attempted to cover every species found in the greater Pacific Northwest.  It has plant keys, excellent line drawings, plant descriptions, and lists the states where each plant species is found.  The descriptions in this book use technical terminology and have lots of abbreviations.