Weeds of the Northeast

The one thing missing is whether the plants are edible. Otherwise good info.

Very good - but I was dissappointed I could not find the UNKNOWN weedy plant (s)( or volunteers/ imports) that I am specifically trying to ID. HOWEVER- I read through the book cover to cover and now have a reference for at least 30 questionable plants/ weeds, ( in my garden/ yard in CT approx zone 6/7 ) which never had names before. Of course they have had these names all along , but now I am better able to identify them properly, as needed.Generally, I am finding it very difficult to identify unknowns especially before they flower - IF they flower! I have had some limited sucess at the website "GoBotany" where I discovered I have some Lysimacchia Punctata?There are enough clues and photos in this book to feel confident that you have a positive ID, which is comforting.

I've tried several books on wild edibles because I want to make use of plants (weeds) growing on my property. This book solved my problem. Although it isn't geared to identification of edible plants only, nor does it make any claim about uses for various plants, I was finally able to identify all the common weeds I'd been wondering about. Once I knew what a plant was, I could go to another book ('Peterson Field Guide: Edible Wild Plants' is my favorite) to learn about potential usability.I've really tried hard to identify these plants with surety in other books without success, but with this one, I was able to identify them all in about 30 minutes. Every one of the 299 common weeds described in this book has a full page of great pictures as well as a page of information. The thorough and unusual indexes in the front help you find plants by characteristics, but for me it was the pictures that did the trick. There's a picture of the mature plant in its favored location as well as pictures of seedlings, seeds, close-ups, stem characteristics, and sometimes a person's hand holding the plant, which helps with size reference on small plants and even additional drawings where they would add value.There is a thorough glossary at the end of the book, tables of comparisons, and charts including an elaborate foldout chart comparing various grasses. At some point, I may want to get deeper into the provided information to help control certain weeds, but my main goal was identification and this book did it for me--in spades. I couldn't be more pleased.

I have an interest in roadside plants that are considered weeds but are handsome specimens-- learning the names is important to me. This book is well-organized and user-friendly, but..... My complaint addresses the quality of many of the photos, which often don't present the plant against a contrasting background, making it difficult to discern the leaf and stem structure.It seems it will take a collection of books to put together all the information. But this is certainly a worthy member of the group.

This book has really good pictures of the weeds which make it easier to identify the weeds. The book came in perfect condition. Very happy and would recommend it.

I purchased this book primarily because it promised photos of emerging weed seedlings and I needed help identifying weeds in my flower beds before they got too big. The book delivered on its promise. This is a scholarly work that has terrific photos of weeds at virtually all stages--seeds, seedlings, young plants, plants in flower and frequently even photos of the root structure. The text is concise and gives more information about the technical parts of the plants than I was even looking for (stuff like "leaves are alternate, sessile, lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic..."). My only criticism is that with all the wonderful info about each of these weeds, they did not include information on how to best control or eradicate the weeds. A one or two line addition to each description along the lines of: "controlls easily by hand-pulling volunteers", or the names of chemicals most effective in treating, in other words, help for the homeowner or professional to control the specific weed without having to consult another source. They do (rarely) mention response (or lack thereof) to herbicides. I would like specific, precise recommendations including the common brand names of the most effective treatment (Weed-B-Gon, Round-up, etc.) for each weed listed. That addition would make it a complete, one stop resource that was indispensible.

I love this book! I had to have my own copy after seeing one in use at the Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener booth at last year's 4-H Fair. It doesn't ID everything that I find growing around my property, of course, and I definitely agree with S.C. Watson's wishes for information on edibility and invasiveness. Still, this is a terrific book.The ID process format (the part you look at to try and ID a mystery plant) takes a little getting used to, but that is true with any detailed plant book. There is "plant language" ("cotyledon" and the like) but not an impossible amount. The photos, as has been pointed out, are amazing. Each plant is shown in several forms, from seeds to total plant, even just to different ways (darkness of hue, etc.) that individual plants may look.It's fun to see what's popping up in the lawn and at the edges of the wood, and it's educational too. Recommended without reservation.Updated several years later: This remains my go-to field guide for weed identification, although I've purchased several more and am always on the lookout. Depending whether one is more interested in flowers or "weeds," one will want to pick up different books. Weeds of the Northeast is not, for example, state of the art as regards invasive species, but the second edition of Kaufman & Kaufman's Invasive Plants complements it nicely in that regard.This book, Weeds of the Northeast, is really the "bible" of its genre.

If you have weeds, but aren't sure on their id, this is a must have book. Great photos