Common Backyard Weeds of the Upper Midwest

I own two of the author’s other books- Mushrooms of the Midwest and Wild Berries & Fruits- and so I expected this to be similarly well organized and well written. It is, for the most part, though there are a few things I think could be improved. It’s pretty comprehensive, though there are some omission I think should have been included. Pokeweed, for one- it’s tremendously common in Midwestern gardens. The photos are good, though I would like to see more examples of plants that show a wide variety of forms, like poison Ivy.My biggest issue is with the organization of the book and locat8ng individual plants. There’s a section on “indentofying plants visually” that explains leaf shapes, leaf organization, flower structure, and flower arrangement, but it doesn’t use any of that information to help you locate a plant in the book. You might see a weed in your garden, and note that it has doubly-compound pinnate leaves with serrated edges and flowers arranged in branching clusters, but you’ll still end up flipping pages to find a photo that matches. The book is organized into four sections that divide plants by overall structure, but that’s a pretty coarse division; around three-quarters of the book is “upright broadleaf weeds.”I do like the book, and I think it’s one that will accompany me on local nature walks, as it’s small enough to fit in a coat pocket and it is focused on the sorts of plants I’m likely to find in my suburban area. But I would like to see the author add some indices and keys that would make it a better field guide.

These books are awesome. But why is this book a different size than the others? The slightly smaller size works better for me when bringing them with while foraging in the woods. The information and pictures in these books are awesome and make foraging much easier and precise. Love them.

This small pocket reference is so packed full of useful information about the weeds around my home. Plant identification as well as how to control the weeds is all just what I had been looking for.

Wish I had only bought this book and put the others back. Most of the weeds in my yard are in this book.

Thank you for the book and it was in good condition. It was what I expected when I received it.

I've got several books I use to identify weeds (many considered wildflowers), and this is definitely my first choice. If the plant is normally considered a weed by most peoples standards, it will be in here. Gives excellent information on the plants, and how to identify them, as well as good info on how to eradicate them. A very good 'go-to' book.Update: Have had the book over 6 months now, and want to add another comment. I've purchased other more in depth books on weeds/wildflowers/plants of the midwest, many with much more pages, but I keep coming back to this handy book. It really does have almost all of the weeds you'll encounter, and the info, although concise, is just what you need. I use mine so much it's getting worn out. Great book.

The pandemic forced me to stay home with nothing to do, so I began gardening. I found pretty weeds in the yard which I can now identify with this book. My yard doesn't have a lot going for it, as you can probably tell if I find weeds pretty, but weeds are all different and looking at them kept me busy all summer and fall. This book has them all in there and it's very helpful if your yard is like mine!

This little book should be on every weed-lover's shelf. Clear color pictures of each plant are accompanied by it's history, probable origin, and attributes, and even it's medicinal uses,if any. The book does not include every Midwestern weed, but looking through it is like looking at your first grade class photo- you have seen these characters before but you can't remember the names!