Weeds of the Northeast

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 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.

This book is invaluable as an environmental professional. I often work in wetland delineations, and part of that requires identifying the plants in the surrounding upland areas...and wouldn't you know a lot of them tend to be weedy species. This book is truly amazing thanks to its depth of information and variety of (ALL) color photographs that provide a variety of views. All too often we may stumble upon a plant in a season that may not reflect the 'typical' form that we see in most guides. By having the various life stages all on one page, you are bound to find the species you are looking for - any time of year. A final point - it has additional tables to help in identification! The price for the paperback is unbelievably cheap compared to some other guides I have purchased while building my library.

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.

This book has complete descriptions plus photos of the leaves, entire plant, flowers and seeds making it very easy to find a certain weed/plant. Since it contains many different weeds, more than the usual ones, identification of plants is easier and more certain than with just 1 picture or drawing that most books show. Also shown are seedling and early growth photos, showing the difference between the small plant and how it looks when in full flower which may be much taller. Seeds of each are shown, frequently contrasted with seeds of similar species. This book by Cornell University Press is the best one to ID any weed from the East Coast.

I have had my weeds of the northeast for over 20 yrs...its my go too. My summer students would use it alot and I purchased for them to have their own.

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