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Native Plants of the Northeast

A Guide for Gardening & Conservation

By Donald J. Leopold

If you've always wanted to garden with native plants, this book is for you. With entries for nearly 700 species of native trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, grasses, and wildflowers from the northeastern quarter of the U.S. and eastern Canada, its comprehensive horticultural coverage is unsurpassed by any other single volume. The natural ranges of many of the plants discussed extend beyond the Northeast; the information on horticultural uses applies to any garden. Each plant description includes information about cultivation and propagation, ranges, and hardiness. An appendix recommends particular plants for difficult situations, as well as attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. Illustrated throughout with color photographs.

Awards for this book:

  • Garden Writers Association Silver Award
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Media reviews of this book:

"An important resource for enthusiasts interested in gaining practical insight about gardening with native plants as well as those seeking to restore native plant habitats or enhance biodiversity."

Library Journal, December 2007

"An encyclopedia of experience."

—Joel M. Lerner, Washington Post, July 23, 2005

"This book will interest readers who, regardless of their educational background, wish to learn about using native plants for gardening."

—D. A. Lovejoy, Choice, July 2005

"Provides an invaluable resource for using natives in the landscape and restoration projects."

—Viveka Neveln, American Gardener, May/June 2005

"A welcome addition to my growing collection of books that list plants. ... Generously illustrated. ... Forthright, warts-and-all descriptions are common throughout."

—Elizabeth Licata, Garden Rant, February 24, 2008

Customer reviews of this book:

"Wonderful book, my gardening bible. Easy to navigate."

—Lorraine L. from Hopewell, New Jersey, November 17, 2007

"Very comprehensive, informative, well-written, and of great practical use."

—Dale P. from Uncasville, Connecticut, October 9, 2006

"Excellent reference text and guide for using native plants!"

—Tricia R. from Mount Airy, North Carolina, June 17, 2006

"Very informative; exactly what I've been searching for."

—Juanita H. from York, Pennsylvania, May 4, 2006

"This book is an excellent resource to consult when selecting native plants, trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, wildflowers, and ferns for one's garden."

—Catherine C. from Fall River, Massachusetts, March 15, 2006

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Format:
Hardcover

Pages:
308 pp.

Book dimensions:
7.38 x 10.38 in
(260 x 185 mm)

Illustrations:
approximately 500 color photos, 2 color maps

ISBN-13:
9780881926736

ISBN-10:
0881926736

An excerpt from this book:

Nearly all flowering plants (except artificially created hybrids) are "wildflowers" or "native" species somewhere in the world; but a plant species that naturally occurs somewhere is not necessarily native to that region. For example, when dame's rocket (Hesperis matronalis) blooms in moist, open areas throughout the Northeast each year, many people assume it is native, a species of phlox. However, dame's rocket is in the mustard family (four petals, versus five for phlox flowers) and is native to southern Europe and western Asia. Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) is another example of a widely naturalized species (again from Europe) that many observers assume is native to this region ...

Read the whole excerpt

About Donald Leopold

Donald Leopold

Donald J. Leopold has been studying native plants for nearly 30 years. He earned his Ph.D. in forest ecology from Purdue University in 1984, his master's in forest ecology from the University of Kentucky in 1981, and a B.S. in ornamental horticulture and nursery management from the University of Kentucky in 1978 ...

Read more about Donald Leopold

Other books by Donald Leopold