Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska

This easy-to-use field guide features 794 species of plants commonly found along the Pacific coast from Oregon to Alaska, including trees, shrubs, wildflowers, aquatic plants, grasses, ferns, mosses and lichens. PLANTS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST covers the coastal region from shoreline to alpine, including the western Cascades. Includes:

* 1100 color photographs
* More than 1000 line drawings and silhouettes
* Clear species descriptions and keys to groups
* Descriptions of each plant's habitat and range
* 794 new color range maps.

Rich and engaging notes on each species describe aboriginal and other local uses of plants for food, medicine and implements, along with unique characteristics of the plants and the origins of their names. For both amateurs and professionals, this is the best, most accessible, most up-to-date guide of its kind.

Customer Reviews:

A Model for All Field Guides

By Leha Carpenter - January 29, 2005

This is simply the best field guide on any subject I have ever encountered. Photos are clear and often come in both full plant and detail perspectives; text is accurate, clear, well-written, and thorough; and the book is intuitively organized, providing easy-to-use keys, and a text-alongside-photo format that means less page flipping in the field. The cover is water-resistant, too! Packs an amazing number of plant species, including many bryophytes and lichens, as well as ferns and seed-bearing plants. Even covers many grasses! I live in California, and although many of the plants in this book don't reach down to my area, it is still the first field guide I pick up when trying to key a plant, because I am almost sure to get the family here, and usually the genus as well. Once you have those, it's much easier to cross-reference to your local species and varieties. If you didn't love plants obsessively before, this book will make you want to start!

An essential tool

By J. Branson - May 3, 2006

For anyone interested in Northwest Native Plants, this is an essential reference. Arthur Lee Jacobsen's "Wild Plants of Greater Seattle" is another useful book, although not as detailed. "Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest", by Charles Leo Hitchcock, in 7 volumes for $300.00, is much more detailed but not as handy. I have used my "Pojar" so much that I wore it out and had to get a second copy. I found it useful when I was just beginning to learn about native plants, and now that I can identify over 200 species on sight, I still use it to learn about ethnobotany, which plants are edible, and where to plant them in my garden.

Another reviewer complained that the book does not list common names in the index. This is just plain wrong. You can look up plants in the index by common name or scientific name, or you can browse through the photos until you get a match. You can also use the keys, which is the best way to learn about the relationship of one species to... read more

Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast is outstanding!

By Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" - May 21, 2000

This is one book that travels with us wherever we drive; it is filled with bookmarks & scribbled observations whenever we've seen something new to add to Messrs. Pojar & MacKinnon's awesome efforts. Naturally they alone did not compile this book & it is an impressive & accurate effort of a large collection of dedicated people.An easy-to-use field guide featuring close to 800 species of flora commonly found from Oregon to Alaska, including trees, shrubs, wildflowers, aquatics, grasses, ferns, mosses & lichens. From shoreline to alpine, including the Olympics & the western Cascades. The perfect gift for anyone who wanders the land!.............. read more