By Anne Rowlands
Carol Gracie’s Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast now has a companion volume, Summer Wildflowers of the Northeast, focusing on wildflowers that bloom between early June and late September. She continues with the same winning format of interesting, well-researched and beautifully photographed essays.
The book is written in essay form to appeal to all who share an interest in wildflowers and is arranged alphabetically by the most widely used common name (along with the scientific name).
Each essay – there are 35 – focuses on a summer-blooming species that can be found in the Northeastern quarter of the United States. There’s a considerable amount of information included on closely related species, bringing the number of species discussed in the book closer to 50.
Gracie selected her subjects for several reasons which include beauty, an interesting natural history (a plant’s role in the ecosystem), historical or medicinal uses, and interesting interactions with insects.
Both well- and lesser-known species are examined, from natives (e.g., milkweeds, cardinal flower, ramps) to commonplace introduced species (e.g., mullein, chicory, Queen Anne’s lace).
Gracie hopes that by sharing these stories, her readers will become more careful observers of all plants they come across. She states, “careful observation of wildflowers can open doors into other aspects of natural history, including the lives of caterpillars, butterflies, beetles and other insects. Such serendipity fosters an appreciation of the intricacies of nature …”
Gracie’s wildflower books are favorites of mine, and this is a book to pick up again and again.
Summer Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History
Paperback – $29.95
ISBN 9780691199344
384 pages, 693 color photos, 7.5” x 10”
Princeton Univ. Press – press.princeton.edu
