Native Plants and Wildlife Gardening Books
Books helpful for gardening with natives and for wildlife, or identifying them in the field.
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The Butterflies of Cascadia: A Field Guide to All the Species of Washington, Oregon, and Surrounding Territories
The Butterflies of Cascadia is for those who watch, photograph, study, or garden for butterflies, as well as for everyone who simply enjoys and appreciates their beauty in the Pacific Northwest.
Coastal Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest
This is a good book for the novice botanist or just to use as guide to flowers to use in the coastal garden.
Book Description In nature, harsh environments commonly yield great beauty. Such is the case along the coast of the Pacific Northwest, where flowering plants lend brilliant color to expanses of shifting sand, windswept bluffs, and fog shrouded forests. Horn's book introduces the most common wildflowers and shrubs of the rugged Pacific Shore.
The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms
Read our book review.
Book Description: In the tradition of the bestselling book The Botany of Desire comes this fascinating exploration of the world underground and one of its most amazing denizens. The earthworm may be small, spineless, and blind, but its role in the ecosystem is profound. It tills the soil, destroys microscopic organisms that cause plant disease, breaks down toxins, and turns soil into rich compost, creating the most fertile areas on earth. In her witty and offbeat style, Amy Stewart shows just how much depends on the humble worm. The august Charles Darwin devoted his last years to the meticulous study of these creatures, admiring their remarkable achievements. It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures, he declared. With Darwin as her inspiration, Stewart weaves her own backyard investigations with those of the obsessed oligochaetologists, unearthing the complex life that exists beneath our feet. From the legendary giant Australian worm that burrows up to fifteen feet below ground to the modest nightcrawler that inspired Darwin to write his last book to Stewart's energetic red wigglers, The Earth Moved gives worms their due and exposes their hidden--and extraordinary--universe.
Flora of the Olympic Peninsula
When I am out on the Peninsula or in my own backyard I use this book to help me understand the plants I come across while hiking or growing plants indigenous to the peninsula.
Book Description This book is the first comprehensive inventory of the Peninsula's flora, bringing together the results of nearly a century of botanical explorations by the authors. With its inclusion of recent changes in plant names, this text is also a crucial taxonomic reference. It is an essential tool for anyone involved in the study, restoration, preservation, or enjoyment of native plants and their habitats on the Olympic Peninsula.
Gardening for Wildlife, Native Plant Flashcards
Book description: This “must have” resource for gardeners is filled with detailed information on 40 top-notch native plants, a handy reference for poison oak identification and tips for gardening for birds, butterflies and the earth. The plants, organized by plant community (wetland, savannah, prairie and coniferous forests), are kid-safe with non-toxic or edible berries. Beautiful color photographs, botanical illustrations and keys indicating sun exposure, water needs and wildlife value adorn the front of each plant card. The reverse side features a wealth of fully researched information--including some never before published--on landscape uses, transplanting and maintenance care, habitat value and propagation methods.
Discover the complex relationships between plants and animals as you take steps toward creating a wildlife-friendly garden, regardless of your location. The flashcard design offers a fun way to quiz yourself on plant names and data and amaze everyone with your knowledge of way cool facts. What plant was known as “devil wood” to French Canadian trappers? What is a beardtongue? What kind of sex life do sword ferns have? What was the original name of San Francisco? Find the answers to these questions along with other fun facts inside.
The Berry Botanic Garden Guide: Gardening for Wildlife, native plant flashcards was produced by The Berry Botanic Garden, the Bureau of Land Management and the OSU 4-H Wildlife Stewards. It was researched and written by Lisa Albert and Carolyn Devine, Associate Director of The Berry Botanic Garden. Sales benefit The Berry Botanic Garden.
Copies are available for $15 each through The Berry Botanic Garden. Shipping and handling is $4 for the first set and $1 for each additional set. To order, call or mail payment (do not send cash) to:
The Berry Botanic Garden
11505 SW Summerville Ave
Portland, OR 97219
Phone: 503-636-4112, ext. 102
Email: register@berrybot.org
Gardening With Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest
One of the first books I pick up when looking for information about a native plant for my garden. Although colored photos are lacking it is full of good information. I call this book my native plants bible.
Handbook of Northwestern Plants
Book Description Intended for botany students and individuals who wish to learn to use keys and basic botanical scientific terminology, this guide covers the area from the summit of the Cascade Range to the coastline of Washington and of Oregon down to the Umpqua Divide (about the southern limit of Lane County). Northern Washington, with its more unique flora, is not treated. Much revised since its original incarnation in 1929, this edition updates the 1980 edition. Genera and species are arranged alphabetically within families and longer keys are now numbered. Includes glossary of terms, b&w line drawings.
Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest
Book Description Whether you are planting a yard from scratch or modifying an existing area, LANDSCAPING FOR WILDLIFE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST will help you select, arrange, and maintain plants and other landscape elements that fulfill wildlife needs. Homeowners, property owners, professional wildlife managers, landscape architects, and garden designers will all find it invaluable.
Living With Wildlife
Book Description: Living with Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest is all about coexisting with the animals commonly found in gardens, ponds, attics, crawl spaces, and other places where humans and wildlife cross paths throughout Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.
From bats to woodpeckers, sixty-eight species are described here, with details about feeding and mating habits, family structures, and life cycles. Living with Wildlife explains how to attract animals; how to spot their presence by identifying tracks, droppings, and other signs; and how and where to safely view them.
Focusing on the species that provoke the most calls to wildlife agencies and nonprofit groups, the book provides detailed information on how to prevent and solve conflicts with wildlife.
This book is a valuable reference for homeowners, property owners, and property managers; habitat restoration professionals; the wildlife control industry; and private and nonprofit wildlife groups. It can also be used in horticulture and urban wildlife management courses.
Living with Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest includes information on:
• 68 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
• Feeding habits, nesting sites, reproductive habits, ranges, and longevity.
• Signs of animals’ presence, including tracks, nests, scratch marks, droppings, and calls.
• Viewing and attracting animals.
• Preventing conflicts with animals.
• Controlling animals.
• Public health concerns.
• Legal status of each species.
• Trapping wildlife.
• Evicting animals from buildings.
• Hiring a wildlife damage control specialist.
Native Plants in the Coastal Garden
Book Description A new edition of the regional classic has been completely revised, updated and expanded to include many more facets of the joys and challenges of gardening in the maritime Pacific Northwest.
Natural Gardening in Small Spaces
Book Description With the growing recognition that a wisely and sensitively planted garden has a lot to offer to wildlife and the food web, more and more people are looking for ways to make their gardens environmentally friendly. However, gardeners have tended to assume that to create habitats for wildlife, and evoke wild and natural places, you need a lot of space. In Natural Gardening in Small Spaces, renowned plantsman Noel Kingsbury refutes that presumption, showing how even in a small garden you can create a sustainable ecosystem that looks great --- and, once established, largely looks after itself.
Northwest Trees
Book Description: Completely updated and expanded 30th anniversary deluxe edition. Covering more geography and fifty percent more tree species than previous editions. Provides a new, easy-to-use illustrated identification key based on the most reliable and non-technical features of each species. Over 250 exceptionally accurate drawings and historical photos bring these ancient giants to life.
About the Author: Stephen F. Arno grew up on the shores of Puget Sound and later worked summers as a ranger and naturalist in the Olympic and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. In 1970 he began a career as a forest ecologist with the USDA Forest Service. His recent books are "Flames in our Forest: Disaster or Renewal" and "Restoring Fire-Prone Forest in the West."
Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast
When it comes to native plants this book is invaluable. A must have for every PNW native plant gardener. Also for those who need a comprehensive field guide to 794 species of plants that are commonly foun along the western portion of Oregon and Washington, up through British Columbia and into Alaska.
Plants of Western Oregon, Washington & British Columbia
Book Description: A great resource for botanists, native plant enthusiasts, ecologists, conservationists, and amateur naturalists who desire a comprehensive, up-to-date, and well-illustrated book for the identification of plants of the Pacific Northwest. This is the definitive guide to the rich and varied plant life of the region, from the ocean shore to the crest of the Cascades, from British Columbia south through the Klamath Mountains of southwestern Oregon and the Siskiyous in northwestern California. Its botanical coverage is complete, including plants native to the region as well as those that have been introduced and become naturalized. More than 2500 species are fully described, with user-friendly keys and more than 700 color photographs and 350 line drawings to facilitate successful identification.
Propagation of Pacific Northwest Native Plants
This book provides current and comprehensive information on propagating 140 PNW native plants. A must for those concerned about native habitats or the native plant enthusiast.
Wayside Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest
Book Description This book is an essential reference work for flower enthusiasts and professional botanists. This volume features extradinarily sharp and vibrant full-color photographs of each flower. In addition this book boast a handy visual guide to flower shapes and colors, a map of the region, line drawings, and an informative introduction.
Wetland Plants of Oregon and Washington
This book is a concise and easy to use field guide for plants in wetland ecosystems, with 330 wetland species and 300 color photos, and 74 line drawings. It certainly is thrown into my back pack when I go hiking into wetland areas, but also helps me in choosing plants for my own wetland gardens.
Wildflowers of the Columbia Gorge: A Comprehensive Field Guide
Book Description As it sweeps through the Cascade Mountains the Columbia River passes through an area of jagged cliffs and tumbling waterfalls - the Columbia Gorge. This Gorge, with its wide range of elevations and microclimates is home to more species of flowering plants than any other region in the Pacific Northwest.
Compiled by author and photographer Russ Jolley, this remarkable guide contains 744 of these plants. Each full color photograph is accompanied by an entry listing the common and scientific names, general habitat, blooming dates and specific plant locations.
Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest
Book Description: Featuring more than 1240 stunning color photographs, this comprehensive field guide will remain a trusted, authoritative trailside reference for years to come. It describes and illustrates 1220 commonly encountered species, both native and nonnative, including perennials, annuals, and shrubs. Encompassing the Pacific Northwest from southern British Columbia to northern California, from the coast to the mountains and high desert, this handy book is perfect for hikers, naturalists, native plant enthusiasts, and anyone wishing to learn about the amazingly diverse wildflowers of the region. Organized by flower color and shape, and including a range map for each flower described, it is as user-friendly as it is informative.
Wildflowers of the Western Cascades
A practical field guide to a rich wildflower area, this book combines useful plant descriptions with truly spectacular photographs. All the wildflowers are found on Oregon's Iron Mountain in the Cascades, but the book is useful throughout the region.
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