A Plant Lovers Booklist
For my whole life I have had a fond love and keen interest in plants. As a child I was introduced to the natural world and conservation by both my parents through camping, gardening, and traveling to the US National Parks. It wasn’t until I decided to grow my own food that my interests became more focused. In the last year however, I’ve decided to go beyond just knowing a few common plants and really get to know the botanical world around me. Once you begin to learn which plants are in your area and why they are there, it changes your relationship and understanding with your environment. The thought of being lost in the wilderness isn’t so scary when you know what the landscape is telling you.
Of course understanding plants also means knowing what’s edible and medicinal for me. As an herbalist I am a strict believer of plants as helpers on our path to wellness. I’ll have more thoughts on this soon, but for now I want to give you all a list of fabulous books that I have gathered. These books cover a wide range of plant related topics from botany and understanding latin names to medicinal herbs and gardening guides. This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many more books out there old and new, which I know are worth checking out. If you have a favorite not on this list, please feel free to add a comment down below!
General Plant Books:
Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel
A Gardener’s Latin by Richard Bird
The Sibley Guide to Trees by David Allen Sibley
Plant Families by Ross Bayton and Simon Maughan
The Complete Book of Herbs by Lesley Bremness
Practical Botany for Gardeners by Geoff Hodge
Herbal Plant Guides:
Wild Remedies by Rosalee De La Forêt and Emily Han
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West by Michael Moore
The Modern Herbal Dispensatory by Thomas Easley and Steven Horne
The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook by James Green
Wild Edibles by Sergei Boutenko
Gardening Guides:
Will Bonsall’s Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening by Will Bonsall
No Dig, Organic Home & Garden by Charles Dowding and Stefanie Hafferty
The New Self-Sufficient Gardener by John Seymour
Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway
