[.ca] Newcombs Wildflower Guide (ISBN 0316604429)

Hands-down best (for the Northeast):
This is the easiest-to-use and most thorough flower guide I've ever seen. Yes, most illustrations are black-and-white. It's an initial disappointment; however, the quick and sure five-step identification process is worth the lack of color (and the drawings are expertly done). It's much more complete than, say, the Audubon guide. Newcomb has yet to leave me stumped for the identity of any flowering plant. As has been noted, this guide is valid for the Northeast U.S., from Virginia-Kentucky up; and for Canada from Thunder Bay to Newfoundland. I wish the rest of you had a version -- it's indispensible.

Very Useful Aid:
Fantastic book with superb drawings as well as useful writings on the identification of native plants. Book is small and compact yet the binding makes the book excellent for pressing specimens until they can be properly stored.

Simple System Eases Wildflower Identification:
The author's system allows even amateurs like me to quickly and accurately identify wildflowers. It is as simple as answering five questions which point the user to the appropriate page in the book where the flower is described and pictured. The text is great. The first sentence of each description distinguishes that plant from all others in that group. If you are looking for a wildflower guide, they do not get better than this one.

Nice book, but..:
there's no way to tell from the web pages, but this book is only about wildflowers in the Northeast portion of the U.S., didn't do me much good in California. Was a Christmas gift that will be returned. Amazon.com should make it plain that it's regional.

A useful book:
Newcomb's guide is a great book, once you get past the initial training period. For those of us used to flipping through pictures of flowers and fruit until we think we have the right one, this book can be initially off-putting. My advice...get used to it. Newcomb's system is more efficient and more certain than flower-flipping. A good book.