Important local flora
596144
This set is a must-have for amateur botanists in the Great Lakes region.  It is complete for species in Michigan, and each record was carefully reviewed.  It is a technical reference, and not so much a field guide; however is easier to use in the field than, say, Gray's Manual.  The photos are very good, but there is only one photograph per genus.  So, the user must be competent in technical terminology and use of analytical keys in order to identify plants. Although restricted to Michigan, useful notes are included for some rare and unusual forms occurring in nearby states.
471284
This book was quite helpful while touring the gardens in Suzhou. It covers most of the principal sites and a number of smaller or nearby gardens. The author has an expert sense of architecture and proportion and conveys the best parts of the experience in each garden, as well as pointing out the less satisfactory design choices. Each garden has its name in Chinese to show to the taxi driver. The site plans and architectural drawings were well worth the price of the book, as local maps can be difficult for those illiterate in Chinese. Unfortunately, the well-designed photos are in black and white only and the print quality and page size do not do justice to them. This is a study book, not a keepsake coffee table book. Before visiting I got several books on Suzhou gardens and this was the best one I found for learning and appreciating.
442382
I had selected an earlier edition for my library and was glad to see an update.  The great, wonderful thing about this book is the excellent photographs of many varieties.  The subtropical is just a nice bonus.  As a Master Gardener, I get many questions from people who have lived in south Florida and other countries more tropical .  They usually say "In  wherever they had a tree that had....fruit, or leaves or flowers.  This book is very helpful.
125675
I visited the area before I read this book and fell in love with the beauty of the area. I even considered retiring there. However, after reading this book, I will have to find another place. While the book is somewhat technical, it presents the material in an interesting and easy to understand way. It is certainly a scenario that is not highly publicized and I can see why. It may never happen but then again who knows when it will. The author did a good job of laying out all the facts. I highly recommend the book.
2975980
I honestly really enjoyed the book but I live in California. This book would be perfect when living in the high East coast area like Washington or Portland. It has many plants I recognize from living in that area. Other whise it was a great book.
127752
I thoroughly enjoyed this guidebook.  It was well written, descriptive and the photography was beautiful. I appreciated the thorough research the author had to do to compile such an extensive book.  I thought it was lovely that she dedicated the book to her mother.  This book makes me want to visit each of the gardens.
4059939
Winterringer's contribution to the Illinois literature on native orchids is fairly useful to those of us who want to learn more about our native orchids. This small volume contains carefully-drawn line drawings for each species listed, brief botanical descriptions of the plants with their scientific and common names, general information about distribution (no specifics), habitat requirements, flowering times, and predominant flower colors.  Two indexes, one of common and one of scientific names, makes it easy to find entries. One beautiful color photo as frontispiece and twenty-eight pages of black and white photographs add to the value of this volume, all of them by people significant in Illinois and midwestern native orchid conservation.

For a more full accounting of all species present or historic, minus the line drawings and photographs, get Charles Sheviaks' An Introduction to the Ecology of the Illinois Orchidaceae, published by the same.
1179445
This book has been around for a while and is a fascinating and very thorough study of northwest indian culture --specifically, the native use of plant materials in daily life. Students of northwest coast culture and anthropology will find this to be an important piece of the puzzle for understanding the early lives of native americans in this region. Naturalists and those who enjoy the outdoors might also find this information to be enlightening and add to their understanding of their wild surroundings. All uses of plants are covered: food, medicine, tools, shelter, and more. I can't recommmend it highly enough...
3680203
My mother loves all types of plant life and she used this book as we drove around the islands to try and find the names of certain plants we saw.  May have been the wrong book for us - she liked it, but most of the flowers we saw were easily identifable without the book.  Probably the tree book would have been better.
1234458
An excellent reference.  A true field guide that will prove useful to anyone with an interest in the plants of this area.
3159822
This book covers all of the native wildflowers in our part of the country and then some.  It is an excellent addition to a gardener's reference library of books.  It is also beautifully illustrated.
4727149
Very informative. Great photos and lots of information showing the connections between native plants and native pollinators. Emphasis on bees.
3682060
A very specific book with lots of details on individual plants.  If you like to landscape or garden in the Western region of the U.S. I recommend this book.  Love the pictures.
361514
This is the classic textbook on the emerging area of Ethnobotany.
The importance of understanding our botanical heritage cannot be over-emphasized. To the extent this book promotes that awareness, it is a must read. You will have a greater appreciation of plant diversity and habitat preservation when you know the treasures that they contain.
977501
This book is the only easily found treatise on the flora of the area and very helpful to the casual naturalist. Good photos will help visitors identify commonly found plants.  Obviously a labor of love for the author who is passionate about the area. In both English and Spanish, fairly easy to use and small enough to carry on a trip to Mexico, it has some helpful advice on where to visit and where to see the flowers
241800
This book has a lot of information about plants and popular uses.  I've seen the newer versions of the book and it has color pictures that make it easier to see plant photos.

This book is used as a textbook for a class I am taking, but as a general read, I recommend it.
3988353
This is a nice book with beautiful pictures and a detailed discussion of each plant. It is oriented towards the plants that are most likely to survive.  The recommendations can be a problem though - several bear cautions that the selection can become an invasive pest.  Take these recommendations seriously, or you may get more than you bargained for.