ArtPlantae Today

Anderson, Edward F. 2001. The Cactus Family. Published by Timber Press, Inc. ISBN: 0-88192-498-9
A great reference for the cactus enthusiast. Anderson discusses 125 genera and 1,810 species. He also discusses cactus morphology and physiology, the ethnobotany of cacti, the conservation of cacti, the cultivation of cacti, and the classification of cacti. Over 1,000 color photographs are featured in this book.

Audubon Society Pocket Guide. 1986. Familiar Trees of North America (Western Region). Published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ISBN: 0-394-74852-2
This book covers 80 of the most common species of trees in the West. The strength of this book is the large photographs of leaves/needles/scales and the smaller photographs of bark for each featured species. While this book does not have a plant key, it is a nifty pocket photo reference nonetheless.

Baldwin, Bruce. 2002. The Jepson Desert Manual: Vascular Plants of Southeastern California. University of California Press. ISBN: 0-520-22775-1
While picture guides are great to use in the field, sometimes you need to sit down and key plants out. If you are botanizing in the California desert, then you should have this book packed with your supplies. This book is an excerpt from the larger Jepson Manual that serves as a key to the higher plants of California. Knowledge on how to use a dichotomous key is required. (Note: You want to have Harris & Harris’ book on plant identification terminology handy when working with this book).

Blackburne-Maze, 2003. Fruit: An Illustrated History. Firefly Books. ISBN: 1-55297-780-3.
The histories of the following fruits are discussed in this book: apple, pear, quince, medlar, plum, cherry, peach, nectarine, apricot, mulberry, currant, gooseberry, blueberry, bilberry, blackberry, dewberry, strawberry, raspberry, myrtle berry, elderberry, cranberry, fig, citrus, melon, pineapple, grape, banana, mango, feijoa, breadfruit, durian, custard apple, starfruit, tamarind, kiwano, pitaya, persimmon, papaya, sapodilla, guava, passionfruit, pomegranate, date, mangosteen, langstat, loquat, rambutan, longan, lychee, chinese lantern, cape gooseberry, olive, avocado, coconut, pistachio, cashew, walnut and almond. This book contains over 300 illustrations from the Lindley Library of the Royal Horticultural Society. [ArtPlantae Books]

Blackwell, Laird R. 2002. Wildflowers of the Eastern Sierra and adjoining Mojave Desert and Great Basin. Lone Pine Publishing. ISBN: 1-55105-281-4
Blackwell has arranged the plants in this book by elevation zones, by flower color, and then by the number of petals or petal-like parts. This book covers the high desert region at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada (i.e., Mt. Whitney) to the mixed conifer forests of Mt. Rose north of Lake Tahoe. Plant descriptions are accompanied by either 1 or 2 color photographs. Details of particular importance to a plant are highlighted in bold in each plant description.

Botti, Stephen J. 2001. An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park. Yosemite Association. ISBN: 0-939666-98-7
This key is specific to the plants growing within the boundaries of Yosemite National Park. This is important to remember because the keys in this book use “easily-recognizable characters rather than the complete suite of characters that truly separate a specific taxon from all others.” Almost every featured plant is illustrated. In fact, this book contains over 1,100 watercolor paintings and close to 300 pen-&-ink drawings. While this book’s size makes it an impractical field guide (it is 28″ x 12″ when opened flat and weighs 8.5 lbs.), it is still a great reference.

Brigham, Steve. 2005. Ornamental Trees for Mediterranean Gardens. San Diego Horticultural Society. ISBN: 0-934797-23-4
A guide to 260 tree species in the San Diego area. In this edition, botanical nomenclature has been updated and plant descriptions have been rewritten. Like in the first edition, accompanying the description of each tree are one or more photographs, the street address of the photographed specimen, and a guide indicating where an example of the featured tree can be viewed in Balboa Park &/or at Quail Botanic Garden.

Burnie, David. 2000. Tree. Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc. ISBN: 0-7894-5820-9
The pages of this book are photographed and labeled beautifully. The life cycle of a tree is described in very understandable language. Anyone with even the slightest interest in trees will love this reference.

Chickering, Carol Rogers. 1973. Flowers of Guatamala. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN: 080610813.
This book contains 50 color illustrations of Guatamalan plants from different regions. The climate belts of Guatamala and the readily visible plants of each belt are described. Chickering traveled throughout Guatamala and painted each plant on-site. The plants featured in this book are: Achimenes longiflora, Amoreuxia palmatifida, Aphelandra schiediana, Bixa orellana, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Calliandra houstoniana, Canna edulis, Cassia indecora, Castilleja tenuifolia, Cattleya aurantiaca, Cestrum aurantiaca, Chiranthodendron pentadactylon, Cobaea villosa, Cochlospermum vitifolium, Cordia alba, Dahlia maxoni, Dahlia popenovii, Fuchsia splendens, Gliricidia sepium, Guiacum sanctum, Heliconia bibai, Ipomoea carnea, Jacobinia umbrosa, Kohleria elegans, Lobelia laxiflora, Lycaste virginalis alba, Malvaviscus arboreus, Odontoglossum grande, Oncidium splendidum, Petrea volubilis, Plumeria rubra, Portlandia platantha, Psittacanthus calyculatus, Quercus skinneri, Robinsonella cordata, Rondeletia cordata, Salvia wagneriana, Sprekelia formosissima, Tabebuia donnel-smithii, Tagetes spp., Tecoma stans, Tillandsia rodigueziana, Tithonia longiradiata, Triplaris melaenodendron, Weldenia candida, Wigandia kunthii, Yucca elephantipes, Zephyranthes brevipes, Zinnia elegans, Fuego bouquet.

Chickering’s work is included in the collection at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. She painted a collection of mariposa lilies for Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden and has exhibited her work at the California Academy of Sciences and Descanso Gardens. Chickering received a medal from the Garden Club of America for her work combining botany and art.

Dahms, David. 1999. Rocky Mountain Wildflowers Pocket Guide. Paragon Press. ISBN: 0-9646359-2-5
A nice pocket guide filled with clear color photographs and straightforward descriptions of each featured plant. The size of this guide (4.5″ x 6″) and its spiral binding make it a practical choice for your field bag while in the Rockies.

Dole, Jim W. and Betty B. Rose. 1996. An Amateur Botanist’s Identification Manual for the Shrubs and Trees of the Southern California Coastal Region and Mountains. Foot-loose Press. ISBN: 0-9654151-1-2
Dole and Rose describe flower structure, leaf structure, scientific nomenclature, and desert plant communities, then carefully lead amateur botanists through the keying out process. Keys contain illustrations of important plant characteristics when necessary. Each plant listing features information about a plant’s range, information about it’s identifying traits, as well as an illustration of these characteristics.

Dole, Jim W. and Betty B. Rose. 1996. An Amateur Botanist’s Identification Manual for the Shrubs and Trees of the Southern California Deserts. Foot-loose Press. ISBN: 0-965415104
Dole and Rose describe flower structure, leaf structure, scientific nomenclature, and desert plant communities, then carefully lead amateur botanists through the keying out process. Keys contain illustrations of important plant characteristics when necessary. Each plant listing features information about a plant’s range, information about it’s identifying traits, as well as an illustration of these characteristics.

Eyewitness Visual Dictionaries. 1992. The Visual Dictionary of Plants. DK Publishing, Inc. ISBN: 1-56458-016-4
Beautiful photographs are labeled clearly in this book, whose objective is to introduce plant lovers to the anatomy and morphology of fungi, lichens, algae, seaweed, mosses, ferns, gynmosperms, and flowering plants.

Gibson, Arthur C. and Park S. Nobel. 1986. The Cactus Primer. Harvard University Press. ISBN: 0-674-08991-X
This book is a good read. Of particular interest to botanical artists is the section on phyllotaxy (how leaves are arranged along a stem) and the Fibonacci Sequence. Gibson and Nobel describe cactus morphology and physiology. This book contains many helpful and informative B&W photographs and illustrations.

Gilmour, John. 1947. Wild Flowers of the Chalk. The King Penguin Books.
A small guide to the English Chalk and its common wildflowers. The author makes reference to the fact that this book is part of a series of small guides about plants growing on the lime soil of the Chalk Outcrop. Sixteen color plates are included in this book. They were created by Irene Hawkins and represent the following plants: Gentiana amarella and G. germanica, Polygala calcarea, Thymus serpyllum, Thymus serpyllum, Hippocrepis comosa, Asperula cynanchica, Filipendula hexapetala, Phyteuma tenerum, Scabiosa columbaria, Helianthemum nummularium, Anemone pulsatilla, Onobrychis viciifolia, Blackstonia perfoliata, Anacamptis pyramidalis, Ophrys apifera, Cephalanthera grandiflora, and Astragalus danicus.

Glimn-Lacy, Janice and Peter B. Kaufman. 1984. Botany Illustrated. International Thomson Publishing. ISBN: 0-412-07871-6
A guide which enables artists to learn the characteristics of selected plant families by coloring the line drawings in the book. Artists follow a prescribed color-coding system to learn the various parts of a plant. This paperback book is very expensive. However, artists will learn a lot by taking the time to work through this book. Artists should tackle one family at a time. If the family of the specimen you are holding in your hand is in this book, take a few moments to read about this family and to color the plant shown.

Glimn-Lacy, Janice and Peter B. Kaufman. 2006. Botany Illustrated. Second edition. Springer. ISBN: 978-0387-28870-3
A guide which enables artists to learn the characteristics of selected plant families by coloring the line drawings in the book. Artists follow a prescribed color-coding system to learn the various parts of a plant. Each page of text has been updated. The cost of this book is now much more palatable. This second edition is long overdue! [ArtPlantae Books]

Grennan, Albert J. 1999. Coastal Sage Scrub Plants of Southern California. Pacific Botanical Press. San Diego, California. ISBN: 0-9718529-1-X
Grennan is an instructor at San Diego Mesa College. He created this picture key for his students so that they may identify plants in the field more easily. This key contains only plants commonly found in this plant community. Grennan scanned specimens of each plant and it is these scans that make this book helpful and practical. To purchase this book, contact the museum store at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

Grennan, Albert J. 2002. Cis-Montane Plants of Southern California Coast to Mountains. Pacific Botanical Press. San Diego, California. ISBN: 0-97D18529-290000
Grennan is an instructor at San Diego Mesa College. He created this picture key for his students so that they may identify plants in the field more easily. This key keys out to family. Helpful drawings and scanned images of plants and specific plant parts make this book helpful and practical. To purchase this book, contact the museum store at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

Gubernick, David J. 2002. Wildflowers of Monterey County, A Field Companion. Carmel Publishing Company. ISBN: 1-886312-17-6
It would be insulting to call this book a “coffee table” book. This reference, neither a formal field guide or a simple picture book, is a balanced mix of botany and photography. Gubernick (the photographer) and Yadon (the botanist) have created a wonderful introduction to the plants of Monterey County. Plants are arranged by region throughout the book. At the back of the book, thumbnail images of each plant are arranged by color. In the Resource section, readers will find information about the following: Wildflower Drives, Walks, and Hikes; Road Conditions; Guided Wildflower Workshops, Walks and Hikes; Public Gardens and Viewing Areas; What’s Blooming and Where?; Wildflower Events; Wildflower Classes; Wildflower Photography Workshops; Wildflower Websites; Local Wildflower Nurseries; Local Wildflower-related Organizations; Federal, State, and Regional Agencies; and books for further reading.

Gwilym, Lewis, Brian Schrire, Barbara Mackinder, and Mike Lock. 2005. Legumes of the World. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
ISBN: 9781900347808
The “book of books” where the pea family is concerned. Legumes have been a key area of research at Kew since 1855. They hold in their collection 726 of the 727 genera in the Leguminosae. This book is a complete reference for both the botanical illustrator and plant enthusiast. The text for each genus is accompanied by color photographs, pen-and-ink line drawings, and the occasional watercolor painting. Legumes of the World is truly an illustrated reference. In addition to the wonderfully visual and descriptive text, readers will find the main characteristics of the three subfamilies in the Leguminosae compared side-by-side in an easily digestible table. A large section of this book is dedicated to the biogeography of this family. There is also a section in which the authors describe the economic importance of the legumes. The number of legume products found in food, drink, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, manufacturing and many other industries is impressive. One can no longer be blind to the number of products derived from the third largest plant family on the planet.

Harlow, William M. 1946. Fruit Key & Twig Key to Trees & Shrubs. Dover Publications, Inc. ISBN: 0-486-20511-8
Nicely organized keys to fruits and twigs. The keys are written in everyday English and are free from heavy botanical terminology. More than 350 B&W photographs of different fruit types and twigs are presented clearly. The plants included in these two keys grow in the northeastern United States.

Harris, James G. and Melinda Woolf Harris. 2001. Plant Identification Terminology – An Illustrated Glossary of Plant Identification Terminology. Spring Lake Publishing. ISBN: 0-9640221-6-8
This dictionary of botanical terms and illustrations is an invaluable reference for the botanical artist. [ArtPlantae Books]

Heller, Ruth. 1983. The Reason for a Flower. Published in 1999 by Penquin Putnam Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0-698-11559-7
Heller introduces children to the concepts of pollination, seed development, seed dispersal, fruit development, food plants, herbivory, and flowerless plants (i.e., mushrooms). This book is a great gift for naturalists age 5 – 8. [ArtPlantae Books]

Hickey, Michael and Clive King. 2002. The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 0-521-79401-3
A great resource for the botanical artist. Read a review of this book published in the Southern California Botanical Artist (May 2002):

Marien, Tania. 2002. Member book review. Southern California Botanical Artist. May. Vol. 1(2): 5. (Reprinted with permission)

We all know that being able to draw our plant subjects as accurately as possible is critical in our line of work. Most of us have at least one glossary of plant terminology in our libraries (e.g., Plant Identification Terminology – An Illustrated Glossary by James G. Harris & Melinda Woolf Harris; click here). Harris & Harris’ book is invaluable when trying to decipher detailed information about your specimen. In situations like this, we are presented with the terminology first and an illustration second. But what do you do if you only have your plant specimen in front of you and you want to know what in the world you are looking at?

You turn to Hickey & King’s illustrated glossary. That’s right, descriptive illustrations get top billing in this book. Most of this book is dedicated to labeled illustrations. A glossary of botanical terminology is provided for you to decipher unfamiliar terms. The illustrations in this book are very helpful, as is the way they are organized. You will be pleased to find the illustrations organized in the following way: Roots, Storage Organs and Vegetative Reproduction; Seeds and Seedlings; Growth and Life Forms; General Features of Flowering Plants; Plant Featuers and Responses; Leaf-like Structures & Other Vegetative Features; Leaves; Hairs and Scales; Floral Features; Flower Structures; Features of Certain Plant Families; Fruits; Conifers and Conifer Allies; Ferns and Fern Allies.

The authors of this book express their hope “that readers at all levels of understanding, both amateur and professional, will find (this book) helpful in their chosen area of study, especially plant science, horticulture, field studies and botanical illustration.” The authors have succeeded at creating a very helpful reference. In fact, I recommend that beginning botanical artists purchase Hickey & King’s book first and then Harris & Harris’ book after they become more comfortable with botanical terminology.

Hickman, James C. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. ISBN: 0-520-08255-9
A key covering native plants and introduced plants that have become part of the California landscape. This key is very technical. It is recommended that artists have books such as Borror (1971), Harris & Harris (2001), and Hickey & King (2002) handy when working through this book. Of these three books, Harris & Harris (2001) is a must.

Knapp, Sandra. 2003. Plant Discoveries. Firefly Books Ltd. ISBN: 1-55297-810-9
Botanist Sandra Knapp uses inspiring botanical artwork from the collections at the Natural History Museum in London to tell a story about plant explorers and the artists who documented their discoveries. Knapp also weaves in fascinating tidbits about the history of botany, plant biology and plant taxonomy. The following plants are featured in this book: arums, sugar bushes & banksias, peonies, water lilies, grasses & sedges, daffodils, cacti & succulents, magnolias, hibiscus, roses, palms, daisies & sunflowers, passionflowers, conifers, poppies, heathers, irises, gentians, tulips, and morning glories.

Lanner, Ronald M. 2002. Conifers of California. Cachuma Press. ISBN: 0-9628505-4-3
A very informative book about the California members of the Pinaceae (Pine Family), Cupressaceae (Cypress Family, Taxodiaceae (Bald cypress Family), and Taxaceae (Yew Family). Lanner discusses the history of each species and explains how to identify each species from a distance, while standing underneath them, and while holding certain parts of each species in your hand. All but five of the species described in this book are accompanied by the detailed and informative watercolor paintings of Finnish, Russian-born artist, Eugene Murman (1874-1962). The other five beautifully detailed paintings are by California artist, Susan Bazell.

L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University. 1976. Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada. Reprinted in 2000 by Barnes & Noble,Inc. ISBN: 0-7607-2116-5
An invaluable guide to the botanical artist. Since many artist draw cultivated plants, this work belongs on every artist’s bookshelf. Included in this book are plants cultivated in the U.S., Canada, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Artists will find the scientific names of “34,305 families, genera, and species, and a large number of subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars.” Not to mention descriptive information about each plant.

Luce, Ron. 2003. Easy Day Hikes Around Mammoth.
Written and illustrated by Ron Luce, the owner of Mammoth Art Supply, this handy guide to the trails around Mammoth is a great addition to your travel library. Luce provides clear directions and includes the small details that only a local can provide (e.g., “…after awhile, you can hear the water tumbling down the river on the right.”). He also provides information about mileage and an illustration for each of the fifteen (15) hikes he describes. Luce includes information about the types of trees you’ll see along nine of the trails. HIkes range in length from 1/2 mile to 7 miles. Soft cover, 5.5″ x 8.5″ This book is published by the author.

MacKay, Pam. 2003. Mojave Desert Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Mojave Desert, Including the Mojave National Preserve, Death Valley National Park, and Joshua Tree National Park. The Globe Pequot Press. ISBN: 0-7627-1162-0
Flowering plants are arranged by flower color and non-flowering plants are arranged by type. Wonderful photographs are paired with a description of each plant. Included in each description is a plant’s flowering season, habitat/range, and other comments of interest. The book begins with MacKay’s description of the Mojave Desert, it’s topography, geology, and plant communities. This book highlights plants that are often overlooked, as well as plants that are rare or unique to the Mojave Desert. Use this guide in conjunction with another field guide containing the more common plants of the Mojave Desert.

McKinley, Michael. 2005. Ortho Complete Guide to Orchids. Ortho. ISBN: 0-89721-506-0
Artists can learn about the history of orchids, orchid botany, how to purchase orchids, and how to care for them too. Twenty-nine genera and over 500 orchids are featured. A pronunciation guide is provided for each genera. This book is endorsed by the American Orchid Society.

Monroe, Lynn & Gene. 2004. Butterflies & Their Favorite Flowering Plants (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park® & Environs). Merryleaf Press. A Granite Ridge Nature Book. ISBN: 0-9615125-2-0.
This guide features 134 butterlies that can be observed in the desert, chaparral and montane areas of East San Diego County. The authors documented 134 butterflies and include color photographs showing each butterfly species on their respective food plants. Photos were taken by the authors in the field. Included in each species description is information about catepillar food plants.

Morhardt, Sia and Emil Morhardt. 2004. California Desert Wildflowers: An Introduction to Families, Genera, and Species. University of California Press. ISBN: 0-520-24003-0.
Morhardt and Morhardt focus on the desert plants most likely to catch your attention while enjoying the flowering plants in both the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. A total of twenty-four plant families are described. The authors have kept the use of technical jargon to a minimum. The key characteristics of each plant family are identified and described with clear line drawings and labeled photographs. Color photographs accompany the keys to each family and descriptions to each plant. Fits nicely into a backpack with your field sketching supplies.

Munz, Phillip A. 2004. Introduction to California Desert Wildflowers. Revised edition. California Natural History Guides No. 74. University of California Press. ISBN: 0-520-23632-7.
The plants in this guide are arranged by flower color. Ferns and fern allies have their own section. Each plant description is paired with a color photograph, a line drawing, or both.

Nash, Ned and Isobyl La Croix. 2005. Flora’s Orchids. Timber Press. ISBN: 0-88192-721-X
This book contains information for over 1,500 orchids. Beautiful photography. Contains a cultivation guide for each of the orchids featured in the book.

Paruk, Jim. 1997. Sierra Nevada Tree Identifier. Yosemite Association. ISBN: 0-939666-83-9
A straightforward easy-to-use key focused on 45 trees native to the Sierra Nevada in California. Covered are 20 conifers and 24 flowering trees. Written specifically for “individuals with little or no experience” with plant keys, this book will fit nicely in your field bag next to your sketchbook. If you want to use a more technical key while in the Sierras or while visiting Yosemite, try Hickman (1993) or Botti (2001).

Phillips, Roger. 1978. Trees of North America and Europe. Random House, Inc. ISBN: 0-394-73541-2
This book will come to an artist’s rescue everytime. Closeup photographs of leaves, needles, fruit, cones, and bark make it an invaluable source of reference photographs. Especially exciting are: the 49-page leaf index; 25 pages of photographs of fir, pine, & spruce cones; and the 5 pages of bark photographs.

Phillips, Roger & Martyn Rix. 1989. Bulbs. Random House, Inc. ISBN: 0-679-72756-6
A helpful reference for any artist whose subject matter comes primarily from their garden. Concise plant descriptions, whole-plant photographs, and closeup photography make this book a very useful reference. Artists will especially like the whole-plant photographs featuring flowers, leaves, bulbs, and roots. Note: Plant names may have changed since this book was first published. Use this book in conjunction with a more recent reference.

Phillips, Roger & Martyn Rix. 1991. Perennials – Early Perennials (Vol. 1). Random House, Inc. ISBN: 0-679-73797-9
A helpful reference for any artist whose subject matter comes primarily from their garden. Concise plant descriptions, whole-plant photographs, and closeup photography make this book, as well as Volume 1, very useful references. Note: Plant names may have changed since this book was first published. Use this book in conjunction with a more recent reference.

Phillips, Roger & Martyn Rix. 1991. Perennials – Late Perennials (Vol. 2). Random House, Inc. ISBN: 0-679-73798-7
A helpful reference for any artist whose subject matter comes primarily from their garden. Concise plant descriptions, whole-plant photographs, and closeup photography make this book, as well as Volume 2, very useful references. Note: Plant names may have changed since this book was first published. Use this book in conjunction with a more recent reference.

Phillips, Roger & Martyn Rix. 2002. The Botanical Garden (Vol. I): Trees and Shrubs. Firefly Books. ISBN: 1-55297-591-6
This book, and Volume I, are similar to Phillips’ & Rix’s earlier books (see above). Selected genera are described in concise paragraphs and are photographed beautifully. What is different about these books is that the genera are arranged by family. These books will make any plant lover’s heart race.

Phillips, Roger & Martyn Rix. 2002. The Botanical Garden (Vol. II): Perennials and Annuals. Firefly Books. ISBN: 1-55297-592-4
This book, and Volume II, are similar to Phillips’ & Rix’s earlier books (see above). Selected genera are described in concise paragraphs and are photographed beautifully. What is different about these books is that the genera are arranged by family. These books will make any plant lover’s heart race.

Riley, John J. and David P. Banks. 2002. Orchids of Australia. Princeton University Press. ISBN: 0-691-11490-0
One hundred fifty of Australia’s native orchids are described in this colorful reference book. Each species is illustrated by Australian botanical artist, John J. Riley. Riley’s full-page illustrations consist of a life-size drawing of each featured species and magnified drawings of each species’ respective flower parts. Opposite each illustration is the following information about each plant: Type Locality, Etymology (the meaning behind a plant’s name), Distribution, Distinguishing Features, Habitat, Conservation Status, and Discussion (miscellaneous information). Riley used watercolor pencils to create his detailed botanical drawings. This book is the first in a series. Each volume will contain information about 150 of Australia’s terrestrial and epiphytic orchids.

Sandved, Kjell B and Ghillean Tolmie Prance. 1985. Leaves: The formation, characteristics, and uses of hundreds of leaves found in all parts of the world. Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN: 0-517-551527
A book about leaves and nothing but leaves. Fascinating! Sandved and Prance’s book is very informative and is illustrated beautifully with pages of closeup color photographs. Leaf morphology and biology is explained. Several different aspects of leaves are also described in the book’s 23 chapters. Each chapter is dedicated to one aspect of leaf morphology &/or function. You’ll find chapters on topics such as: young leaves, variegated leaves, floating leaves, succulent leaves, leaves that defend themselves, leaf hairs, and leaves as homes, just to name a few.

Schroter, Ludwig and Carl Schroter. (19??) Flore des Alpes
This field guide for tourists contains 207 flowering plants depicted in color and ten plants in black-and-white. Text is written in French, English, and German. This book is the 20th and 21st edition. The year of publication is unknown. Comparisons to other editions of this book place the publication date around 1910.

Sheehan, Tom and Marion. 1994. An Illustrated Survey of Orchid Genera. Timber Press. ISBN: 0-88192-288-9
Excellent reference covering 158 genera. Each genus description includes a pronunciation guide and is accompanied by a color plate featuring a painting of a representative plant in flower and a dissected flower. The glossary contains terminology and many, many illustrations artists will find useful and educational.

Spellenberg, Richard. 2003. Sonoran Desert Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Common Species of the Sonoran Desert, including Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Saguaro National Park, Oregon Pipe Cactus National Monument, Ironwood Forest National Monument, and the Sonoran Portion of Joshua Tree National Park. The Globe Pequot Press. ISBN: 0-7627-1136-1
Flowering plants are arranged by flower color. Wonderful photographs are paired with a description of each plant. Included in each description is a plant’s flowering season, habitat/range, and other comments of interest. Spellenberg introduces readers to the Sonoran Desert by describing its origins and its plant communities. He also describes how plants are able to survive in this desert region.

Stewart, Jon Mark. 1993. Colorado Desert Wildflowers: A Guide to the Flowering Plants of the Low Desert, Including the Coachella Valley, Anza-Borrego Desert, and portions of Joshua Tree National Monument. Jon Mark Stewart. ISBN: 0-9634909-0-7
Stewart’s field guide focuses on over 100 of the most common plants found in the Colorado Desert. The plants in this book are arranged by color and grouped taxonomically within each color group. Large clear photographs and brief descriptions of each plant make this an easy guide to use.

Stewart, Jon Mark. 1998. Mojave Desert Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the High Desert Wildflowers of California, Nevada, and Arizona. Jon Mark Stewart. ISBN: 0-9634909-1-5
Stewart’s field guide focuses on plants occurring in the “Mojave Desert region of southeastern California, northwestern Arizona, southern Nevada, and the extreme southwestern tip of Utah.” The plants in this book are arranged by color and grouped taxonomically within each color group. Large clear photographs and brief descriptions of each plant make this an easy guide to use.

Symonds, George W. D. 1958. The Tree Identification Book. William Morrow & Company, Inc. ISBN: 0-688-05039-5
Comprised of over 1,500 B&W photographs, this book contains visual keys for opposite leaves, buds, & branching; thorns; leaves; flowers; fruit; twigs & buds; and bark. It is designed so that you can compare your specimen to photos in the key and, by the process of elimination, determine to which genus your specimen belongs. If you never use the keys and only use the photos as reference material, that’s okay. The photos in this book are great reference photos, and most of them are to scale. The trees included in this book grow in the northeastern U.S. (Maine into Canada), “west to North Dakota and south into Texas and along the Gulf of Mexico to northern Florida.” Note: Plant names may have changed since this book was first published. Use this book in conjunction with a more recent reference.

Symonds, George W. D. 1963. The Shrub Identification Book. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN: 0-688-05040-9
Comprised of 3,550 B&W photographs, this book contains visual keys for thorns/prickles/bristles, leaves, flowers, fruit, twigs, and bark. It is designed so that you can compare your specimen to photos in the key and, by the process of elimination, determine to which genus your specimen belongs. If you never use the keys and only use the photos as reference material, that’s okay. The photos in this book are great reference photos, and most of them are to scale (some photos are a bit dark, however). The shrubs included in this book grow in the eastern U.S. and Canada. Note: Plant names may have changed since this book was first published. Use this book in conjunction with a more recent reference.

TerBeest, Char and Rhonda Nass. 1988. Gifts from the Earth: A Basketmaker’s Field Guide to Midwest Plants and Botanicals. Ampersand. ISBN: 0-9614795-1-5.
Created for basketmakers, nature enthusiasts and artists, this field guide contains beautiful graphite illustrations of each plant. Illustrations are accompanied by written descriptions as well as information on when to collect each plant, how to collect each plant, as well as how to store and prep each plant for basketmaking. The following groups of plants are discussed: Willow & Other Twigs (dogwood, forsythia, willow); Bark (basswood, birch, hickory, poplar); Vines (bittersweet, grape, honeysuckle, ivy, morning glory, Virginia creeper, wisteria); Leaves & Grasses (cattail, daylily, flag, rush, sedge, sweetgrass); Trees (ash, elm, maple, oak); Others (ctalpa, corn, pine, roots, sumac).

Trelease, William. 1967. Winter Botany: An Identification Guide to Native Trees and Shrubs. Dover Publications, Inc. ISBN: 0-486-21800-7
This is a republication of the third edition of this book that was published by the author in 1931. Winter specimens are keyed out using a dichotomous key. Covers plants in the Northern United States. Glossary. 1,000 line drawings. [ArtPlantae Books Catalog]

U.S. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. Roadside guides for vegetation managers. Artists contributing to the FHA roadside guides are: Wendy Brockman, Dorie Gallagher, Marilyn Garber, and Vera Ming Wong. Download these FHA instructions about how to request guides and how to purchase other references.

• Common Roadside Invasives: A Roadside Field Guide to Showy Herbaceous Weeds. PUB. NO FHWA-EP-02-003.
  A guide for roadside vegetation managers and maintenance personnel to assist in the identification and control of invasive plants in their respective areas. Includes illustrations of the following plants: BLUE & ORANGE FORBS – chicory, periwinkle, orange hawkweed. LAVENDER FORBS – Canada thistle, bull thistle, plumeless thistle, Scotch thistle, cardoon, cornflower or bachelor’s button, spotted knapweed, Russian knapweed, squarrose knapweed, creeping bellflower, purple loosestrife, rush skeletonweed, common teasel, crownvetch, silverleaf nightshade, Common Crupina, giant hogweed. GRASSES – reed canary grass, smooth brome, Johnson grass, tall fescue, cheat grass, Bermuda grass, giant reed, Chinese silver grass, pampas grass, cogongrass, buffelgrass, fountain grass, Africanfeature grass, Kikuyu grass medusahead, jointed goatgrass, wild proso millet, Milium, wild oats, foxtail barley, matgrass, serrated tussock, Japanese silt grass, wild red rice, giant phragmites. GREEN FORBS/SEDGE – Russian thistle, absinth wormwood, Halogeton, Kochia, yellow nutsedge, leafy spurge, marajuana, hemp, Syrian beancaper, myrtle spurge, cypress spurge. WHITE FORS – oxeye daisy, babysbreath, water hemlock Queen Anne’s lace or wild carrot, poison hemlock, perennial pepperweed or peppergrass or whitetop, hoary cress, jimsonweed, field bindweed, white or yellow sweetclover, horsenettle, garlic mustard, scentless chamomile, African rue, black nightsage, Mediterranean sage, Japanese knotweed. YELLOW FORBS – yellow starthistle, perennial sowthistle, Lantana,tansy ragwort, common tansy, wild or charlock or Kaber mustard, black mustard, Dyer’s woad, dalmation toadflax, yellow toadflax, common mullein, puncturevine, Scotch broom, gorse, highway iceplant, bird’s foot trefoil or deer vetch, buffalobur, Klamathweed or St. John’s wort, dandelion. PINK FORBS – camelthorn, musk thistle, diffuse knapweed, meadow knapweed, redstem filaree, dame’s rocket, hound’s tongue, Sericea Lespedeza, foxglove.
• Common Roadside Invasives: A Roadside Field Guide to Non-native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines. National Field Guide. PUB. NO FHWA-HEP-07-021. A guide identifying 60 common weedy trees, shrubs, and vines. Includes illustrations of the following plants:
  TREES – single-seed hawthorn, Chinese tallow tree, mimosa/silk tree, Chinese elm, European mountain ash, Tree of Heaven, Norway maple, Amur maple, Japanese angelica tree, Australian pine, Medaluca, Amur corktree, carrotwood, Callery pear, black locust, white poplar, princess tree, Chinaberry, Russian olive,salt cedar, Siberian elm, white mulberry, common fig. SHRUBS – European/black alder, butterfly bush, privets, Japanese barberry, common buckthorn, glossy buckthorn, Tatarian honeysuckle, heavenly bamboo, multiflora rose/rambler rose, Japanese spirea, Guelder rose viburnum, autumn olive, winged euonymus, Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry, Lantana, Siberian peashrub, Japanese hops, Brazilian pepper tree, Japanese knotweed, black jetbead, rugosa rose, common oleander, wineberry. VINES – Oriental bittersweet, Kudzu, mile-a-minute, Japanese climbing fern, Japanese honeysuckle, English ivy, wintercreeper, periwinkle, swallow-worts, Chinese yams/cinnamon vine, porcelainberry/Amur pepper-vine, fiveleaf akebia or chocolate vine, Japanese/Chinese wisteria.
• Common Native Roadside Wildflowers: A Roadside Field Guide for the Western Region. PUB. NO FHWA-HEP-05-047. A guide identifying 100 native forbs and grasses. Introduced plants that have been naturalized are not included in this guide. Includes illustrations of the following plants: LAVENDER FORBS – Takhoka daisy, beebalm/bergamot, lupine, purple coneflower, showy fleabane, Rocky Mountain beeplant, showy phlox, prairie spiderwort. BLUE FORBS – royal penstemon, smooth blue aster, western blue iris, five spot, western monkshood. PINK FORBS – pink primrose, elephant’s-head, spreading phlox, Joe-Pye-weed, wine cup, scented beardtongue, fireweed, sand verbena, dotted blazing star, scarlet gaura, swamp milkweed, wild rose, western fleabane. RED FORBS – catch fly or fire pink, firecracker penstemon, cardinal flower, scarlet gilia/skyrocket, red maids. ORANGE FORBS – butterfly milkweed, western columbine, red globe mallow, paintbrush, orange-flowered false dandelion. YELLOW/ORANGE FORBS – firewheel or blanket flower, prairie coneflower, plains coreopsis, California poppy. YELLOW FORBS – arrowleaf balsamroot, arrowleaf groundsel, wild desert marigold, blazing star, Canada or meadow goldenrod, yellow yarrow, plains wallflower, heart-leaved arnica, prairie sunflower,fringed puccoon, snakeweed, sneezeweed, Maximilian sunflower, yellow spiny daisy, golden aster, goldfields, Missouri goldenrod, northern mule ears, yellow evening primrose, Black-eyed Susan, golden/desert/prince’s plume, western goldenrod, common large monkeyflower. WHITE FORBS – many-flowered aster, prickly poppy, white verbena, slender sepal march marigold or elkslip, blackfoot daisy, white-tufted or stemless evening primrose, pearly everlasting, horsemint, daisy fleabane, Oregon bitterroot, Richardson geranium, prickly phlox, Sego lily, sand lily, avalanche lily, Mariposa lily. GREEN GRASSES – prairie junegrass, freshwater cordgrass, indiangrass, spike bentgrass, tufted hairgrass, little bluestem, indian ricegrass, Scribner panicgrass, needle and thread, old switch panic grass, slender wildrye, Idaho fescue, western wheatgrass, alkali scaton, blue grama, sideoats grama, sand dropseed, blue-bunch wheatgrass, Great Basin wildrye Canada wildrye.

Watts, May Theilgaard and Tom Watts. 1974. Desert Tree Finder. Nature Study Guild Publishers. ISBN: 0-912550-07-4
This visual key is a nifty pocket guide to help you learn the key traits and shapes of trees found in deserts and desert foothill areas.

Wingate, Janet L. 1990. Rocky Mountain Flower Finder. Nature Study Guild, Rochester, NY. ISBN: 0-912550-20-1
This very small pocket book is a handy reference to plants that grow below tree line in the six Rocky Mountain states (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico). It contains a glossary of terms that pertain to flowers, leaves, and life zones. It also contains a family key and a key to plants with small flowers (i.e., flowers 6 mm or less in diameter). Ugh! is right.

Wrysinski, Jeanette. 2000. Know Your Natives: A Pictorial Guide to California Native Grasses. Yolo County Resource Conservation District.
This informative guide was written for landowners, ranchers, farmers, individuals who want to incorporate native grasses into the landscaping around their home, and anyone with an interest in understanding grasses. Descriptions for each grass species includes information about the following: Common Name, Latin Name, Former/Other Name(s), Season of Growth, Reproduction/Spread, Elevation Range, Mature Plant Height, Flower Characteristics, Seed, General Description, Habitat, Field Use Notes. Accompanying each description are photographs of a plant as a seedling and as a mature plant. Then there are photographs of a plant’s seed heads and of its individual seeds. This guide can be purchased from the California Native Grasslands Association.

Yocom, Charles F. 1964. Shrubs of Crater Lake. Crater Lake Natural History Association.
While a ranger-naturalist at Crater Lake National Park during the summers of 1951 and 1952, Dr. Charles F. Yocom drew the shrubs growing in the park. This small and informative field guide contains descriptions of 81 of the park’s 103 shrubs. Fifty-four of the shrubs were illustrated by Yocom. Two herbs are also included in this book. This handy guide ends with a six-page glossary of botanical terms.

Zomlefer, Wendy. B. 1994. Guide to Flowering Plant Families. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN: 0-8078-4470-5
A great book written by a botanist and an illustrator. Zomlefer’s illustrations are very clear. Artists should have Harris & Harris (2001) handy in order to work through this book.