Weeds and Wildflowers in Winter

Book excerpt: The help you need identifying the dormant but visible vestiges of spring and summer wildflowers and other plants. When it was first published, Roger Tory Peterson said of Weeds and Wildflowers in Winter (originally published as Wildflowers and Winter Weeds), "this book will be a joy to those wood-walkers and strollers who have been puzzled by the skeletal remains of herbaceous plants that they see in winter." And indeed, it has been in print for decades, helping both wood-walkers and botanists identify and better understand the weeds we see in winter. This charming guide identifies more than 135 common species of wildflowers and weeds found in the northeastern United States. Each plant is superbly illustrated with a full-page drawing accompanied by an elegant description of the plant's key characteristics. In addition, a step-by-step key to plant identifications and an illustrated glossary of common plant parts and botanical terms make this book an even more valuable resource. If you've ever wanted to know what those plants you see sticking up out the snow are, you'll appreciate this lovely, useful book.