Learning Plant Identification

 

The best way to learn to properly identify plants is from a live person.  Classes are available from herbalists focused on edibility and medicinal properties.  Botany classes are available at most community colleges.  Naturalists also know a lot of plant id.  Check your local nature center, aboretum, or natural history museum.  Don’t overlook people you may know in the community.   Gardeners, mushroom enthusiasts, wild-food foragers and farmers, science teachers and biologists also frequently know a lot of plants.

As you become more skilled at learning to see the differences among plants, it becomes increasingly easy to learn them from books as well.

The most expensive book filled with glossy photos isn’t necessarily the best--especially if the book focuses only on the flowers.  A line drawing sometimes captures the essence of the plant really well. 

Selected Resources for Plant Identification

Peterson’s Field Guide for Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants by Duke and Foster(the must-have for herbal plant    i.d.)

Northland Wildflowers  by John and Evelyn Moyle  (specific to Minnesota; beautiful photos)

Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel (detailed book that teaches plants by family, allowing you to compare plants       that are botanically related.) 

What’s Doin’ the Bloomin’?  by Clayton and Michele Oslund. (specific to the upper Midwest and organized               uniquely by bloom time.)

 

Selected Beginning Herbals

            A City Herbal by Maida Silverman (herbs in the city, great line drawings)

            Healing Wise by Susun Weed  (in-depth info—edibility, medicinal etc. on 6 common weeds)

            Common Herbs for Natural Health  by Juliette deBaircli Levy  (lovely basic herbal with nice line drawings)